Tips to Strengthen Your Immune System

 

Because the immune system is exactly that – a system, rather than a single organ – identifying tools to strengthen it or enhance its ability to function properly can be difficult to pin down. As a start, the healthy living habits suggested by Harvard Health Publications1 are a good place to start.

  • Don't smoke.
  • Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in saturated fat.
  • Exercise regularly.
  • Maintain a healthy weight.
  • Control your blood pressure.
  • If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.
  • Get adequate sleep.
  • Take steps to avoid infection, such as washing your hands frequently and cooking meats thoroughly.
  • Get regular medical screening tests for people in your age group and risk category.

 

In addition to a daily dose of laughter and some singing in the shower, Reader’s Digest2 suggests a number of lifestyle choices to assist your immune system, including the following:

  • Choose friendly fats. Opt for unsaturated vegetable fats rather than saturated ones from animal foods, which reduce the ability of white blood cells to zap bacteria. And avoid trans fats, manufactured fats labeled as “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated.”
  • Avoid sugar. Just 10 teaspoons of sugar, the amount in two 12-ounce cans of soda or carbonated lemonade—impairs the ability of white blood cells to deactivate or kill bacteria.
  • Eat more fish. Oily fish such as sardines, herring, and mackerel contain protein—essential for building the cells that fight off invaders—and the fatty acids called omega-3s, which regulate immune system function.
  • Eat more citrus. Vitamin C, found in high concentrations in oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit, boosts the activity of phagocytes (cells that engulf and digest bacteria) in the blood. The body can’t store vitamin C, so you need to consume some every day.
  • Exercise regularly. Your immune system responds to exercise by producing more of the blood cells that attack bacterial invaders. And the more regularly you exercise, the more long lasting the changes become. U.S. research shows that people who exercise moderately on five or six days a week have half as many colds and sore throats as people who don’t.
  • Don’t forget the veggies. Garlic and onions in soup, stews, and other dishes are both sources of potent antiviral substances that can boost your resistance to infection. Plenty of other vegetables can add to your infection-fighting armory, including carrots and sweet potatoes. They are rich in beta carotene, which has an anti-inflammatory action and raises the rate at which white blood cells are produced. Other powerful allies include chile peppers, which thin nasal mucus; shiitake mushrooms, which aid white blood cell production; and ginger, which counteracts inflammation.

 

The writers at Prevention3 suggest the following:

  • Consider meditation. Your mind can cut your chances of catching a cold by 40 to 50%, according to a 2012 University of Wisconsin, Madison, study. Fifty-one people who used mindfulness techniques logged 13 fewer illnesses and 51 fewer sick days than a control group during one cold-and-flu season, probably because meditation reduces physical effects of stress that weaken the immune system.
  • Wash and dry your hands often. Cleaning your hands frequently—especially after touching anyone or anything that may be germy—is key to defending yourself against cold and flu viruses. But drying hands thoroughly is just as important, because germs cling to your skin more easily when it's wet. Be sure to replace damp towels with dry ones often.
  • Get enough sleep. Your immune system needs rest to keep you healthy.
  • Take care of your toothbrush. Viruses on one toothbrush can contaminate others it touches. Make sure your family's brushes are in a holder that keeps them apart, and let them dry thoroughly. (If you get a bug, you don't need to replace your brush: You already have antibodies against that virus.)
  • Stop biting your nails…and wiping or rubbing your eyes or nose. You can't always avoid getting germs on your hands, but you don't have to give them a lift into your respiratory system.

 

 

1. health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-boost-your-immune-system

2. www.rd.com/health/conditions/boost-immune-system/

3. www.prevention.com/health/health-concerns/colds-flu-prevention-strategies-and-immune-boosters/slide/1

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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Tips to Strengthen Your Immune System

 

Because the immune system is exactly that – a system, rather than a single organ – identifying tools to strengthen it or enhance its ability to function properly can be difficult to pin down. As a start, the healthy living habits suggested by Harvard Health Publications1 are a good place to start.

  • Don't smoke.
  • Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in saturated fat.
  • Exercise regularly.
  • Maintain a healthy weight.
  • Control your blood pressure.
  • If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.
  • Get adequate sleep.
  • Take steps to avoid infection, such as washing your hands frequently and cooking meats thoroughly.
  • Get regular medical screening tests for people in your age group and risk category.

 

In addition to a daily dose of laughter and some singing in the shower, Reader’s Digest2 suggests a number of lifestyle choices to assist your immune system, including the following:

  • Choose friendly fats. Opt for unsaturated vegetable fats rather than saturated ones from animal foods, which reduce the ability of white blood cells to zap bacteria. And avoid trans fats, manufactured fats labeled as “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated.”
  • Avoid sugar. Just 10 teaspoons of sugar, the amount in two 12-ounce cans of soda or carbonated lemonade—impairs the ability of white blood cells to deactivate or kill bacteria.
  • Eat more fish. Oily fish such as sardines, herring, and mackerel contain protein—essential for building the cells that fight off invaders—and the fatty acids called omega-3s, which regulate immune system function.
  • Eat more citrus. Vitamin C, found in high concentrations in oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit, boosts the activity of phagocytes (cells that engulf and digest bacteria) in the blood. The body can’t store vitamin C, so you need to consume some every day.
  • Exercise regularly. Your immune system responds to exercise by producing more of the blood cells that attack bacterial invaders. And the more regularly you exercise, the more long lasting the changes become. U.S. research shows that people who exercise moderately on five or six days a week have half as many colds and sore throats as people who don’t.
  • Don’t forget the veggies. Garlic and onions in soup, stews, and other dishes are both sources of potent antiviral substances that can boost your resistance to infection. Plenty of other vegetables can add to your infection-fighting armory, including carrots and sweet potatoes. They are rich in beta carotene, which has an anti-inflammatory action and raises the rate at which white blood cells are produced. Other powerful allies include chile peppers, which thin nasal mucus; shiitake mushrooms, which aid white blood cell production; and ginger, which counteracts inflammation.

