To prevent dehydration, you should drink enough fluid daily to make your urine pale yellow. You may need more fluids if you exercise intensely, work outside, or live in a hot climate Older adults need to drink regularly even if they do not feel thirsty.

Relieving stress and anxiety is key to immune health. Long-term stress promotes inflammation, as well as imbalances in immune cell function 7 , 9. In particular, prolonged psychological stress can suppress the immune response in children Activities that may help you manage your stress include meditation , exercise, journaling, yoga, and other mindfulness practices.

You may also benefit from seeing a licensed counselor or therapist, whether virtually or in person. Lowering your stress levels through meditation, yoga, exercise, and other practices can help keep your immune system functioning properly. Thus, you should only purchase supplements that have been independently tested by third-party organizations like United States Pharmacopeia USP , NSF International, and ConsumerLab.

Though some supplements may fight viral infections, none have been proven to be effective against COVID If you decide to supplement, make sure to purchase products that have been tested by a third party. These include reducing your sugar intake, staying hydrated, working out regularly, getting adequate sleep, and managing your stress levels.

Read this article in Spanish. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Anxiety is a common symptom of trauma. Here's why. While we don't fully understand why, developing anxiety as a long COVID symptom is common. However, we do know how to treat it. AVPD and SAD overlap in symptoms, both impairing social functioning.

If the anxiety of an upcoming surgery is disrupting your sleep and day-to-day life, it may be time to talk with your doctor about medications.

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Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Mental Well-Being. Medically reviewed by Kathy W. Warwick, R. Share on Pinterest. Get enough sleep. Eat more whole plant foods. Eat more healthy fats. Eat more fermented foods or take a probiotic supplement. Limit added sugars. Engage in moderate exercise.

Stay hydrated. Manage your stress levels. Supplement wisely. The bottom line. How we reviewed this article: History. Apr 1, Written By SaVanna Shoemaker. Share this article. Read this next. READ MORE. Is There a Link Between Long COVID and Anxiety? Medically reviewed by Francis Kuehnle, MSN, RN-BC.

Before learning exactly how to boost your immune system, first understand that most immune disorders result from either an excessive immune response or an autoimmune attack.

Disorders of the immune system include:. When searching for how to boost your immune system, look to these herbs, foods, supplements, essential oils and lifestyle factors.

Research shows that one of the most significant echinacea benefits is its effects when used on recurring infections. A study published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that echinacea showed maximal effects on recurrent infections, and preventive effects increased when participants used echinacea to prevent the common cold.

A study conducted at the University of Wisconsin Medical School found that echinacea demonstrates significant immunomodulatory activities. After reviewing several dozen human experiments, including a number of blind, randomized trials, researchers indicated that echinacea has several benefits, including immunostimulation, especially in the treatment of acute upper respiratory infection.

The berries and flowers of the elder plant have been used as medicine for thousands of years. He used elderberry because of its wide array of health benefits, including its ability to fight colds, the flu, allergies and inflammation. Several studies indicate that elderberry has the power to boost the immune system, especially because it has proven to help treat the symptoms of the common cold and flu.

A study published in the Journal of International Medical Research showed that when elderberry was used within the first 48 hours of onset of symptoms, the extract reduced the duration of the flu, with symptoms relieved on an average of four days earlier.

Plus, the use of rescue medication was significantly less in those receiving elderberry extract compared with placebo. Astragalus is a plant within the bean and legumes family that has a very long history as an immune system booster and disease fighter. Its root has been used as an adaptogen in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years.

Although astragalus is one of the least studied immune-boosting herbs, there are some preclinical trials that show intriguing immune activity.

A recent review published in the American Journal of Chinese Medicine found that astragalus-based treatments have demonstrated significant improvement of the toxicity induced by drugs, such as immunosuppressants and cancer chemotherapeutics.

Researchers concluded that astragalus extract has a beneficial effect on the immune system, and it protects the body from gastrointestinal inflammation and cancers.

The ginseng plant, belonging to the Panax genus, can help you boost your immune system and fight infections. The roots, stems and leaves of ginseng have been used for maintaining immune homeostasis and enhancing resistance to illness or infection.

Ginseng improves the performance of your immune system by regulating each type of immune cell, including macrophages, natural killer cells, dendritic cells, T cells and B cells. It has also proved to possess antimicrobial compounds that work as a defense mechanism against bacterial and viral infections.

Antibodies bind to antigens, such as toxins or viruses, and keep them from contacting and harming normal cells of the body.

Bone broth supports immune function by promoting the health of your gut and reducing inflammation caused by leaky gut syndrome. The collagen and amino acids proline, glutamine and arginine found in bone broth help seal openings in the gut lining and support its integrity.

