Your immune system is your body’s way of protecting itself from outside invaders, but it can be tough to know what to do to improve your immune system health. The truth is that your immune system is complex and influenced by a variety of factors. Learn how you can strengthen your immune system and aid its processes with the right supplements.
Improve your immune system health with balance
Your immune system health is not a single entity. It is made up of interconnected organs, cells, and proteins, all working together to keep you healthy while fighting off foreign pathogens. A healthy immune system defeats invading pathogens by engulfing germs and killing them. Bacteria, viruses, fungi, and toxins made by chemical microbes are outside invaders that require two main parts of your immune system to work together:
- Your innate immune system (what you were born with)
- Your adaptive immune system ( develops as your body is exposed to microbes and germs)
Your adaptive immune system follows instructions from your innate system to make special proteins and antibodies to protect you from specific invaders. These antibodies are developed by cells called B lymphocytes after an exposure to a germ. If exposed to the same germ, your immune system will then recognize the invader and know how to defend against it. According to John Hopkins Medicine, the cells of your immune system are made in different organs of the body, including your adenoids (located at the back of your nasal passage), your lymph nodes, and your lymphatic vessels. The key to keeping your immune system health intact is to take great care of your cells.
Focus on the basics first
Your immune system health requires lasting attention and cannot be fixed overnight, but there are simple things you can do to help your immune system health thrive long-term:
• Don’t skip meals
Without enough nutrients in your body, a lack of glucose can result in your brain not functioning at its best. Skipping meals also slows down your metabolism, potentially leaving you listless.
• Limit your sugar intake
According to the National Library of Medicine, eating or drinking excess sugar can curb the immune system cells that would usually attack bacteria, and the effect can last a few hours after consumption.
• Eat fruits and vegetables
Foods like berries, citrus, apples, kiwi, grapes, kale, onions, sweet potatoes, spinach, and carrots have nutrients like vitamins C and E, zinc, and beta-carotene, which boost your body’s ability to detect and act on foreign invaders. Aim for six to nine servings a day.
• Go for a walk
Yes, a moderate-effort walk each day can help prevent many issues in your body. Exercise stimulates cellular immunity by increasing the circulation of cells, helping them detect foreign germs earlier. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), physical inactivity has been identified as the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality, causing an estimated 3.2 million deaths every year. Studies have shown that moderate exercise results in enhanced immunity, while physical inactivity is related to the high incidence of cancers, diabetes, and heart disease.
• Prioritize sleep, curb excess stress
Not getting seven to nine hours of sleep every night can lead to a lack of energy and the ability to fight disease. Lack of sleep can lead to higher levels of stress hormones and more inflammation in the body. According to the American Psychological Association, long-term stress weakens the responses of your immune system because stress decreases the body’s lymphocytes, the white blood cells that help fight off infection. The lower your lymphocyte levels, the more you’re at risk for viruses like the common cold.
During sleep, your immune system releases proteins called cytokines, which help promote sleep. Cytokines also increase during an infection or while under stress to help your body heal and restore. Sleep deprivation can severely decrease the production of these protective proteins, resulting in prolonged illness.
Signal your body to rejuvenate and restore
ASEA® Redox Cell Signaling Supplement promotes healthy cell function and maintenance. Using breakthrough redox technology, this supplement signals your body at a cellular level to activate genetic pathways and perform at improved immune system levels. These powerful cellular messengers are natural to the human body and help protect, rejuvenate, and restore cells.
ASEA partnered with leading genetic research institute Taueret Laboratories to conduct an eight-week study on the effect of ASEA Redox on the activation of human genes. Results showed a 20 – 31% beneficial change in gene expression abundance in innate immune system function. The genes activated in the study are known as pathway-signaling genes because of their influence on many biological responses. Find out why ASEA is used by some of the top athletes in the world for training and recovery.