6 Ways to Build Immune Health
27/04/20 | Laine Hoffman, 3rd Year Nutrition Student
So we’re currently living in the midst of a global pandemic and things are a little bit crazy...
With so much uncertainty and so much that we now can’t control, let’s focus on what we can control: our diet (well, for the most part... but perhaps it’s not such a bad thing if we miss out on those popular items at the supermarket such as minced meat and baked beans!).
We are so fortunate to live in a place like Australia which has such a strong food supply chain, with over 90% of fresh produce sold in our supermarkets grown domestically, according to the Australian Department of Agriculture (1).
So, let’s take advantage of this luxury and choose to eat an abundance and variety of nutritious wholefoods, in order to build and strengthen our immune systems – perhaps more important right now than ever before; not only to fight off the viruses, but also as we approach cold and flu season and want to do everything in our power to keep healthy and out of hospital.
Put simply, our immune system is made up of a complex network of cells which travel in and out of organs and tissues and defend the body against foreign bodies (antigens) including bacterial infections, viruses and cancerous cells (2, 3).
Here are a few simple things we can all do to enhance our immune function and overall health.
1. “Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food”
By eating a variety of nutritious wholefoods, particularly nutrient packed fruits and vegetables, we are ensuring that we get as many essential micronutrients and powerful phytonutrients as possible, which ultimately help our bodies and immune systems to function optimally and to fight off illness and disease. Just a few of these ‘superfoods’ include:
2. Exercise regularly.
Exercise has a plethora of health benefits, both physical and mental! Although there is no concrete evidence linking exercise to enhanced immune function, finding just thirty minutes of physical activity per day is likely to significantly improve your overall health and wellbeing (5).
3. Get plenty of Zzzz.
Studies have shown a strong link between sleep and immune function, with 7-9 hours of sleep per night recommended for most adults (6, 7). This is essentially because without sufficient sleep, your body makes fewer cytokines: a protein which targets infection and inflammation within the body, effectively creating an immune response (6). And really, what better time to than now catch up on some much needed rest when we’re all in lockdown!?
4. Keep Calm & Carry On - manage your stress.
When we’re stressed (i.e. experience unpleasant feelings of emotional, physical or mental tension) the immune system’s ability to fight off antigens is reduced, and we become significantly more susceptible to infections and illness (3). In addition to this, the stress hormone cortisol (released by the adrenal glands in response to helping your body deal with stressful situations) can do more harm than good when levels are too high, including impairing immune function (8). So aim to manage your stress levels by finding effective ways to switch off and relax – whether it’s rigorous exercise, spending time with friends and family or peaceful meditation, whatever works for you!
5. Look after your gut health!
With research showing that almost 70% of our immune system is found in our gut, it’s so important that we nourish it adequately with the foods we eat in order to strengthen our immune response (10). It therefore comes as no surprise that everything mentioned above has a direct impact on the state of our gut health; it’s all inextricably linked (11).
6. Reduce the negative impacts of oxidative stress.
Taking these actions collaboratively can help to reduce the harmful effects of oxidative stress: a process which occurs in our body when there’s an imbalance between free radical activity and antioxidant defences, which can cause cell and tissue damage and eventually lead to a number of diseases over time, including diabetes, heart disease, inflammatory conditions, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer (12). Risk factors for oxidative stress include smoking, alcohol and other drugs, poor diet and environmental exposure to pollution and chemicals (somewhat hard to avoid at the moment with all of the hand sanitiser going around – counteract this with increasing your intake of antioxidants!). Highly processed ‘junk’ foods (typically high in fat, sugar, salt, additives and preservatives including colours, flavours and artificial sweeteners) are especially harmful and can lead to oxidative stress in the body when over-consumed. Limiting these foods and other risk factors where possible, getting sufficient sleep and rest, exercising regularly and keeping mentally healthy, as well as eating a balanced diet rich in nutritious wholefoods can help to counteract the harmful effects of oxidative stress and keep our immune health in check! (12).
We are so fortunate to live in a place like Australia which has such a strong food supply chain, with over 90% of fresh produce sold in our supermarkets grown domestically, according to the Australian Department of Agriculture (1).
So, let’s take advantage of this luxury and choose to eat an abundance and variety of nutritious wholefoods, in order to build and strengthen our immune systems – perhaps more important right now than ever before; not only to fight off the viruses, but also as we approach cold and flu season and want to do everything in our power to keep healthy and out of hospital.
Put simply, our immune system is made up of a complex network of cells which travel in and out of organs and tissues and defend the body against foreign bodies (antigens) including bacterial infections, viruses and cancerous cells (2, 3).
Here are a few simple things we can all do to enhance our immune function and overall health.
1. “Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food”
By eating a variety of nutritious wholefoods, particularly nutrient packed fruits and vegetables, we are ensuring that we get as many essential micronutrients and powerful phytonutrients as possible, which ultimately help our bodies and immune systems to function optimally and to fight off illness and disease. Just a few of these ‘superfoods’ include:
- Red capsicum, citrus fruits (such as oranges, lemons and grapefruits), broccoli and papaya are all foods particularly rich in vitamin C: an essential micronutrient important for immune function and overall health (3)
- Garlic, which contains the compound allicin – a phytonutrient found to have strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, may help to strengthen the immune system (and offers a great touch of flavor to a range of dishes!) (4)
- Tumeric and ginger have been found to have strong anti-inflammatory benefits (4)
- Almonds are rich in vitamin E: another powerful antioxidant key to a healthy immune system (4)
2. Exercise regularly.
Exercise has a plethora of health benefits, both physical and mental! Although there is no concrete evidence linking exercise to enhanced immune function, finding just thirty minutes of physical activity per day is likely to significantly improve your overall health and wellbeing (5).
