How to Support Your Immune System
Your immune system is essential to your health and well-being, but many don’t really know much about it, especially in terms of how to support the immune system.
Your immune system is made up of a very big and complex network of cells and proteins all around your body, and its role is to protect you from bacteria, viruses, and other threats. And for most people, the immune system does an amazing job at keeping them healthy.
But, in some cases, it can fail, or at least be caught off guard, which is why many seek for ways to support this function.
While many people look to do this, is it actually possible to support your immune system? Is an elderberry supplement effective for supporting your immunity? What other things can you try to make sure your immune function does its job?
How to Support Your Immune System
While immunity experts themselves still have a lot of unanswered questions about this essential part of the human body, there are tried and tested ways to help support the immune system. And interestingly enough, most of the immune-supporting efforts you can do are related to your lifestyle.
A healthy body, meaning a healthy lifestyle, is one of the best ways to make sure your immune system is able to do its job properly, and help protect you from pathogens and other threats.
They can include:
- Eating a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables
- Not smoking
- Exercising regularly
- Not drinking excessive alcohol or abusing drugs
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Getting enough sleep
- Reducing stress
- Maintaining a good hygiene routine, such as frequently washing your hands, etc.
Many studies and reviews have found that an improper lifestyle can directly contribute to a weaker immune system and an increased risk of infection.
When your body isn’t getting the right nutrients, is experiencing stress, lack of sleep, and isn’t physically challenged at all, you can argue that your body is already in ‘fight’ mode, trying to maintain its usual functions with the resources it has. In a sense, it has weakened.
So, when a threat appears, your body might not have the strength to launch full immune protection.
How to Support Your Immune System with Supplements
It’s well known that your diet can directly impact your body’s immune response. When you give your body the nutrients it needs, you also give it the fuel to fight against viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens trying to wreak havoc on the inside.
As a result, taking certain supplements can be a good way to help support your immune system as you’re giving your body additional vitamins and minerals you might not be getting from your diet. Although no supplement can replace the benefits of proper nutrition, taking supplements may be beneficial for your overall well-being.
Here are certain supplement ingredients to look for if you want to support your immune system:
- Elderberry - packed with antioxidants which can help your body fight against free radicals and loads of vitamins;
- Zinc - helps the normal development and function of cells
- Echinacea - full of antioxidants and some research has even shown it can support the body’s immune response
Over to You
The question of how to support your immune system doesn’t really have a simple and straightforward answer. However, by taking care of your overall well-being, not smoking, eating a balanced diet, working out, and offering your body additional nutrients through supplementation, you can help support your immune system.