 

The writers at Prevention3 suggest the following:

  • Consider meditation. Your mind can cut your chances of catching a cold by 40 to 50%, according to a 2012 University of Wisconsin, Madison, study. Fifty-one people who used mindfulness techniques logged 13 fewer illnesses and 51 fewer sick days than a control group during one cold-and-flu season, probably because meditation reduces physical effects of stress that weaken the immune system.
  • Wash and dry your hands often. Cleaning your hands frequently—especially after touching anyone or anything that may be germy—is key to defending yourself against cold and flu viruses. But drying hands thoroughly is just as important, because germs cling to your skin more easily when it's wet. Be sure to replace damp towels with dry ones often.
  • Get enough sleep. Your immune system needs rest to keep you healthy.
  • Take care of your toothbrush. Viruses on one toothbrush can contaminate others it touches. Make sure your family's brushes are in a holder that keeps them apart, and let them dry thoroughly. (If you get a bug, you don't need to replace your brush: You already have antibodies against that virus.)
  • Stop biting your nails…and wiping or rubbing your eyes or nose. You can't always avoid getting germs on your hands, but you don't have to give them a lift into your respiratory system.

 

 

1. health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-boost-your-immune-system

2. www.rd.com/health/conditions/boost-immune-system/

3. www.prevention.com/health/health-concerns/colds-flu-prevention-strategies-and-immune-boosters/slide/1

Tips to Strengthen Your Immune System

 

Because the immune system is exactly that – a system, rather than a single organ – identifying tools to strengthen it or enhance its ability to function properly can be difficult to pin down. As a start, the healthy living habits suggested by Harvard Health Publications1 are a good place to start.

  • Don't smoke.
  • Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in saturated fat.
  • Exercise regularly.
  • Maintain a healthy weight.
  • Control your blood pressure.
  • If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.
  • Get adequate sleep.
  • Take steps to avoid infection, such as washing your hands frequently and cooking meats thoroughly.
  • Get regular medical screening tests for people in your age group and risk category.

 

In addition to a daily dose of laughter and some singing in the shower, Reader’s Digest2 suggests a number of lifestyle choices to assist your immune system, including the following:

  • Choose friendly fats. Opt for unsaturated vegetable fats rather than saturated ones from animal foods, which reduce the ability of white blood cells to zap bacteria. And avoid trans fats, manufactured fats labeled as “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated.”
  • Avoid sugar. Just 10 teaspoons of sugar, the amount in two 12-ounce cans of soda or carbonated lemonade—impairs the ability of white blood cells to deactivate or kill bacteria.
  • Eat more fish. Oily fish such as sardines, herring, and mackerel contain protein—essential for building the cells that fight off invaders—and the fatty acids called omega-3s, which regulate immune system function.
  • Eat more citrus. Vitamin C, found in high concentrations in oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit, boosts the activity of phagocytes (cells that engulf and digest bacteria) in the blood. The body can’t store vitamin C, so you need to consume some every day.
  • Exercise regularly. Your immune system responds to exercise by producing more of the blood cells that attack bacterial invaders. And the more regularly you exercise, the more long lasting the changes become. U.S. research shows that people who exercise moderately on five or six days a week have half as many colds and sore throats as people who don’t.
  • Don’t forget the veggies. Garlic and onions in soup, stews, and other dishes are both sources of potent antiviral substances that can boost your resistance to infection. Plenty of other vegetables can add to your infection-fighting armory, including carrots and sweet potatoes. They are rich in beta carotene, which has an anti-inflammatory action and raises the rate at which white blood cells are produced. Other powerful allies include chile peppers, which thin nasal mucus; shiitake mushrooms, which aid white blood cell production; and ginger, which counteracts inflammation.

 

The writers at Prevention3 suggest the following:

  • Consider meditation. Your mind can cut your chances of catching a cold by 40 to 50%, according to a 2012 University of Wisconsin, Madison, study. Fifty-one people who used mindfulness techniques logged 13 fewer illnesses and 51 fewer sick days than a control group during one cold-and-flu season, probably because meditation reduces physical effects of stress that weaken the immune system.
  • Wash and dry your hands often. Cleaning your hands frequently—especially after touching anyone or anything that may be germy—is key to defending yourself against cold and flu viruses. But drying hands thoroughly is just as important, because germs cling to your skin more easily when it's wet. Be sure to replace damp towels with dry ones often.
  • Get enough sleep. Your immune system needs rest to keep you healthy.
  • Take care of your toothbrush. Viruses on one toothbrush can contaminate others it touches. Make sure your family's brushes are in a holder that keeps them apart, and let them dry thoroughly. (If you get a bug, you don't need to replace your brush: You already have antibodies against that virus.)
  • Stop biting your nails…and wiping or rubbing your eyes or nose. You can't always avoid getting germs on your hands, but you don't have to give them a lift into your respiratory system.

 

 

1. health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-boost-your-immune-system

2. www.rd.com/health/conditions/boost-immune-system/

3. www.prevention.com/health/health-concerns/colds-flu-prevention-strategies-and-immune-boosters/slide/1

This site is intended for U.S. residents only.
© 2017 Ajinomoto Co., Inc. All rights reserved.

Ajinomoto Group AJINOMOTO GROUP Worldwide

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.