We know that gut health plays a major role in immune function, so consuming bone broth works as an excellent immune system booster food. Ginger root and ginger essential oil can treat a wide range of diseases with its immunonutrition and anti-inflammatory responses.

Research shows that ginger has antimicrobial potential , which helps in treating infectious diseases. Studies evaluating the efficacy of green tea show that it contains antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties.

It works as an antifungal and antivirus agent and may be helpful for immunocompromised patients. Strengthen your immune system by drinking a high-quality green tea daily. The antioxidants and amino acids present in this tea help your body fight germs and get well.

Vitamin C foods, like citrus fruits and red bell peppers, improve the health of your immune system by providing anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Studies display that getting enough vitamin C along with zinc in your diet may help reduce the symptoms of respiratory infections and shorten the duration of illnesses like the common cold and bronchitis.

The best vitamin C foods to add for a strong immune system include:. Beta-carotene has powerful antioxidant activity, allowing it to help reduce inflammation and fight oxidative stress. Instead of taking beta-carotene supplements, researchers propose that beta-carotene can promote health when taken at dietary levels by eating foods rich in the carotenoid.

The richest sources of beta-carotene are yellow, orange and red fruits and veggies, along with leafy greens. Adding the following foods to your diet can help promote a strong immune system:. Probiotics are good bacteria that help you digest nutrients that boost the detoxification of your colon and support your immune system.

Research published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition suggests that probiotic organisms may induce different cytokine responses. Supplementation of probiotics in infancy could help prevent immune-mediated diseases in childhood by improving the gut mucosal immune system and increasing the number of immunoglobulin cells and cytokine-producing cells in the intestines.

Vitamin D can modulate the innate and adaptive immune responses, and a vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased autoimmunity as well as an increased susceptibility to infection.

Research proves that vitamin D works to maintain tolerance and promote protective immunity. There have been multiple cross-sectional studies that associate lower levels of vitamin D with increased infection.

One study conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital included 19, participants, and it showed that individuals with lower vitamin D levels were more likely to report a recent upper respiratory tract infection than those with sufficient levels, even after adjusting for variables such as season, age, gender, body mass and race.

Zinc supplements are often used as an over-the-counter remedy for fighting colds and other illnesses. This mineral may help reduce cold-related symptoms and shorten the duration of the common cold. Research evaluating the efficacy of zinc shows that it can interfere with a molecular process that causes bacteria buildup in the nasal passages.

Myrrh is a resin, or sap-like substance, that is one of the most widely used essential oils in the world. Historically, myrrh was used to treat hay fever, clean and heal wounds, and stop bleeding. Studies conclude that myrrh strengthens the immune system with its antiseptic, antibacterial and antifungal properties.

Some evidence proves zinc is effective for lessening cold symptoms. A simple solution is a zinc lozenge, which soothes the throat.

Salt water. This is more of a comfort measure, but gargling salt water helps reduce throat swelling because the salt brings the water out of the tissues. Try gargling once every hour with a teaspoon of sea salt in water.

Black elderberry extract. There is evidence that shows it can reduce the length of flu symptoms. The extract can be taken straight, as a syrup or as a tea. Despite the challenges, scientists are actively studying the relationship between stress and immune function. For one thing, stress is difficult to define.

What may appear to be a stressful situation for one person is not for another. When people are exposed to situations they regard as stressful, it is difficult for them to measure how much stress they feel, and difficult for the scientist to know if a person's subjective impression of the amount of stress is accurate.

The scientist can only measure things that may reflect stress, such as the number of times the heart beats each minute, but such measures also may reflect other factors. Most scientists studying the relationship of stress and immune function, however, do not study a sudden, short-lived stressor; rather, they try to study more constant and frequent stressors known as chronic stress, such as that caused by relationships with family, friends, and co-workers, or sustained challenges to perform well at one's work.

Some scientists are investigating whether ongoing stress takes a toll on the immune system. But it is hard to perform what scientists call "controlled experiments" in human beings.

In a controlled experiment, the scientist can change one and only one factor, such as the amount of a particular chemical, and then measure the effect of that change on some other measurable phenomenon, such as the amount of antibodies produced by a particular type of immune system cell when it is exposed to the chemical.

In a living animal, and especially in a human being, that kind of control is just not possible, since there are so many other things happening to the animal or person at the time that measurements are being taken. Despite these inevitable difficulties in measuring the relationship of stress to immunity, scientists are making progress.

Almost every mother has said it: "Wear a jacket or you'll catch a cold! Probably not, exposure to moderate cold temperatures doesn't increase your susceptibility to infection.

There are two reasons why winter is "cold and flu season. Also the influenza virus stays airborne longer when air is cold and less humid. But researchers remain interested in this question in different populations. Some experiments with mice suggest that cold exposure might reduce the ability to cope with infection.

