10 tips to boost your immunity naturally!

This pandemic has put the world in a very difficult phase and has got us all thinking about the health and safety of ourselves and our loved ones. We’re all guilty, at some point, of googling ‘How to stay healthy?’, ‘How to boost our immunity?’, ‘What to eat during this pandemic’ etc. Funnily enough, these panic questions also make me wonder that it took the world a pandemic to really pay attention to improving their immune systems. Most of you, and sometimes, me too, continue living a lifestyle that completely disregards the basic need for maintaining good health. 

I’m writing this article from the perspective of someone who has dealt with the downside of a poor immune system for a major part of his life and dedicated time and effort into learning and adopting ways to improve his overall well being. In this article, I'll go over the tools I used to help me go from a kid taking antibiotics every other month to someone who doesn't remember the last time he was down with an infection!

5 foods to incorporate in your diet that will kickstart your immunity!

1. Vitamin C

First, let's understand what Vitamin C is!

Essentially, Vitamin C is a micronutrient that is potent in antioxidants! This means that it protects our body from free radical attack! 

In case you didn't know, free radicals are compounds that cause oxidative stress on our cells and can be attributed to a bunch of chronic diseases like Cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, etc.

Now, Vitamin C is great for your immunity in two ways:

First, by preventing oxidative stress and supporting the functioning of various immune cells.

Second, Vitamin C also increases the activities of Phagocytic Cells (Don't get intimidated by this jargon, it's very simple to understand!).

Basically, Phagocytic Cells, absorb bad bacteria and foreign substances that enter our body! That's it! Simple, right?

Now that you’ve understood how Vitamin C is great for your immunity, I’m sure you’re convinced to incorporate it into your diet.

Here are some food sources rich in Vitamin C:

• Guavas
• Strawberries
• Citrus fruits
• Bells peppers

2. Probiotics 

Did you know!? 70% of our immune system keeps guard in our gut!

The probiotics (good bacteria) in our gut serve as the first line of defense for any pathogens (harmful bacteria) that enter our body! Probiotics literally bar these pathogens from colonizing in our guts and in turn protect our immune systems.

An interesting study was done on mice, wherein they were infected with the flu. The study showed that when the mice were given antibiotics 1/3rd of them couldn't survive the flu. However, 80% of the mice that were not given antibiotics survived! 

Well, what was the difference between the two groups of mice!? Their gut bacteria! The group that took antibiotics had their gut bacteria destroyed!

The best way to improve this line of defense, and thus boost our immunity, is by introducing probiotics like Kombucha, kefir, sauerkraut into our diet! This will improve the quantity and diversity of the good gut microbiome!

3. Prebiotics

Prebiotics are not so often heard of like probiotics. They may sound very similar but perform very different functions. 

We know our gut bacteria acts as the first line of defense against pathogens entering our body, in turn boosting our immunity. 

With such an important task, I'm sure you'd agree we need to feed these bacteria and keep them strong and healthy! How do we do that? You guessed it right, Prebiotics!

Simply put, probiotics are the actual good gut bacteria that feed on prebiotics to stay healthy. Prebiotics are a type of fiber that our bodies cannot digest and hence, serve as food to the probiotics! 

Various sources of prebiotics as possible additions to your diet include:

? Oats

? Chicory Root

? Butter (Butyrate)

? Garlic

4. Herbs & Spices

? Ginger Root

Ginger’s medicinal and immunity-boosting qualities have been highlighted since the beginning of time and it is now important to understand how the ginger truly helps us!

The attributes of ginger are associated with certain compounds found in ginger root, more specifically, gingerol and shogaol. 

These compounds are potent in antioxidants and have strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidative benefits. In simple words, ginger can counter free radical attacks and reduce the stress on the cells of our body, which is absolutely vital to maintain a strong immune system!

? Turmeric Root

Just like ginger, turmeric too, popularly referred to as Haldi in India is an age-old superfood.

Curcumin, a compound potent in Turmeric, is what gives it it's anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. Studies also indicate that curcumin can improve antibody response due to its capability to regulate the immune system!

Now you know why “Turmeric Latte” popularised around the globe!

