9 Optimal Ways to Boost Your Immune System

Your body's immune system is a wondrous mechanism designed to protect you against millions of bacteria, viruses, toxins, and diseases ready to attack your body.

Being armed with a strong, healthy immune system is especially important when confronted with challenges beyond our typical daily trials and tribulations.

While a robust immune system cannot protect us from everything, there are ways we can strengthen and maintain its optimal effectiveness.

9 Optimal Ways to Boost Your Immune System:

1. Get Good Quality Sleep. Quality sleep is important for various reasons, including improving your immune system. In a 2017 study at the University of Washington Medicine Sleep Center, where 11 pairs of identical twins were studied, researchers found that those with shorter periods of sleep had weaker immune systems.

Similar studies have shown that a lack of sleep negatively affects all systems in the body, including the brain, heart, lungs, and immune disease-fighting function. While you sleep, your immune system releases cytokines (proteins produced by the body that help fight infections) needed to fight infection, inflammation, and stress. Sleep deprivation decreases the body's production of cytokines.

2. Be More Active and Exercise. There is no question that exercise enhances the immune system. According to Dr. Eudene Harry, medical director at Oasis Wellness and Rejuvenation Center in Florida:

"Researchers found that not only did exercise increase immunity up to 10 times immediately after exercise but, in the hours following exercise, the immune cells seem to be sent to areas of the body that are more likely to get infected. Talk about intelligent design-something that we can easily do every day can help us boost our immunity."

Exercise also promotes the rapid and efficient circulation of immune cells (such as white blood cells), which allow the immune system to identify and protect against aggressive, harmful bacteria or viruses.

3. Maintain a Healthy Diet. The Mediterranean diet is one of the most balanced and immune-enhancing diets. According to a 2014 article published in the Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders – Drug Targets, the Mediterranean diet "could counter the effects of several inflammatory markers."

The diet includes abundant olive oil, fresh fruits and vegetables, cereals, and nuts and seeds. Wine and moderate portions of fish, seafood, cheeses, poultry, and eggs are also frequently yet moderately consumed. Red and processed meats are limited to small amounts.

The Mediterranean diet boosts the immune system's protection against several diseases associated with chronic low-grade inflammation, such as cancer, diabetes, obesity, and atherosclerosis.

4. Consume Alcohol in Moderation. Many of us enjoy that glorious glass of wine with dinner as well we should; however, consuming alcohol in excess can deplete your immune system. According to a review published in Alcohol Research in 2015, high levels of alcohol consumption can weaken your body's ability to fight infection as well as slow down your recovery time. When you drink high amounts of alcohol, your body is so busy detoxifying your system that it leaves little resources for normal immune system function.

5. Get some sunlight. Sunlight, in addition to boosting your mood, is the best source of vitamin D to strengthen your immune system. The Cleveland Clinic recommends 10 to 15 minutes of sun exposure two to three times a week. The sun is your friend in reasonable doses.

6. Manage your stress levels. According to the American Psychological Association, there is a considerable correlation between stress and the immune system. Stress weakens the immune system!

From an evolutionary standpoint, stress hormones (such as cortisol) were only meant to be activated at the point of serious threats, otherwise known as the 'fight or flight' response. However, when chronic stress exists, lower levels of these hormones are available to circulate in the blood, thus stimulating chronic inflammation in several organs. The result is a weaker immune system.

7. Laugh more. According to Lee S. Berk, who has been studying the impact of laughter on mental and physical health since 1988, laughter decreases cortisol. Conversely, it releases the brain's feel-good chemicals, such as endorphins.

Laughter boosts the immune system by decreasing stress hormones and increasing immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, all of which improve your resistance to disease.

8. Manage your emotions. There is no question that emotions play an integral role in the health of your immune system. According to a 2018 Brain, Behavior, and Immunity study, negative moods can adversely affect immune system functions and increase the risk of inflammation.

Studies conducted at Pennsylvania State University have found that negative moods can change how the immune system responds. The study discovered that individuals who were consistently in negative moods tended to be at higher risk of inflammation (a clear biomarker of a weaker immune system). Conversely, those participants who exhibited a good mood showed decreased levels of inflammation in the blood.

Negativity and the stress that comes with it have been shown to affect certain stem cells that cause changes in the brain. Prolonged exposure to cortisol, the stress hormone, damages the hippocampus.

By contrast, positive emotions such as hope, love, confidence, joy, and laughter boost the body's immune system. When the mind is calm, the brain releases dopamine, nor-epinephrine, and endorphins, allowing white blood cells to fight off harmful bacteria and restore immune resilience.

9. Reduce sugar intake. Although we don't typically think about how much sugar intake affects the immune system, it is important to know that it depletes cells in the body that fight off bacteria.

According to Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum: "A 12-ounce soda suppresses immunity by 30 percent for 3 hours." If you happen to consume a lot of sugar regularly, you could be depleting your immune system.

Similarly, a 1973 study by Loma Linda University in California found that when you consume 100 grams (3.5 oz.) of sugar, your white blood cells are 40 percent less effective at killing germs. It can deplete your immune system's ability to fight off attacks for up to 5 hours after eating sugar.

An excellent alternative to sugar is honey, which is tasty and has many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to keep you healthy and boost your immune system.

Maintaining a strong, healthy immune system is paramount for defending against autoimmune diseases, inflammatory diseases, infections, and other serious conditions.

It is now more important than ever to practice the basics of healthy living, including a balanced diet, good quality sleep, proper exercise, and a balanced lifestyle.