But what about humans? Scientists have performed experiments in which volunteers were briefly dunked in cold water or spent short periods of time naked in subfreezing temperatures. They've studied people who lived in Antarctica and those on expeditions in the Canadian Rockies.

The results have been mixed. For example, researchers documented an increase in upper respiratory infections in competitive cross-country skiers who exercise vigorously in the cold, but whether these infections are due to the cold or other factors — such as the intense exercise or the dryness of the air — is not known.

A group of Canadian researchers that has reviewed hundreds of medical studies on the subject and conducted some of its own research concludes that there's no need to worry about moderate cold exposure — it has no detrimental effect on the human immune system.

Should you bundle up when it's cold outside? The answer is "yes" if you're uncomfortable, or if you're going to be outdoors for an extended period where such problems as frostbite and hypothermia are a risk.

But don't worry about immunity. Regular exercise is one of the pillars of healthy living. It improves cardiovascular health, lowers blood pressure, helps control body weight, and protects against a variety of diseases. But does it help to boost your immune system naturally and keep it healthy?

Just like a healthy diet, exercise can contribute to general good health and therefore to a healthy immune system. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content.

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Can watching sports be bad for your health? Examples of nutrients that have been identified as critical for the growth and function of immune cells include vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, selenium, iron, and protein including the amino acid glutamine.

Diets that are limited in variety and lower in nutrients, such as consisting primarily of ultra-processed foods and lacking in minimally processed foods, can negatively affect a healthy immune system. It is also believed that a Western diet high in refined sugar and red meat and low in fruits and vegetables can promote disturbances in healthy intestinal microorganisms, resulting in chronic inflammation of the gut, and associated suppressed immunity.

The microbiome is an internal metropolis of trillions of microorganisms or microbes that live in our bodies, mostly in the intestines. It is an area of intense and active research, as scientists are finding that the microbiome plays a key role in immune function. The gut is a major site of immune activity and the production of antimicrobial proteins.

A high-fiber plant-rich diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes appear to support the growth and maintenance of beneficial microbes. Certain helpful microbes break down fibers into short chain fatty acids, which have been shown to stimulate immune cell activity.

These fibers are sometimes called prebiotics because they feed microbes. Therefore, a diet containing probiotic and prebiotic foods may be beneficial. Probiotic foods contain live helpful bacteria, and prebiotic foods contain fiber and oligosaccharides that feed and maintain healthy colonies of those bacteria.

Animal studies have found that deficiencies in zinc , selenium , iron , copper, folic acid , and vitamins A , B6 , C , D , and E can alter immune responses. Epidemiological studies find that those who are poorly nourished are at greater risk of bacterial, viral, and other infections.

Eating a good quality diet, as depicted by the Healthy Eating Plate, can prevent deficiencies in these nutrients. However, there are certain populations and situations in which one cannot always eat a variety of nutritious foods, or who have increased nutrient needs.

In these cases a vitamin and mineral supplement may help to fill nutritional gaps. Studies have shown that vitamin supplementation can improve immune responses in these groups.

The elderly are a particularly high-risk group. The immune response generally declines with increasing age as the number and quality of immune cells decreases. This causes a higher risk of poorer outcomes if the elderly develop chronic or acute diseases. In addition, about one-third of elderly in industrialized countries have nutrient deficiencies.

Diet variety may also be limited due to budget constraints or lower interest in cooking for one person; poor dentition; mental impairment; or lack of transportation and community resources to obtain healthy food. Megadose supplements many times the RDA do not appear justified, and can sometimes be harmful or even suppress the immune system e.

Remember that vitamin supplements should not be considered a substitute for a good diet because no supplements contain all the benefits of healthful foods. Several herbal supplements have been suggested to boost immune function. What does the research say? Diet Review: Anti-Inflammatory Diet.

Food Safety, Nutrition, and Wellness during COVID Ask the Expert: The role of diet and nutritional supplements during COVID The contents of this website are for educational purposes and are not intended to offer personal medical advice.

You should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The Nutrition Source does not recommend or endorse any products.

Skip to content The Nutrition Source. The Nutrition Source Menu. Search for:. Home Nutrition News What Should I Eat? What Is Our Immune System? These barriers include: Skin that keeps out the majority of pathogens Mucus that traps pathogens Stomach acid that destroys pathogens Enzymes in our sweat and tears that help create anti-bacterial compounds Immune system cells that attack all foreign cells entering the body Adaptive or acquired immunity is a system that learns to recognize a pathogen.

Fight off sickness by keeping your immune system strong. Not a fan of medicine? Geeta Maker-Clark, MD , Integrative Family Medicine at NorthShore, shares her go-to immunity boosters:.

