General Immune System Advice

A guide on how to boost your immune system, particularly during the winter.

A healthy immune system is the cornerstone of good health. In our fast paced world, there are a multitude of factors that can challenge our immune system, including diet, lifestyle, exercise, sleep, stress, exposure to toxins both environmental and consumed in food and drugs to name a few. If our immune system is not firing on all cylinders it can have a huge impact on how our body copes with these challenges, and be the difference between wellness and illness.

Our immune system is a complex network made up of more than white blood cells. It includes our skin which acts as a physical barrier to harmful microbes. Our lymphatic system also plays a large role in immunity and includes the lymphatic vessels, lymph nodes and lymphatic organs such as the spleen, which help to remove toxins from tissue within the body and transport potentially harmful microbes to cells that can help disarm them. Organs such as our stomach and liver also help defend us from harmful bacteria. Our stomach produces stomach acid which kills many harmful bacteria and our liver contains cells which destroy harmful bacteria and systems that de-activate potential toxins. Our intestines play a huge role in protecting us from harmful substances in food and it is said that around 80% of our immune system is located in our gut. Other chemical messengers within our body also play a role by directing the cells of our immune system into action.

So how do we know if our immune system isn't working? Some of the obvious first signs include niggling sore throats, colds and repeated infections that become more frequent, worse or just won't go away. Sometimes there are no warning signs and serious illnesses such as cancer can occur.

As we age, our immune function may decline and it becomes more difficult to fight off infection. As well as an under-functioning immune system, it can also start to overreact and attack our own tissue such as in the case of auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, and where we react to chemicals or eating certain foods, or inhaling allergens such as dust or pollen.

The good news is that there are a number of simple changes that we can make to boost our immune systems and maintain good health to fight off, or at least reduce the severity of certain illnesses.

Dietary Recommendations

Increase

• Increase intake of foods rich in antioxidants (see our guide to Antioxidants)

o Aim for at least 5-7 portions of antioxidant rich fresh fruit and vegetables every day (preferably organic to reduce exposure to pesticide residues). Eat a rainbow! Rich sources include kale, raw spinach, tenderstem broccoli, alfalfa sprouts, steamed spinach, broccoli, beetroot, sweet potatoes and avocado, prunes, raisins, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, plums
o Snack on a daily handful of unsalted/unroasted/unsmoked nuts and seeds which are rich in minerals zinc and selenium
o Foods rich in cysteine and glutathione eg white meat, fresh tuna, pulses, nuts, seeds, garlic and onions

• Try some warming freshly made soups - they are rich in nutrients and can be easier to digest. Home-made soups using organic ingredients are even better.

• Protein is essential when the body is under attack - choose fresh fish, chicken, turkey and lean meats. For vegetarian sources choose pulses, tofu and whey products.

Limit / Avoid

• Sugar - studies show that sugar can hamper white blood cells from attacking bacteria. This includes honey and sugar in sweets, chocolate, cakes, drinks and hidden in some ready-made foods.
• Alcohol - the sugars in alcohol can have the same impact as above
• Fats - there is conflicting evidence regarding the intake of fats both saturated and unsaturated essential fatty acids with regard to their effect on the immune system. However, the general consensus is that reducing saturated and transfats in the diet can be beneficial for the immune system. Therefore limit red meats and full fat dairy and avoid food fried at high temperatures (it can creates free radicals), cakes, pastries and biscuits containing trans fats. Omega-3 fats such as those found in oily fish, flaxseed and hempseeds have anti-inflammatory properties.

Other Tips

• Excess stress can have a negative effect on health. Cortisol, which is produced by the adrenal glands alongside stress has the effect of dampening down the immune system. This is why we often fall foul of colds and infections when we're stressed out. Try and reduce stress levels and/or make sure you have a relaxing outlet for stress. Relaxation, meditation, massage - whatever works for you.

• It is also important to have an outlet for psychological stress. Iff you have worrying or negative thoughts, you may find benefit in therapies such as Emotional Freedom Technique or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or by talking to a counsellor.

