In this article, you will learn 10 ways to naturally boost immunity. Each day, your body is exposed to hundreds of disease-causing microorganisms.

These microorganisms are found on different surfaces we touch, the environment, and even in the air, we breathe. Yet, you rarely get sick even coming in contact with these antigens, bacteria, and other microorganisms; and all the credit goes to your immune system.

The immune system does a very good job when it comes to protecting you from diseases. It is made up of cells in the tissues, skin, bone marrow, blood, and organs in your body. In addition to protecting your body from disease-causing pathogens, the complex immune system also limits the damage that non-infectious agents (such as cancer or sunburn) cause.

However, for your immune system to protect you from pathogens and harmful microorganisms, it has to be well-functional. In other words, every part of your immune system should function in an optimal manner. Otherwise, a weaker immune system would mean more germs invading your system, making you easily prone to illnesses.

Thankfully, you can boost your immune system and make it stronger. And you don’t have to take in medicines or put in too much work to improve your immune system. Rather, it is the simple good-for-you everyday practices that can help you develop stronger immunity. Indeed, the key to a healthy and enhanced immune function is a good lifestyle and healthy living practices.

Consider 10 Natural Ways to Boost Your Immune System:

1. Get Enough Sleep

If you are to ensure your mental, physical and emotional well-being, you should get enough sleep. During the day, the brain has less time to remove all the accumulated metabolic “trash.” However, when you sleep at night, you allow the brain humble time to clear out waste. In addition, the body works hard at replenishing the cells each time you go to sleep.

Enough sleep refreshes the body and promotes a stronger natural immunity. In fact, research shows that adults who sleep for more than 6 hours each night have a lesser chance of getting a cold than those who get less than 6 hours of sleep.

This is why you are recommended to sleep for 7 or more hours every night. As for teenagers, these are recommended to get 8-10 hours of sleep, while kids and infants can sleep for up to 14 hours. Also, getting more sleep when sick can help your immune system to fight the disease much more effectively.

So what if you find it hard to fall asleep? Here are some practical suggestions that can help you fall asleep faster and maintain a restful sleep throughout the night:

Limit screen time for at least one hour before your bedtime – Televisions, computers and cellphones emit strong blue light rays. These rays can disrupt your natural sleep cycle, causing you to have irregular sleeping patterns.
Switch off all the lights, such that you sleep in a dark room every night – Alternatively, you can try using blackout curtains or sleeping with a sleep mask.
Go to bed and wake up at similar times every day.

If you are struggling to fall asleep, you may greatly benefit from trying a weighted blanket for adults: many people in the UK had a game-changing effect on their sleep thanks to these blankets.

2. Reduce Your Alcohol Intake

“EXCESSIVE CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL IS HARMFUL TO YOUR HEALTH”

You most likely have seen this message on many alcohol bottles, written in capital letters. Drinking excess amounts of alcohol can lead to numerous health complications, including a suppressed immune function.

Consuming too much alcohol leads to the accumulation of more toxins in your body. In turn, this gives your body too much work to do, such that it focuses on detoxification rather than on developing a healthy immune system.

More so, the toxins released to the body impact the functionality of the kidneys and liver. The more alcohol you consume, the more these organs are filled with harmful toxins and elevated cortisol levels. The eventual result will be an immune system with a limited ability to protect the body against pathogens.

People who regularly consume alcoholic beverages have higher chances of developing pneumonia, kidney diseases, cirrhosis, certain cancers, and symptoms of acute respiratory distress. Also, if you are currently dealing with a chronic condition or ailment, taking too much alcohol can also slow down the recovery process.

So if you do not already take alcohol, the best advice is: Do Not Start. However, if you do drink, then try limiting your consumption of alcohol to two drinks per day (if you are a woman) or one drink per day (if you are a man).

3. Stick to a Healthy Diet

The types of foods you eat determine the nutrients that you get. Most of these nutrients are essential for the growth and optimal functioning of the immune cells. It is, therefore, very important that you pay more attention to your diet.

A healthy diet is that which provides the body with all the essential nutrients that it needs. And plant-based foods are among the best foods you can include in your diet; such as fruits, herbs, spices, and vegetables. These fresh produce foods are rich in proteins, fats, minerals, and vitamins that ensure your immune system functions properly.

Some of the nutrients that help to boost immunity are selenium, Vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, and zinc. Vitamin C is especially beneficial to the immune system; it gives it more power to fight off harmful pathogens and free radicals in the environment.

Similarly, most plant-based spices consist of antimicrobial and antiviral properties that fight off harmful fungi, bacteria, and microorganisms that spoil food. These spices include cumin, thyme, clove, cinnamon, and oregano, just to mention a few. Their properties make them ideal foods to include in our diet since they also play a major role when it comes to supporting immune function.

Hence, to boost your immune system, make it your goal to incorporate plant-based foods into your diet. When making smoothies, soups, or stews, add fruits and vegetables to these. Prioritize foods that are rich in vitamins A and C, such as red bell peppers, carrots, strawberries, spinach, apricots, broccoli, and citrus fruits.

