Do you think that your immune system is very high and you can easily recover from some illnesses? If you always suffer from cold, the flu, cough and other ailments again and again in any season, your answer for that question is “no”. Because of the low immune system, you organism cannot prevent itself from illnesses. So, what should you do so as to boost your immune system? We do not recommend you to take some pills which help to improve the immune system and it is a waste of money. Instead, we want you to follow the natural ways of boosting your immune system which don’t require much effort and affordable for everyone.
Yogurt
Probiotics, or the “live active cultures” found in yogurt, are healthy bacteria that keep the gut and intestinal tract free of disease-causing germs. Although they’re available in supplement form, a study from the University of Vienna in Austria found that a daily 7-ounce dose of yogurt was just as effective in boosting immunity as popping pills. In an 80-day Swedish study of 181 factory employees, those who drank a daily supplement of Lactobacillus reuteri—a specific probiotic that appears to stimulate white blood cells—took 33% fewer sick days than those given a placebo.
Your optimal dose: Two 6-ounce servings a day.
Garlic
This potent onion relative contains the active ingredient allicin, which fights infection and bacteria. British researchers gave 146 people either a placebo or a garlic extract for 12 weeks; the garlic takers were two-thirds less likely to catch a cold. Other studies suggest that garlic lovers who chow more than six cloves a week have a 30% lower rate of colorectal cancer and a 50% lower rate of stomach cancer.
Your optimal dose: Two raw cloves a day and add crushed garlic to your cooking several times a week.
Tea
People who drank 5 cups a day of black tea for 2 weeks had 10 times more virus-fighting interferon in their blood than others who drank a placebo hot drink, in a Harvard study. The amino acid that’s responsible for this immune boost, L-theanine, is abundant in both black and green tea—decaf versions have it, too.
Your optimal dose: Several cups daily. To get up to five times more antioxidants from your tea bags, bob them up and down while you brew.
Mushroom
The rare reishi mushroom has been valued in the Far East for more than 2,000 years. Experts now know that this fungus stimulates the production of T-cells—white blood cells involved in protecting the body from infection. It increases levels of substances that strengthen the immune response. And it promotes sleep and reduces stress by suppressing the production of the stimulant hormone adrenaline.
Exercise regularly
Working out does more than keep your waist trim. “As boring as it sounds, exercising regularly and eating healthy are the most significant factors for your immune system,” Dr. Mainardi says. “It’s been proven that people who live more sedentary lifestyles are far more likely to get colds or other infectious diseases.” Recruit a workout buddy or try a new group fitness class next time you’re paranoid about catching the bug that’s going around.
Get enough sleep
When you’re feeling overwhelmed by your endless to-do list, it can be tempting to skimp on sleep to get everything done. But if not prioritizing your shut-eye becomes a habit, it can have serious ramifications on your health. “There’s an association with lack of sleep and getting sick,” Dr. Mainardi explains. “Medical and surgical residents who would notoriously work 100-hour weeks during their residencies were at a much higher risk of not only getting an infectious disease but also reactivation of a past disease.” Reactivation happens when an old virus reawakens in your system and causes a different, sometimes worse, disease. A common example of a reactivation disease is chicken pox and shingles.
Reference:
www.prevention.com
www.health.com
