While you can get a respiratory virus any time of year, it’s more common to get sick during the fall and winter.
Besides getting vaccinated, having good hand hygiene and avoiding contact with sick people, are there other ways to prevent illness or boost your immune system?
Cassandra Prewitt, FNP, a nurse practitioner with MultiCare Rockwood Clinic Urgent Care, shares tips to incorporate into your daily life to ensure your immune system is at its best to fight off illness.
Tips to strengthen your immune system
1. Eat the rainbow
The standard American diet is high in processed convenience foods that contain added sugars, refined carbs and trans fats. These foods can contribute to inflammation and weaken your body’s defenses against infection.
“For overall health and longevity, I encourage my patients to ‘eat the rainbow’ when making a plate of food,” Prewitt says. “You want a variety of colors, including dark-colored veggies and fruits, plus adequate protein, healthy fat and an easy carb like sweet potato.”
The Paleo and Mediterranean diets, for example, focus on nutrient-dense whole foods that have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body, which can help the immune system.
2. Exercise regularly
Research has shown that regular, moderate exercise reduces inflammation.
“People who work out tend to have a better immune system versus those who don’t,” Prewitt adds. “Those who engage in physical activity experience lower infection rates, particularly upper respiratory infections.”
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services recommends adults get at least two-and-a-half to five hours a week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, along with two or more days a week of muscle-strengthening activities of moderate or greater intensity.
3. Manage stress
Stress can send your body into overdrive and take a toll on your immune system as it tries to manage the many physical and emotional responses.
Studies have shown a connection between chronic stress and immune dysregulation and suppression, which means if you’re stressed out, you’re at higher risk of getting sick.
Prewitt suggests a few ways to support stress management: not overscheduling yourself, box breathing and practicing mindfulness meditation.
“Say no — don’t overschedule or overcommit,” she says. “If you get too busy, your self-care goes down the drain.”
She also recommends box breathing to reset the vagus nerve (your gut-brain connection). To box breathe, breathe in for four counts, hold for four counts and breathe out for four counts. Do this one to two times a day to calm down your cortisol levels.
Mindfulness meditation is another way to manage stress. It helps you focus on being fully present in the moment, bringing awareness to your breath and thoughts. There are many free apps, YouTube videos and podcasts on mindfulness. Aim for two to five minutes a day to bring down stress levels.
By reducing stress, you’re giving your body a better chance to produce antibodies and fight off a virus before it can take hold.
4. Get enough sleep
Allowing your body to rest each night plays a big role in keeping your immune system strong and your body running properly.
“If you have chronic sleep issues, you’re going to have increased inflammation and more susceptibility to disease,” Prewitt says. “Adequate sleep supports your immune system and overall health.”
For adults, a goal of at least seven hours of sleep each night should be plenty, while teenagers should aim for eight to 10 hours, children 10-13 hours and toddlers (age 3 and younger) about 14 hours.
5. Understand the role of micronutrients
Research shows that micronutrients support the optimal functioning of the immune system. This includes vitamins such as A, C, D, E, B6, B12 and folate, and trace elements like zinc, iron, copper and selenium. Deficiencies in these micronutrients can impair the immune system.
You can get micronutrients by eating whole foods, but if you don’t believe you’re getting enough from your diet, it might make sense to take a multivitamin.
“Some people wait until they are sick and then start taking vitamin D or zinc, but it’s really beneficial to ensure your levels are always optimal for better overall health and illness prevention,” Prewitt says.
Vitamin D. Vitamin D helps promote an important process in the immune system called phagocytosis, where a cell engulfs itself and gets rid of cell debris and pathogens.
“Vitamin D suppresses pro-inflammatory cells, which in turn decreases inflammation,” Prewitt explains. “The data shows those with lower vitamin D levels have increased susceptibility to infections, especially upper respiratory infections and sepsis.”
Prewitt says optimal vitamin D levels are between 50-80 ng/mL.
Zinc. Having adequate zinc levels is essential for maintenance of the immune system. If you have a zinc deficiency, it can impair the formation of immune cells. When impaired, you’ll be more susceptible to infection.
“There’s lot of research that shows zinc improves immune function,” Prewitt says. “I find a lot of my patients are low in zinc, so I suggest taking 15mg a day. Most multivitamins contain zinc.”
6. Consider probiotics
Probiotics are “good” bacteria that suppress harmful bacteria in the digestive system while supporting the growth of good bacteria. They help the immune system by enhancing the intestinal barrier, promoting anti-inflammatory cytokines (proteins that help regulate immune response) while suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokines, and directly interacting with immune cells.
Probiotics are found in yogurt and other fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi and kefir. For a probiotic supplement, Prewitt suggests taking one that contains Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium.
Additional illness prevention tips
Wash your hands
Wet hands with either warm or cold water, apply soap and rub hands together for at least 20 seconds. It’s important to scrub your hands to get the bacteria off: Make sure the suds reach your palms, backs of hands, between fingers, under fingernails and up to wrists. Rinse soap off and use a clean paper towel to turn off the faucet and dry hands.
Limit your exposure
Avoid contact with people showing symptoms of an infection or virus as much as possible. If the sick person is in your workplace or classroom, ask them to stay home until their symptoms stop. If the sick person is in your home, keep your distance, try to keep them in one area of the home and disinfect surfaces often.
Wear a mask
If you know you’ll be near others who are sick or you have symptoms yourself, wear a mask. Ensure that your mask is snug against the face and across the bridge of the nose, has an appropriate filtration design (especially if using cotton) to keep larger particles out, and is clean — or, if using disposable masks, new.
Stay hydrated
When a virus or infection attacks the body, you may be more likely to experience dehydration. Set yourself up for success by staying hydrated on a daily basis to keep your body running at peak performance. Best practice is to divide your body weight by two to determine how many ounces of water you need daily.
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