Tips for Boosting Your Immunity
1. Eat lots of whole plants. Plants have polyphenols in them which are compounds that help support our immune system – so the more the better. Include as many as you can in every meal.
2. Eat less ultra processed food. Ultra processed food is any product containing e numbers, vegetable oils, preservatives and emulsifiers. Ultra processed food has been found to have negative effect on our gut health which is where most of our immune cells are made. Also consuming ultra processed food increases your risk of nutritional deficiencies which make it harder for the body to fight infection.
3. Eat less sugar and white flour. White flour and sugar increase our blood sugar levels and therefore inflammation which makes it harder for the body to make enough infection fighting cells.
4. Make sure your diet includes enough zinc. Zinc is important because it has been shown to slow down respiratory virus reproduction in lab studies. You can get sources of zinc from oysters and pumpkin seeds – so it’s a great idea to sprinkle some seeds on your salads and porridge.
5. Make sure your diet includes enough selenium. Studies have shown that people with low selenium tended to have more severe COVID infection. You can get all the selenium you need from just two brazil nuts a day. Its as simple as that!
6. Make sure your diet includes enough vitamin C. Studies have shown that people with low vitamin C tended to have more severe COVID infection. You can get your vitamin C from citrus fruits and broccoli. Don’t forget not to overcook your broccoli otherwise you will lose a lot of the nutritional value. Steaming for just 5 minutes is enough.
7. Make sure you get enough vitamin D. Studies have shown that if you have low vitamin D this reduces the ability of your immune system to function at its best and increases the changes of severe COVID infection. In winter many of us are deficient. So if you can’t get outside, which is the preferred option of course, its definitely a good idea to talk to your doctor about supplementation.
8. Make sure you move your body. Moderate exercise eg 30mins per day, 5 days per week has been shown in research to improve immunity and decrease respiratory infections by up to 40%. Responses to vaccines can also be improved with physical activity, with a new study finding that you are more likely to have higher antibodies after a vaccine if you are generally physically active.
9. Make sure you get enough sleep. Research has shown that people who had only 5 hours sleep per night were four times more likely to catch a cold and even one single night of 4 hours sleep resulted in 70% drop in our natural killer cells. These natural killer cells help fight infections, so we want to boost them as much as possible by getting plenty of rest.
10. Make sure you get outside for some time in nature. Time in nature, such as forest bathing which is a common practice in Japan, results in increased numbers of infection fighting natural killer cells. It also boosts your vitamin D levels which have an impact on our ability to fight infections too. So, getting outside and getting some fresh air is like two for the price of one
11. If you can - try to find a way to reduce or manage your stress. Stress affects our immune system by releasing a hormone called cortisol which increases the amount of inflammation in our body and also reduces the number of infection fighting white blood cells and so reduces our body’s ability to fight infection. Doing things like yoga, meditation and mindfulness have been shown in research to reduce the effects of stress on the body. Trying a short guided meditation on an app like headspace or insight timer is a great place to start.
12. If you can, include some fermented food in your diet. Fermented foods like kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi and yoghurt all contain probiotics. Probiotic foods are important because they help with a healthy gut, and our gut is where most of our immune cells are made. I generally don’t recommend over the counter probiotic supplements because it is really difficult to know which strains are suitable for your digestive tract and individual health needs
13. If you are otherwise well and aren’t on any glucose lowering medication, you could try some gentle fasting. There is evidence to suggest that giving the gut a rest for say 12- 14 hours overnight and 4 hours between meals, can be helpful for overall immune health. This is because avoiding food during this time allows the body to move away from constant digestion and towards rest and repair, which can help with regeneration of the immune system. So maybe tomorrow you could try to have your breakfast little later in the day or even skip it altogether, especially if you don’t feel hungry first thing in the morning.
14. Avoid sugar- I know I’ve said this once already but I thought I would say it again because it is so important. Reducing sugar intake really helps foster a healthy immune system. You may think that you do not eat much sugar. However most packaged foods have sugar added into them under a different name. Names like dextrose, galactose, glucose, maltodextrin, sucrose, fructose, malt syrup, treacle. The list goes on.
15. So, here’s a summary of all my top tips for boosting immunity to fight infections. Start by eating lots of unprocessed plant foods and reducing ultra processed food and refined flours and sugar. Make sure your diet includes sources of zinc, like pumpkin seeds, selenium like brazil nuts and vitamin C like citrus fruits and broccoli. Don’t forget your fermented foods either. Try to get outside for some vitamin D and do some gentle movement for at least 30 mins per day. Aim to get a good nights sleep and reduce your stress by trying some meditation or mindfulness. Lastly if you are otherwise healthy consider some gentle overnight fasting of 12-14 hours
Remember this advice is not a substitute for medical interventions such as vaccination and masking. Stay safe everyone.