Also, include healthy amounts of protein and zinc in your food. You can get these nutrients from seafood, poultry meat, and lean meat. Following such a healthy diet will prove very beneficial for your immune system.

4. Include Supplements in your Diet

Proven studies show that supplements can actually help to strengthen your immune defense. In fact, some supplements are considered effective treatments for various viral infections. Consider how these four major supplements impact the immune system:

Vitamin C

The body neither produces nor stores Vitamin C. This is why it is crucial to ensure a daily intake of this vitamin; vitamin C supplements are an ideal source. Actually, Vitamin C is the most popular supplement used to boost the immune health of individuals.

First, the supplement plays a key role in cellular death; a process that clears out old cells and replaces these with new, healthier cells. Also, Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that functions to protect the body against oxidative stress damage.

Vitamin D

One of the major functions of Vitamin D is to decrease inflammation and reduce the risk of infections. This supplement improves the function of macrophages and monocytes; two vital parts of white blood cells. More so, Vitamin D has been known to prevent respiratory tract infections, such as asthma and influenza.

Zinc

According to research, approximately 16% of people with respiratory infections developed the symptoms due to zinc deficiency. However, zinc has more functions than just preventing respiratory infections; it also reduces inflammations and promotes antiviral activities in the body. All these functions lead to a stronger and healthier immune function.

Elderberry

Black elderberry has been used to treat and prevent infections for a very long time. It consists of antiviral and antibacterial properties that help to protect the body against disease-causing pathogens. More so, Elderberry is known to shorten the duration and severity of colds, as well as other respiratory tract infections.

5. Limit Your Intake of Added Sugars

According to recent research, refined carbohydrates and added sugars may cause obesity and overweight. And just like other types of malnutrition, obesity has been proven to impair immune function.

Obesity and overweight (whether genetic or diet-induced) alter both cell-mediated immune responses and the body’s leukocyte count. In turn, this decreases immunity function, increasing your risk of developing viral and bacterial infections. More so, a reduced immune activity leads to a decrease in the body’s responsiveness to different vaccines.

Therefore, while it is not entirely wrong to eat foods with added sugars, it is very important that you limit your intake of such foods. Dieticians recommend limiting your intake of sugars to 5% or less of your daily calories. For example, if you consume 2,000 calories in a day, you should consume at most 25 grams (or 2 tablespoons) of added sugar.

By curbing your intake of added sugars, you not only aid weight loss but also decrease inflammation. Also, less intake of added sugars reduces your risk of developing associated conditions, such as heart diseases, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

Here are some tips that can help you limit your consumption of added sugars:

Swap out sodas and carbonated drinks with diet drinks.
As an alternative to sugar, add dried fruits (such as apricots and raisins) or fresh fruits (such as strawberries and cherries) to oatmeal or cereals.
When making recipes, use extracts, such as lemon, almond, orange and vanilla in place of sugar.
Use different spices to enhance foods; spices such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice.
When baking cakes, cookies or brownies, try cutting back the sugar amounts recommended in the recipe by at least one-third.

6. Sunlight

Natural sunlight is the best source of Vitamin D. As discussed in point 4 above, Vitamin D is very important for good health. It helps to reduce inflammation, the risk of respiratory infections, as well as boost the function of white blood cell components.

Another primary function of vitamin D is to regulate the absorption of minerals into the body, especially calcium and phosphorus. These two minerals boost the function of the immune system, ensuring that it operates at its best.

Phosphorus plays a key role when it comes to growing cells and maintaining their good health. On the other hand, calcium ensures prompt and efficient delivery of immune responses to the body.

You can still get healthy amounts of vitamin D from foods and mineral supplements. However, the best and most recommended way would be to get Vitamin D from sunlight. Spend some time outside; at least 10 to 15 minutes of sunlight each day is enough. Then, during the winter seasons when you have limited exposure to sunlight, you can try increasing your intake of vitamin D supplements.

Finally, getting some sunlight at the right time of the day will also naturally boost your melatonin levels, promoting a healthier sleep.

7. Exercise Regularly

As you already know, regular exercise has a positive impact on your overall health and quality of life. What you most probably don’t know is that exercising regularly can give your immune system a significant boost.

Engaging in any workout stimulates your body to release more endorphins; hormones that trigger feelings of pleasure, as well as reduce pain. This ability by endorphins helps individuals manage stress and anxiety. And since stress suppresses the ability of the immune system, we can safely conclude that working out helps to boost the immune system.

Exercising regularly does more than just make you feel good; it also lowers the levels of cortisol in the body. High levels of cortisol in the body reduce the effectiveness of the antibody IgA. It is this essential antibody that protects the mucous membranes, such as those in the digestive and respiratory tracts.

More so, studies show that exercising has the ability to affect the body at a cellular level. It distributes the cells of the immune system throughout the body, repairing any damaged cells or healing the infected ones. In turn, this makes your immunity more vigilant, protecting you against numerous diseases.

In fact, engaging in simple, moderate exercise can help to boost your response to vaccines and similar medications. This is especially true for those people whose immune system is compromised. Examples of moderate exercises that you can engage in are jogging, light hiking, taking a brisk walk, and bicycling steadily.

