Immune System..

[DRH-sangli]

Came across with a good article on Boosting your immune system…

4 ways to strengthen your body’s natural defenses

By Stephen Kopecky, M.D.

In early 2020, life as most of the world knew it came to a screeching halt. That’s when a previously unknown virus began spreading like wildfire, forcing businesses, office buildings, schools, stores, gyms, places of worship, restaurants, movie theaters and other public gathering places to shut their doors.

For our part, those of us who could hunker down in our homes did so as best as we were able. The hope was that by avoiding mingling with others, we would help minimize transmission of the coronavirus and the disease it causes (COVID-19) and avoid all of the possible complications.

Although our knowledge of the virus and how it spread seemed to change by the hour, one fact remained the same: Illness can and did strike all sorts of people, but the vast majority who developed a severe case of COVID-19 had preexisting health problems. Those at higher risk had conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, or a history of stroke or smoking.

Small changes in everyday habits, such as eating less red meat or taking the stairs whenever you can, are ways to help prevent long-term chronic illnesses from developing. And these same healthy habits — as well as other habits, such as washing hands and wearing a mask in public — can help prevent communicable diseases such as COVID-19 by protecting overall health and boosting the immune system. And if an infection does occur, it’s likely to be much less severe than if you were in poor health.

There will always be risk factors we can’t change — genetics, sex, age or a global pandemic. But we can control other risk factors, such as what we put in our bodies and how much exercise and sleep we get. Prevention should be the cornerstone of medicine because it helps to prepare for the unexpected. But more often than not, health care providers end up seeing people only after a problem has developed. COVID-19 highlighted why we need to be more proactive.

A glimpse inside the immune system

We tend to take our immune systems for granted. But they work hard to keep us healthy. This complex system of cells is the body’s primary defense system, constantly on the lookout for internal and external threats. To better understand how we can improve or boost the immune system, it helps to have a little background on how it works.

The immune system has two parts. There’s the immune function that you’re born with, called the innate immune system. The innate immune system is a general defense mechanism that protects you from the time your body is exposed to harmful germs until the time the second part of the immune response — the adaptive immune system — kicks in.

The adaptive immune system identifies and attacks specific germ invaders. It also remembers them, in case of a repeat exposure. This allows your immune system to mount a more effective response the second time around. The process of inoculation develops when you get sick with a virus, or it can be developed intentionally with a vaccine.

Recognizing and destroying potentially dangerous invaders is only half of the job. The other part is being able to turn off that response quickly once the threat has been destroyed.

Immune responses take a lot of energy and result in inflammation — just think of the redness, swelling or pain you feel when you have a wound. It’s a sign that your immune system is hard at work, and it’s usually a good thing.

I say usually because, unfortunately, a lifestyle with little physical activity, unhealthy eating and excess fat create chronic low-level injuries that leave the immune system constantly switched on, similar to having a chronic low-grade infection. Just think about a car idling. Leaving it running all the time would be bad for the car. The immune system is no different. Having it continuously on alert is bad for the body.

Inflammation is part of the body’s natural defense process designed to protect against things such as infections, toxins and trauma — and to repair any damage that might occur. The inflammatory response activates a cascade of immune reactions that eliminates germs and repairs injured cells.

For example, if you nick your finger, you’ll notice fairly quickly that the area around the wound becomes red and inflamed. This is a sign that the immune system has been activated and is sending immune cells to clean up the area and knit the skin back together.

But scientists have also noticed that a low-grade form of inflammation can occur on a whole-body (systemic) level. This type of inflammation can occur in response to things such as a steady diet of saturated fats and little fiber, or continuously high stress levels.

This constant state of low-grade inflammation loses its initial purpose of inducing healing and leads instead to increased cellular and tissue damage. It becomes a source of chronic irritation to tissues in the body, and eventually it becomes a problem.

So what can we do to keep our immune systems healthy and strong?

Our daily habits can contribute to low-grade chronic inflammation throughout the body. This ongoing inflammatory state can eventually lead to a number of chronic illnesses.

Nutrition…

The fuel you put into your body plays a critical role in how well your immune system works. But eating healthy foods and taking vitamins and other supplements after you’re already sick doesn’t provide the best response. Putting fluid in your car after it’s already overheated and broken down will prevent further damage to the engine, but it won’t repair the harm that’s already been done.

The key is prevention, so you have to make sure your body has what it needs to maintain a strong immune system. A nutrition pattern that’s rich in fruits and vegetables, such as the Mediterranean diet, serves up antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients, such as beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E and polyphenols, to promote healthy immune responses. (See “Eating the Mediterranean way") Polyphenols are plant-based micronutrients that control how the immune system responds.

What we eat also helps the beneficial bacteria in our guts communicate with the immune system and the lungs. This allows for a more effective response to foreign invaders and infection, such as with respiratory viruses.