Home » Healthy You » 6 Ways to Naturally Boost Your Immune System. Geeta Maker-Clark, MD , Integrative Family Medicine at NorthShore, shares her go-to immunity boosters: Fresh garlic.

Garlic is an ancient cold remedy. It is a very potent antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal. A clove of garlic can be chopped raw, left to sit for 10 minutes and mixed with honey.

There are not any side effects with garlic — other than intense breath. Some evidence proves zinc is effective for lessening cold symptoms. A simple solution is a zinc lozenge, which soothes the throat.

Salt water. This is more of a comfort measure, but gargling salt water helps reduce throat swelling because the salt brings the water out of the tissues. The potent sulfur compound allicin in garlic is known to helps support a healthy gut.

If you're feeling off, start eating one raw garlic clove daily, or use concentrated allicin extract. Oregano oil: This oil has a long history touted for its antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. It can also be used 13 topically. Manuka honey: Quite a bit of research 14 exists on the benefits of honey as a natural immune supporter, with anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial actions.

Manuka honey , in particular—native to New Zealand and Australia— has substances 15 that can speed up th immune response both when eaten and used topically.

Beyond the obvious cardiovascular, mood, and weight management benefits of regular exercise, moderate physical activity can improve our antibody response. It's important not to overtrain, however, as strenuous exercise without recovery days has been associated with 16 a lowered immune response, as well as a higher risk of getting hurt.

Try these cortisol-conscious workouts , which are effective without putting too much stress on the body. Lack of sleep and disruption of the sleep-wake cycle can impact immune health, by lowering the activity of T-cells a crucial type of immune cell.

Studies of identical twins show that those with better sleep had a healthier inflammatory and immune response than the those who got less sleep. Aim for seven to eight hours of sleep on a regular basis and avoid all-nighters. If you travel through time zones frequently, use small amounts of melatonin two to three milligrams to reset your circadian rhythm.

Too much stress actually impacts 17 the immune response by releasing the hormone cortisol. Cortisol itself interferes with the ability of specific white blood cells called T-cells to proliferate and get signals from the body.

In addition, cortisol also lowers an important antibody called secretory IgA, which lines the respiratory tract and gut and is our first line of defense. In fact, studies show 18 that even a short course of meditation can increase levels of IgA an antibody blood protein that's part of your immune system and improve immune function.

I also highly recommend fostering connection and gratitude practices —to help manage stress and promote overall well-being. For both men and women, taking stock of the health of your immune system on a regular basis can not only keep you from getting sick, but it can help you age more gracefully, too.

Skip to Content. Shop Health Coaching Classes Editor's Picks Beauty Food Healthy Weight Login Login. Login Login. This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features. Close Banner. Integrative Health. Author: Heather Moday, M.

By Heather Moday, M. Heather Moday, M. is the founder of the Moday Center for Functional and Integrative Medicine in Philadelphia, where she practices both traditional medicine and integrative medicine.

The bottom line is that a healthy body is dependent on a strong immune system. These are some of the key ways I recommend all my patients support their immune function:. Zinc : Zinc affects multiple aspects of the immune system and even acts as an antioxidant 1 by fighting off free radicals.

Vitamin D3 : Although you can get a small amount of vitamin D through sunlight , there are many factors that impact your ability to get a meaningful amount, read more about that here , and thus, many adults don't get the levels of vitamin D required to modulate the immune system.

Summary Experts recommend you take this essential micronutrient trifecta daily to support the critical and numerous functions of your innate and adaptive immune systems: Zinc, vitamin D, and vitamin C. Summary A digestive health-focused probiotic that has 30 billion or more colony forming units total can help strengthen your gut health and benefit your immunity.

Try colostrum. Summary Colostrum is the "first milk" from nursing mammals, and it's a rich source of protective antibodies.

We can harness the power of colostrum as adults to help maintain a healthy inflammatory response and strengthen our immune system. Incorporate bone broth. Summary The natural gelatin, collagen, and amino acids in bone broth can tend to the gut and help support the health of individual immune cells.

Investigate fungi. Reishi : Although not edible, these mushrooms have powerful 7 antiviral properties. They are best taken as a dried capsule supplement or in a tea or tincture. Shiitake : The delicious mushroom easily found in grocery stores contains substances called beta-glucans, which stimulate the immune system 8 and strengthen our white blood cells.

Summary Mushrooms are filled with immune-supporting substances. Harness the power of the sun. Summary Immune cells are favorably affected by healthy vitamin D levels, which can be obtained in small amounts via the sun. However, supplementing with vitamin D3 is the most effective way to reach optimal levels.

Sweat it out in a sauna. Summary An infrared sauna increases body temperature and has been shown in some studies to enhance the immunological defence.

Plus, when you sweat, your body will naturally remove toxins. Eat foods with antimicrobial properties.