? Tulsi 

Another age-old Indian home remedy! 

This might sound surprising, but Tulsi contains ethanol! Studies prove that ethanol (an alcohol compound) when extracted from Tulsi and given to human beings, is able to modulate the immune system and destroy pathogenic microbial activity, to help boost our immunity!

Pro Tip: Always consume Tulsi on an empty stomach for the best results!

5. Omega 3 fatty acids

One of the most underrated compounds is Omega 3 fatty acids! They have immeasurable health benefits, including strengthening our immune system! 

Studies have shown that omega 3 fatty acids can increase 'B cell' production! 

What B cells of our immune system do is, they increase antibody production in our immune cells which in turn, neutralize pathogenic bacteria and viruses! 

Food sources of Omega 3 Fatty Acids include:

? Cod Liver Oil

? Salmon

? Flax Seeds

? Chia Seeds

Now that I’ve covered the food sources to help you stay fit, let's move to the lifestyle changes you should be making for better immunity!

5 lifestyle changes for better immunity!

1. Sleep 

Sleep and immune response have a direct relation. 

Let me break it down for you in a very logical and easy manner. At any given point, our body is using our energy stores to carry out a multitude of bodily functions such as digesting food. In this case, when we’re attacked by foreign pathogens such as viruses, our body has to devote a major chunk of its energy to the immune system to fight these pathogens! When our bodies are well-rested, we also have better energy stores that are sufficient to fight off the foreign pathogens! 

Moreover, while sleeping, our immune system releases certain proteins known as cytokines. Cytokines are essential to ward off the viruses that enter our body. So, if we have poor sleeping patterns, we might compromise our immune systems!

Next time you’re binge-watching your favorite show deep into the night, remember, good sleep equals good immunity! Get those 7 to 9 hours of well-deserved sleep!

2. Exercise 

When I say exercise, I don’t mean intense weightlifting or training to become a competitive athlete. In fact, such intense forms of exercise actually have the potential to compromise your immunity, because intense exercise is inflammatory in nature. A few studies also show the correlation between intense forms of exercise and sickness!

But, what is great for your immunity is to incorporate daily activity and conventional forms of exercise into your lifestyle! This will increase your overall health markers and help your immune system to protect you better.

3. Avoid Stress, and don’t forget to Meditate

When I say stress, I am referring to chronic stress. So the occasional assignment deadline/client presentation stress is nothing to worry about! The issue arises in people who have chronic stress which leads to the stress hormone (cortisol) being spiked for prolonged periods of time! This can rattle your immune system! 

The negative effects of stress don’t stop at poor immunity and that's why stress management has become one of the key parts of my life. Incorporating meditation or yoga as a part of your lifestyle is a great way to manage stress! Even simply taking a few deep breaths and reflecting on my thoughts has always worked me in those stressful times! 

4. Avoid excessive medication

More specifically, the usage of excessive antibiotics has shown to weaken the immune system. Firstly, when we are prescribed antibiotics, we should be aware that it can possibly destroy not only the pathogenic gut bacteria but also all the good bugs we have in our gut! And we know how essential those are for our immune system!

A study done by the University of Copenhagen showed that even after 6 months of using antibiotics, the guts of the sample audience were missing 9 types of common beneficial bacteria!

So next time you’re prescribed antibiotics, make sure you take a dose of probiotics too!

5. Alcohol, smoking, & drug abuse

While it’s pretty obvious, excessive consumption of alcohol, drugs, etc. are extremely harmful to our overall health, I still believe it deserves a special mention. There is plenty of research that indicates the correlation between alcohol/drug consumption and susceptibility to respiratory diseases.

Alcohol and drug abuse put our internal body systems in conditions they don't deserve to be in. Yes, your parents are right when they tell you to drink responsibly! 

Summary

Our Immune System is a complex system with millions of moving parts, with its main function being neutralizing pathogenic substances. Ideally, we should make complete lifestyle changes and strive to be the healthiest version of ourselves. Whether it's dietary changes, our behavioral changes, let's all take this pandemic as an opportunity to be the healthiest version of ourselves!