Top Tips on Supporting Your Immune Health
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Immune health is a hot topic right now and it’s an important topic to think about whether you’re in the middle of a global pandemic, or it’s just another winter. When we talk about immune health, we don’t necessarily mean we want to always “boost” our immune system. Low or poor immune function can be a problem for many, but the opposite is also true – there are many who already have a hyperactive/hypersensitive immune system and don’t want to boost it.
If you’re unsure about what is best for your own personal health situation, always make sure you discuss options with a health professional first. Here at Holistia we offer both full Naturopath consults for chronic/long term health issues, but we also offer Express Consultations which are helpful for “quick fix” or symptom management of things like colds and viruses, where we will check options against any health conditions or medications you may have, to ensure that the supplements or herbal medicines you’re thinking about are actually right for you.
1. STRESS & SLEEP
When people want information about how to support their immune system, they tend to automatically want to know what supplements to take. However, your stress levels and how much sleep/how well you sleep is an extremely important factor in how well your immune system functions.
When we in a constant state of high stress, cortisol is released as part of the body’s “fight or flight” mechanism. This allows us to be in a heightened state of arousal, allowing us to quickly deal with the stressor. In a normal situation, the stressor is dealt with and the cortisol levels (and subsequently heart rate and blood pressure) reduce. These days many of us are dealing with long lasting periods of stress, and so the stress-response system is activated over a long period of time. When cortisol and other stress hormones are constantly high, the body’s immune response is lowered, the production and activity of natural killer (NK) cells is reduced, (1) and inflammation is decreased, which leads to increased rate of infections and reduced ability to recover quickly from viruses.
When we sleep, the body repairs itself and our brain recharges. Stress and sleep can sometimes get caught up in the vicious circle – when we don’t sleep enough we feel stressed, when we feel stressed we can’t sleep. If you are having issues with sleep then good sleep hygiene is imperative. Try turning off your electronic devices (TV, phone, ipad) 30 minutes before bed time to disengage and wind down. Keep a sleep diary, to track how many hours you are sleeping – and whether that sleep is interrupted or not. You may well find that if you start implementing step 1 & 2, then your sleep improves.
2. VITAMIN
Vitamin D is essential to good immune function, as well as many other processes in the body. Without sufficient intake of vitamin D, the body’s immune system will not have the capacity to fight off infections in the body. T-cells, which are the immune “killer” cells that seek out and destroy pathogens, must first be triggered into action by vitamin D before they can do their job.(2)
Some foods do contain vitamin D, including herring, cheese, milk and egg yolk, (3) however only in small amounts. The majority of our vitamin D is made by the body’s skin when it is exposed to sunshine. So, it is important to get out in the sun (utilizing safe sun guidelines of course!) to ensure sufficient vitamin D status in the body.
If you are the sort of person who tends to get sick a lot, doesn’t recover well from illness, has allergies or asthma, then it is well worth seeing your GP to get your Vitamin D levels checked. If low, then supplementing is the quickest way to get them to a suitable level.
3. EXERCISE
Regular exercise can help to modulate the immune system and reduce inflammation, and has been shown to reduce the risk of respiratory infections compared with a sedentary lifestyle.(4) It also has been shown to delay age-related immune dysregulation, and even diversify your gut microbiome, which is also important for immune function!(5)Exercise also reduces stress levels and improve sleep which as we have seen above is important for immune function, and can help to kill off viruses and bacteria due to the increase in body temperature.(6) If you struggle to keep an exercise regime then just remember – it does not have to be all or nothing! Start small if you need to – 3 x 30 minutes session in a week. Or, incorporate your new-found morning yoga practices as part of your exercise routine. Mix it up with some relaxation and power yoga. Go for a brisk walk (leave your phone at home!) and disconnect from your stressors – you could practice mindfulness techniques at the same time. Do some body weight exercises in your lounge room. Or, if you are relatively fit then make the time to go for a run or do a weights session at the gym.