Any disruption to this delicate balance of bacteria, whether it’s from an unhealthy diet or from a medication such as an antibiotic, can make you more susceptible to infections and complications.

Also, and equally if not more important, the Mediterranean diet has proved to be one of the most anti-inflammatory diets ever studied. When we regularly eat foods that are pro-inflammatory, such as an excess of processed foods, they promote chronic inflammation in our bodies that requires our immune systems’ attention. This constant inflammation requires our bodies to address the inflammation and heal it, which in turn diverts and lessens our immune systems’ ability to recognize and fight other inflammatory processes such as an invading infection.

As a result, proper nutrition has dual benefits for our immune systems, both for what it does and for what it doesn’t do. First, it allows the body to function better to fight infection. Second, it doesn’t cause inflammation, which would further divert our immune systems’ defenses. There isn’t definitive proof that supplementing with vitamins and minerals can ward off any particular virus. But eating nutritious foods as part of an overall healthy diet can help to optimize your immune system, setting you up for the best possible response.

Exercise

Exercise has been shown to give the immune system a boost by maximizing the body’s ability to take in and efficiently use oxygen, among other things. Moderate exercise (where you can talk but not sing while exercising) is enough to increase the activity of virus-killing cells both in the short term and the long term. This includes white blood cells and antibodies. Guidelines recommend at least 30 minutes daily, five times a week. But even 20 minutes daily can help quell inflammation and boost immunity, and exercise can be divided up during the day. (See “The benefits of a HIIT workout”)

The best part about exercise is that it can be done at home, which we’ve learned is crucial in the middle of a pandemic shutdown. Leg lunges, situps, squats and stair climbing are all easy exercises you can do at home. If you’ve been sedentary, start with some stretches and a walk down your street. Then increase your activity as you’re able.

Stress relief…

During the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone has been feeling more stress than usual. Concern about the health of our loved ones, our jobs and our children’s schooling combined with the inability to physically stay in touch with each other has been difficult. Such added stress increases the production of the hormone cortisol in the body, which in turn can suppress the immune system. Calming activities minimize stress, reduce cortisol production and enhance the immune system’s function.

Practicing mindfulness and stepping away from what’s causing anxiety can help us stay grounded. (See “Managing stress”) Exercises that have calming or meditative qualities, such as qi gong and yoga, also are beneficial and can easily be done at home. Video calls can help us stay connected to loved ones and reduce the stress of not being able to get together in person.

Sleep…

The interaction between the immune system and sleep is a two-way street. When your immune system response kicks in, it changes your sleep. You may find yourself sleeping longer, for example, as your immune system stages an attack against a virus.

On the flip side, when you don’t get enough sleep, your immune system can be altered. When you’re not sleeping well, you may notice that you get sick more easily. Getting adequate sleep can help support the way your immune system functions by increasing the number of immune cells circulating in your body.

Sleep has been associated with reduced infection risks, improved infection outcomes and better vaccination responses. Getting adequate sleep before receiving a vaccination can double the immune response in humans. Animal studies have shown that increasing the length of sleep positively affects infection outcomes.

Lack of sleep appears to be a trigger of low-grade inflammation and related diseases. Studies in humans on the relationship between sleep and infection link shorter sleep duration with increased risk of pneumonia and respiratory infections. The amount of sleep the immune system needs to function properly is very individual. But if suboptimal sleep is leaving you tired and run-down, it’s likely that your immune system is feeling the same effects. (See “Breaking the disrupted sleep cycle")

Slow and steady

It would be really great if we all could make major lifestyle changes with a little willpower and a flip of the switch. But we might as well be honest — that expectation isn’t logical or reasonable. It sets us up for disappointment and reinforces the negative mindset many of us have about our ability to change.

When we set big goals for ourselves that require sudden, drastic changes to our daily lives, those changes might last for a day or two but not much longer. We might be able to maintain an austere diet, an intense fitness plan or a dramatic sleep program for a while. But these extreme behaviors usually don’t become enduring habits. In moments of stress or exhaustion, we quickly regress to our old habits because they’re easier and they’re what we’re used to. The next morning, we wake up with a feeling of failure that discourages us from reaching our earlier goals.

You don’t need to go cold turkey and implement changes at once. Keep in mind that no goal is too small. For example, one study found that replacing just half a tablespoon of margarine, mayonnaise or butter a day in your diet with the same amount of olive oil can help reduce your risk of heart disease. When you set goals that you can easily attain, your confidence will grow and you’ll be able to build on your success incrementally.

Taking little steps eventually takes us further. And every little step we take toward a healthier lifestyle will help us live our lives to their fullest and longest.

May see Link..

digital.emagazines.com/mayo...

[sandybrown]

Thank you for this post.

[sandybrown]

I read the post, but the access to the link is via email registration. I am afraid I did not register with my email.