• Exercise - Moderate exercise can help boost the immune system and promote a feeling of wellbeing for example yoga and t'ai chi, walking. Excessive exercise and overtraining can have the opposite effect and can suppress the immune system temporarily. Exercise is very beneficial to keep the lymphatic system moving.

• Sleep - A good night's sleep is essential for good immune function as this gives the body the opportunity to repair and renew itself.

• Try to reduce exposure to external toxins for example car fumes, cigarette smoke, agricultural chemicals, chemicals in domestic cleaning products, drugs, heavy metals etc. These will all add further burden to your immune system.

• Massage - Lymphatic massage can help boost sluggish lymph vessels.

• Some say that laughter is the best medicine and there are reports that a good belly laugh helps to boost your sense of wellbeing and therefore support your immune function by reducing stress levels. Watch some funny films or get together with fun friends.

• Wash hands regularly to avoid the spread of bacteria.

Helpful Supplements

Multivitamins - See our guide to Multivitamins and Minerals - taking a good quality multivitamin and mineral formual can help provide nutrients that are beneficial for immune health and fill the gaps that are present in many of our diets.

Antioxidants - See our guide to antioxidants - they provide essential support to the immune system to fight the oxidative damage caused be free radicals. If you feel your diet is deficient and if your multivitamin doesn't contain good levels of vitamin A, C, E, D, zinc and selenium you may wish to supplement with an antioxidant formula.

Echinacea - This herb has been used widely to optimise immune system function. It may be useful in reducing the severity and duration of symptoms of the common cold. It also has an anti-bacterial effect and can help optimise resistance to infection from bacteria, parasites, fungi and yeasts like candida albicans.

Pycnogenol - This extract contains over 40 bio-available (ie our bodies can absorb them easily) nutrients from pine bark. It is a rich source of bioflavonoids, fruit acids and other antioxidants.

Garlic - garlic has been used traditionally to optimise immune function and has some anti-cancer properties due to the presence of allicin which may be able to help fight tumours. It also has anti-viral properties and may be useful in optimising the treatment of candida albicans.

Probiotics - the probiotic strain acidophilus may help maintain a healthy immune function as it produces acids which help inhibit some disease forming organisms, for example E.coli. It also has some antibiotic and antiviral properties.

Rhodiola - This herb is an adaptogenic herb which can help us adapt to stresses and therefore may also help support our immune function, particularly during periods of stress.

Astralagus - another adaptogenic herb which can also help to optimise the immune system function by stimulating white blood cells and chemicals necessary to fight viral infections.

Lysine - cold sores are a common sign of a stressed immune system. Application of this can support healing of cold sores.

L-glutamine - This amino acid is important for maintaining a healthy immune system function by stimulating white blood cells and antibody activity to prevent harmful bacteria entering the body. It may also be effective in supporting treatment of certain autoimmune conditions as it helps the production of glutathione.

Homeopathy

This form of natural medicine works in such a way as to stimulate the vital force to boost the immune system, which in turn, helps the body to heal. It works on a gentle, synergistic level, and so for any ailment that you are being treated for homeopathically, it will in turn boost your immune system and promote healing. Generally, it is advised to come for a full homeopathic consultation, as this form of healing is very much tailored to your individual needs. Why not give the shop a ring and make an appointment for a free 15 minute chat with our homeopath to find out how you can benefit.

Sources

Institute for Optimum Nutrition http://www.ion.ac.uk/healthnotes.php?org=ion&ContentID=1036001, Immune Function
Hazel Courteney (2009) 500 Of The Most Important Health Tips You'll Ever Need, CICO Books, London
Patrick Holford (2004) New Optimum Nutrition Bible, Piatkus Books Ltd, London

Here at Alexandra Worsley, we can support and guide you with advice on which products and lifestyle changes we consider would be best for you. Just ask! Email us or call 0161 439 9856 or pop into the shop for a FREE shop floor consultation. If we can't help immediately, we have a team of therapists who can help, particularly in more complex cases. We always recommend that with any health condition, you consult with your GP in the first instance.