Ever wondered how your body responds to foreign bacterias? Or, how does your body fight the common cold and flu, without taking any proper medication? The answer lies in your immune system. The immune system in our bodies helps us fight against various viruses and germ-causing diseases naturally. It acts as your body’s natural protective barrier against numerous diseases.
The pandemic taught us the value of having a properly functioning immune system. As we all know, a healthy immune system can help fight deadly viruses from entering the body. A lot has been said about ways to improve your immune system in the recent past owing to the outbreak of Coronavirus. Yes, quitting smoking and maintaining a hygienic lifestyle is important.
But do we know enough about how our immune system works? Understanding how certain parts of our body works can help us understand how to improve those parts’ functioning. Let us take a look at the way our immune system works!
Immune System
The immune system comprises two parts, namely, adaptive and innate. The innate part of the immune system consists of the skin and the mucous lining of our mouth. Both the skin and mucous are responsible for protecting against harmful bacterias and germs.
On the other hand, the immune system’s adaptive part works by introducing T and B lymphocytes that prevent foreign substances like bacteria and viruses from entering our body. Now that we know how our immune system works let us determine what causes our immune system to become poor.
Reasons that Lead to a Poorly Functioning Immune System
There can be multiple reasons behind you having a poorly functioning immune system. Generally, the foreign substances entering our body leads us to have diseases like cough and sore throat or worse (deadly viruses like the Covid-19). There can be many reasons why your immune system is in poor working condition.
Let’s have a look into some of the reasons for an affected immune system:
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Not Having Proper Amount of Sleep
Sleep is crucial for the healthy functioning of the brain and body. Lack of sleep contributes to various health conditions that you could otherwise avoid. Popping an immune support supplement can seem like an easy way out to taking care of your health, but it is not. Along with a healthy diet and some supplements, you also need to have a sufficient sleep to improve immunity.
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Sudden Changes in Season
As discussed earlier, we may get infected with rhinovirus during seasonal changes. The sudden changes we experience from having longer to shorter daytime affects our health. The shorter daytime may be responsible for the innate part of the immune system not functioning properly. As the defending immunity cells cannot function as required, the virus that attacks us during this time can successfully invade our bodies.
Although there is no way to avoid the seasonal changes, you can stick to a strict schedule for eating and sleeping. Having a proper schedule where you have breakfast, lunch, dinner, and sleep at the same time every day can help your body get adjusted to the seasonal changes carefully without getting affected by harmful viruses and bacterias.
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Not Maintaining a Proper Diet
By a proper diet, it means to have a diet that has the required amount of carbohydrates, protein, fat, nutrients, and vitamins according to your body and BMI requirements. Sometimes, natural food sources like vegetables, fruits, eggs, and meat do not give us our required amount of nutrients. This is when supplements come into play to help us get all the sufficient nutrients.
Also, as mentioned earlier, it is only possible for you to have good health when you eat at the correct time. Eating and sleeping every day at the same time regularly can help your body be comfortable and not work itself to adjust to new schedules every day. This constitutes a healthy lifestyle, and everybody should try to maintain it to improve overall immunity and health.
Some indispensable supplements work as a catalyst in improving our immunity along with a healthy lifestyle. Take a look at them in the section below.
Top Indispensable Supplements to Boost Your Immune System
1.Vitamin C
Due to its antioxidant properties, vitamin C stands as the top immunity booster among all. It is available in quite a variety of vegetables and fruits that are essential for good health. The body does not have the ability to produce vitamin C, and so it has to be obtained from external sources.
Lack of vitamin C can cause you to develop many conditions. So, in case you are struggling to get enough vitamin C from your diet, you can try vitamin C supplements and see the results for yourself. Many multivitamins contain vitamin C along with other essential substances. So, you can try multivitamins as well, which you can purchase from any vitamin and supplement store online.
2.Vitamin D
The sunshine vitamin is a vital nutrient that supports our immune system. Lack of enough vitamin D in your body can cause you to have weaker bones and conditions like osteoporosis. These conditions are especially seen in women. It is not wise to get your dose of vitamin D from sunshine as it has the risk of causing skin cancer. So, along with your diet, you can start taking vitamin D supplements after consulting with your doctor.
3.Zinc
Also known as one of the most vital nutrients required to improve our immune system, Zinc is an essential mineral, required for producing new immune system cells. It plays a significant role in our body’s fight against multiple diseases. Mainly found in meat and fishes, Zinc can also be obtained from certain vegetables. However, if you want to ensure a proper balance of zinc in your diet, ensure that you include zinc supplements in your daily diet, to boost your immune system.
Good Immunity for a Better Life!
Decreased immunity is the cause for heightened concern, especially in the current pandemic. Physicians worldwide recommend having sufficient amount of nutrients from your diet and supplements for a healthy body and mind. Stay safe, stay healthy!