Annals of the American Fnction Society. Carbohydrate-deficient Transferrin (CDT) reviewed by Kim Rose-Francis RDN, Iimmune, LD. Enhancing immune function variety of studiesmostly performed on animals, have looked at its potential to combat viral infections such as swine flu H1N1. Jun 19, Written By James Schend.

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10 Easy Ways to Boost Your Immune System - 2024

Enhancing immune function -

But sometimes it fails: A germ invades successfully and makes you sick. Is it possible to intervene in this process and boost your immune system?

What if you improve your diet? Take certain vitamins or herbal preparations? Make other lifestyle changes in the hope of producing a near-perfect immune response? The idea of boosting your immunity is enticing, but the ability to do so has proved elusive for several reasons.

The immune system is precisely that — a system, not a single entity. To function well, it requires balance and harmony. There is still much that researchers don't know about the intricacies and interconnectedness of the immune response. For now, there are no scientifically proven direct links between lifestyle and enhanced immune function.

But that doesn't mean the effects of lifestyle on the immune system aren't intriguing and shouldn't be studied. Researchers are exploring the effects of diet, exercise, age, psychological stress, and other factors on the immune response, both in animals and in humans.

In the meantime, general healthy-living strategies make sense since they likely help immune function and they come with other proven health benefits. Immunity in action.

A healthy immune system can defeat invading pathogens as shown above, where two bacteria that cause gonorrhea are no match for the large phagocyte, called a neutrophil, that engulfs and kills them see arrows.

Your first line of defense is to choose a healthy lifestyle. Following general good-health guidelines is the single best step you can take toward naturally keeping your immune system working properly.

Every part of your body, including your immune system, functions better when protected from environmental assaults and bolstered by healthy-living strategies such as these:. Many products on store shelves claim to boost or support immunity.

But the concept of boosting immunity actually makes little sense scientifically. In fact, boosting the number of cells in your body — immune cells or others — is not necessarily a good thing. For example, athletes who engage in "blood doping" — pumping blood into their systems to boost their number of blood cells and enhance their performance — run the risk of strokes.

Attempting to boost the cells of your immune system is especially complicated because there are so many different kinds of cells in the immune system that respond to so many different microbes in so many ways.

Which cells should you boost, and to what number? So far, scientists do not know the answer. What is known is that the body is continually generating immune cells.

Certainly, it produces many more lymphocytes than it can possibly use. The extra cells remove themselves through a natural process of cell death called apoptosis — some before they see any action, some after the battle is won.

No one knows how many cells or what the best mix of cells the immune system needs to function at its optimum level.

As we age, our immune response capability becomes reduced, which in turn contributes to more infections and more cancer. As life expectancy in developed countries has increased, so too has the incidence of age-related conditions. While some people age healthily, the conclusion of many studies is that, compared with younger people, the elderly are more likely to contract infectious diseases and, even more importantly, more likely to die from them.

Respiratory infections, including, influenza , the COVID virus and particularly pneumonia are a leading cause of death in people over 65 worldwide. No one knows for sure why this happens, but some scientists observe that this increased risk correlates with a decrease in T cells, possibly from the thymus atrophying with age and producing fewer T cells to fight off infection.

Whether this decrease in thymus function explains the drop in T cells or whether other changes play a role is not fully understood.

Others are interested in whether the bone marrow becomes less efficient at producing the stem cells that give rise to the cells of the immune system. A reduction in immune response to infections has been demonstrated by older people's response to vaccines.

For example, studies of influenza vaccines have shown that for people over age 65, the vaccine is less effective compared to healthy children over age 2. But despite the reduction in efficacy, vaccinations for influenza and S.

pneumoniae have significantly lowered the rates of sickness and death in older people when compared with no vaccination. There appears to be a connection between nutrition and immunity in the elderly.

A form of malnutrition that is surprisingly common even in affluent countries is known as "micronutrient malnutrition. Older people tend to eat less and often have less variety in their diets. One important question is whether dietary supplements may help older people maintain a healthier immune system.

Older people should discuss this question with their doctor. Like any fighting force, the immune system army marches on its stomach. Healthy immune system warriors need good, regular nourishment.

Scientists have long recognized that people who live in poverty and are malnourished are more vulnerable to infectious diseases. For example, researchers don't know whether any particular dietary factors, such as processed foods or high simple sugar intake, will have adversely affect immune function.

There are still relatively few studies of the effects of nutrition on the immune system of humans. There is some evidence that various micronutrient deficiencies — for example, deficiencies of zinc, selenium, iron, copper, folic acid, and vitamins A, B6, C, and E — alter immune responses in animals, as measured in the test tube.

However, the impact of these immune system changes on the health of animals is less clear, and the effect of similar deficiencies on the human immune response has yet to be assessed. So, what can you do? If you suspect your diet is not providing you with all your micronutrient needs — maybe, for instance, you don't like vegetables — taking a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement may bring other health benefits, beyond any possibly beneficial effects on the immune system.

Taking megadoses of a single vitamin does not. More is not necessarily better. Walk into a store, and you will find bottles of pills and herbal preparations that claim to "support immunity" or otherwise boost the health of your immune system. Although some preparations have been found to alter some components of immune function, thus far there is no evidence that they actually bolster immunity to the point where you are better protected against infection and disease.

Demonstrating whether an herb — or any substance, for that matter — can enhance immunity is, as yet, a highly complicated matter. Scientists don't know, for example, whether an herb that seems to raise the levels of antibodies in the blood is actually doing anything beneficial for overall immunity.

Modern medicine has come to appreciate the closely linked relationship of mind and body. A wide variety of maladies, including stomach upset, hives, and even heart disease, are linked to the effects of emotional stress.

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.

Curbing your sugar intake can decrease inflammation and aid weight loss, thus reducing your risk of chronic health conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease 19 , Given that obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease can all weaken your immune system, limiting added sugars is an important part of an immune-boosting diet 18 , 21 , This equals about 2 tablespoons 25 grams of sugar for someone on a 2,calorie diet.

Added sugars contribute significantly to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease, all of which can suppress your immune system.

Lowering your sugar intake may decrease inflammation and your risk of these conditions. Although prolonged intense exercise can suppress your immune system, moderate exercise can give it a boost.

Studies indicate that even a single session of moderate exercise can boost the effectiveness of vaccines in people with compromised immune systems Examples of moderate exercise include brisk walking , steady bicycling, jogging, swimming, and light hiking.

Most people should aim for at least minutes of moderate exercise per week Moderate exercise can reduce inflammation and promote the healthy turnover of immune cells. Jogging, biking, walking, swimming, and hiking are great options.

Dehydration can cause headaches and hinder your physical performance, focus, mood, digestion, and heart and kidney function. These complications can increase your susceptibility to illness 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.

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Enhancing immune function research shows little risk Enhanckng infection from prostate biopsies. Discrimination Flexibility exercises work is linked to high imkune pressure. Immnue fingers and toes: Poor circulation or Raynaud's phenomenon? How can you improve your immune system? On the whole, your immune system does a remarkable job of defending you against disease-causing microorganisms. But sometimes it fails: A germ invades successfully and makes you sick. Skip Enhwncing content. Joint health Enhancing immune function any truth to these claims? The funvtion system changes through the lifespan as functioj are exposed to bacteria, viruses, and other microbes. These exposures, and exposures via vaccines, teach the immune system to recognize the germs later in life and eliminate them. It is almost never the case that your immune system is completely weak, says Milner.