3. Get plenty of Zzzz.
Studies have shown a strong link between sleep and immune function, with 7-9 hours of sleep per night recommended for most adults (6, 7). This is essentially because without sufficient sleep, your body makes fewer cytokines: a protein which targets infection and inflammation within the body, effectively creating an immune response (6). And really, what better time to than now catch up on some much needed rest when we’re all in lockdown!?
4. Keep Calm & Carry On - manage your stress.
When we’re stressed (i.e. experience unpleasant feelings of emotional, physical or mental tension) the immune system’s ability to fight off antigens is reduced, and we become significantly more susceptible to infections and illness (3). In addition to this, the stress hormone cortisol (released by the adrenal glands in response to helping your body deal with stressful situations) can do more harm than good when levels are too high, including impairing immune function (8). So aim to manage your stress levels by finding effective ways to switch off and relax – whether it’s rigorous exercise, spending time with friends and family or peaceful meditation, whatever works for you!
5. Look after your gut health!
With research showing that almost 70% of our immune system is found in our gut, it’s so important that we nourish it adequately with the foods we eat in order to strengthen our immune response (10). It therefore comes as no surprise that everything mentioned above has a direct impact on the state of our gut health; it’s all inextricably linked (11).
6. Reduce the negative impacts of oxidative stress.
Taking these actions collaboratively can help to reduce the harmful effects of oxidative stress: a process which occurs in our body when there’s an imbalance between free radical activity and antioxidant defences, which can cause cell and tissue damage and eventually lead to a number of diseases over time, including diabetes, heart disease, inflammatory conditions, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer (12). Risk factors for oxidative stress include smoking, alcohol and other drugs, poor diet and environmental exposure to pollution and chemicals (somewhat hard to avoid at the moment with all of the hand sanitiser going around – counteract this with increasing your intake of antioxidants!). Highly processed ‘junk’ foods (typically high in fat, sugar, salt, additives and preservatives including colours, flavours and artificial sweeteners) are especially harmful and can lead to oxidative stress in the body when over-consumed. Limiting these foods and other risk factors where possible, getting sufficient sleep and rest, exercising regularly and keeping mentally healthy, as well as eating a balanced diet rich in nutritious wholefoods can help to counteract the harmful effects of oxidative stress and keep our immune health in check! (12).
Attend an online workshop
The Raw Food Girl's workshops are now being converted to online courses - which means you can tune in from anywhere in the world!
The Heal Your Body: Alkalise & Energise workshop is launching live on Saturday, 2nd of May. We'll be focusing on the importance of gut health, creating an alkaline environment to eliminate toxins, how to increase energy and shed unwanted body fat in a healthy and sustainable way.
All participants will receive a raw food recipe book (containing 50 recipes), a 3 Day Alkaline Meal Plan and the download link to watch back the event as many times as they choose.
Tickets are only $29 AUD. Book yours now!
References:
The Raw Food Girl's workshops are now being converted to online courses - which means you can tune in from anywhere in the world!
The Heal Your Body: Alkalise & Energise workshop is launching live on Saturday, 2nd of May. We'll be focusing on the importance of gut health, creating an alkaline environment to eliminate toxins, how to increase energy and shed unwanted body fat in a healthy and sustainable way.
All participants will receive a raw food recipe book (containing 50 recipes), a 3 Day Alkaline Meal Plan and the download link to watch back the event as many times as they choose.
Tickets are only $29 AUD. Book yours now!
References:
- Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. (2020). Food. Retrieved from: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/ag-farm-food/food
- Better Health Channel. (2017). Immune system explained. Retrieved from: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/immune-system
- Simply Psychology. (2010). Stress, illness and the immune system. Retrieved from: https://www.simplypsychology.org/stress-immune.html
- Healthline. (2018). 20 foods that are high in vitamin C. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-c-foods
- Healthline. (2018). 15 foods that boost the immune system. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/foods-that-boost-the-immune-system
- Heart Foundation. (n.d.). Get active. Retrieved from: https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/active-living/get-active
- Sleep Foundation. (2020). How sleep affects your immunity. Retrieved from: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/how-sleep-affects-your-immunity
- Healthline. (2017). 11 natural ways to lower your cortisol levels. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ways-to-lower-cortisol
- Ganz, F. (2012). Sleep and Immune Function. Critical Care Nurse, 32(2), e19-e25. doi: 10.4037/ccn2012689
- Vighi, G., Marcucci, F., Sensi, L., Di Cara, G., & Frati, F. (2008). Allergy and the gastrointestinal system. Clinical & Experimental Immunology, 153, 3-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2249.2008.03713.x
- Healthline. (2017). 8 surprising things that harm your gut bacteria. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/8-things-that-harm-gut-bacteria
- Healthline. (2017). Everything you should know about oxidative stress. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/health/oxidative-stress