4. KEY NUTRIENTS
There are a number of nutrients that can support your immune system, and many of these you can get from diet. Supplementation can also be beneficial, but ideally over the long term we want supplements to just be a short term support, and over the long term get what you need the majority of the time from your diet and lifestyle strategies.
ZINC – Zinc is an essential trace nutrient. Without adequate amounts of zinc in your body you cannot absorb the nutrients from the food you eat and your immune system may not function as well as it should. Zinc deficiency can drastically impair your body’s ability to adequately respond to infections, by reducing the number of white blood cells available to attack bacteria and viruses. Zinc also plays an important role in wound healing, cell growth and repair, skin hair and nail health, fertility and mental health.
Some of the foods that zinc can be found in include oysters, red meats, liver, nuts (brazil, almond, pine, walnuts), chicken, eggs, tahini, garlic, fresh parsley, spinach and mushrooms.(3)
VITAMIN C - Vitamin C is another essential nutrient, and the body cannot synthesize it therefore we need to get it in our diet on a regular basis. Like zinc, it is required for wound healing and immune system function. It is also an antioxidant. During every day body processes, oxidation occurs which creates unstable molecules known as “free radicals”. These free radicals can cause damage to DNA and other cells – and an overload can lead to certain disease including heart disease, liver disease and some cancers. Antioxidants neutralize these free radicals, preventing some of the damage that they can cause.(7)
Foods that are high in vitamin C include strawberries, red capsicum, citrus fruits, broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, tomatoes and snowpeas.(3)
OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS - Omega 3 fatty acids are known to reduce inflammation in the body. However there is also some evidence to suggest that the DHA may also enhance the activity of B cells.(8)
Omega 3 fatty acids are found in cold water oily fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel. Plant based sources include flax seed and walnuts. (3)
HERBS - There are a number of herbs that are beneficial for the immune system.
· Garlic is one most people know about – it has antimicrobial and antiseptic properties (and is delicious!) so great to include as part of your every day diet during winter.
· Ginger is a circulatory stimulant – meaning it’s warming and perfect for winter. It also has anti-inflammatory properties and is wonderful in aiding digestion which can get sluggish during the cooler months.
· Cayenne is also a circulatory stimulant as well as helping to stimulate digestion, another warming herb which induces sweating and so helpful during acute infections and fevers.
· Thyme is an expectorant and spasmolytic, which means it can be helpful if you have a cough as a result of a cold. It can also be used as part of a throat gargle for tonsillitis. (9)
As mentioned at the start of this article, while these are some general tips for supporting your immune function it is important to remember that everyone is different, and while these suggestions may be suitable for one person they may not be for another, depending on their health background. If you are unsure, then please do feel free to get in touch, or speak to your GP.
References:
1. The Physiology of Stress: Cortisol and the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis. Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science. 2011 Feb 3;
2. University of Copenhagen. Vitamin D crucial to activating immune defenses. ScienceDaily. 2010.
3. Metagenics. Foods High in Essential Nutrients.
4. da Silveira MP, da Silva Fagundes KK, Bizuti MR, Starck É, Rossi RC, de Resende E Silva DT. Physical exercise as a tool to help the immune system against COVID-19: an integrative review of the current literature. Clinical and experimental medicine. 2021 Feb;21(1):15–28.
5. Nieman DC, Wentz LM. The compelling link between physical activity and the body’s defense system. Journal of Sport and Health Science. 2019 May 1;8(3):201–17.
6. Medline Plus. Exercise and immunity. Medline Plus. 2020.
7. Antioxidants [Internet]. Better Health Channel. [cited 2022 Jan 17]. Available from: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/antioxidants#bhc-content
8. Gray N. Omega-3 backed to boost immune response, not just battle inflammation: Study [Internet]. Nutra Ingedients. 2013 [cited 2022 Jan 17]. Available from: https://www.nutraingredients.com/Article/2013/04/02/Omega-3-backed-to-boost-immune-health-not-just-battle-inflammation
9. Bone K. The Ultimate Herbal Compendium: A Desktop Guide for Herbal Prescribers. Phytotherapy Press; 2007.