However, when you are feeling quite under the weather, it would be best not to overdo exercise. Engaging in vigorous exercise while sick could cause your body too much stress. And the more stressed your body is, the less effective the immune function will be.

8. Manage Stress and Anxiety

We all have busy schedules. There are hundreds of things to get done each day; even our daily routine proves to be just too much for us sometimes. And when we can hardly get anything done, we get overwhelmed with stress and anxieties.

However, while we are all bound to experience stress at some point in our lives, we should avoid “nurturing” stress for too long. Being anxious or stressed for too long affects your emotional and physical well-being, including your complex immune system.

High stress levels in the body trigger the release of cortisol hormone. And while moderate levels of cortisol in the body are actually beneficial, elevated levels reduce the effectiveness of the immune system. This is because cortisol interferes with the T-class in the body, making it difficult for these to produce alert signals that aid in immune function.

Besides, high stress levels can lead to anxiety and depression that could get worse if you have other anxiety habits. It is believed that depression has a direct impact on the immune system; it weakens the immune system, causing the body to become more susceptible to diseases and illnesses.

An anti anxiety blanket can help to lower your cortisol levels, improve sleep and relieve anxious thoughts.

To boost your body’s immunity, you need to learn how to manage your stress. After all, avoiding situational stress is almost close to impossible, which leaves learning how to manage it the only practical option.

The following points outline practical tips you can take to manage and keep stress at bay:

Try practicing yoga and meditation.
Try grounding; standing and walking outside barefooted
Take in vitamins and mineral supplements that can help you handle stress levels, such as Omega-3 fatty acids.
Exercise for at least 30 minutes every day.

A healthy mindset can definitively boost your immune system, as well as improve your entire life. If you want to take your mindset to the next level you may want to try to find a life coach. A life coach can help you to transform your mindset and change your life to achieve what you really want. Because, in general, if you are happier and love yourself, also your immune system will benefit greatly.

9. Drink More Water

Drinking water won’t protect you from harmful bacteria, germs, viruses, and other disease-causing microorganisms. However, it will help you stay hydrated; a state that is crucial for your overall health.

Dehydration is one of the leading causes of headaches. Also, being dehydrated hinders the good functioning of the heart and kidney, your mood, concentration, physical performance, and digestion. These mental and health complications make you more susceptible to illnesses.

Also, note that the immune system depends on most of the nutrients found in the bloodstream. And the larger percentage of the bloodstream is made up of water. Therefore, when you don’t take in enough water, your body will not be able to transport the nutrients to the immune system as effectively.

Furthermore, staying hydrated helps to detoxify pathways, clear waste materials in the body, and increase lymphatic draining. On the contrary, dehydration causes digestive issues, muscle tension, and lower levels of the serotonin hormone.

Therefore, since dehydration makes you more prone to developing health complications, you should make it your goal to drink plenty of fluids every day. Water is the best fluid you can take, as it lacks any added sugars, calories, or additives like most other beverages. And while you may still crave tea, juice, or other sweetened drinks, try to limit your intake of these as they contain high levels of sugar.

As a general rule, drink water whenever you feel thirsty and stop drinking when you quench your thirst. However, as you grow older, your body begins to signal thirst less frequently. This is why older adults have lesser urges to drink and remain hydrated. But this doesn’t mean that older adults should tone down on their water intake; you still need to drink the recommended 8 glasses of water each day for a healthier immune system.

10. Don’t Smoke Cigarettes

Just like alcohol, smoking cigarettes can negatively impact your immune health; cigarettes contain just as harmful toxins as alcohol. In fact, research shows that smoking is worse than alcohol. Unlike alcohol which can be quite beneficial to the body when taken moderately, the tobacco found in cigarettes offers no benefits whatsoever.

Cigarettes consist of many carcinogenic chemicals. Therefore, when you smoke, you release these harmful chemicals into your body. The major chemicals released by cigarettes are nicotine, cadmium, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxide.

When these chemicals are inhaled, they injure your body cells, including the immune cells. Not only does this break down the cells’ ability to replenish and fight infections, but it also hinders their ability to send out signals. And when your immunity system cells can no longer perform optimally, the immune function is compromised.

People who smoke regularly are highly susceptible to diseases due to their reduced immune function. Smoking cigarettes also worsen infections, especially those that affect the lungs. It also makes one prone to developing rheumatoid arthritis, a condition where the immune system starts attacking the joints.

So if you are to boost your immune function, then it is high time you quit smoking! For those individuals who are already addicted to the habit, there are numerous resources that can help you beat the habit. For example, you could try counseling, behavioral therapy, or try using prescription non-nicotine medications. As for those who don’t smoke, avoid passive smoking as much as you can!

Conclusion

Different stores sell many products claiming that these boost immunities. Yet, most of these products consist of chemicals that only add toxins to the body, causing more harm than benefit. This is why it is always a good idea to try natural ways of boosting immune function.

Unlike most other methods, natural methods of boosting immunity are 100% safe. What’s even better, they are easily achievable; all you need to do is make some simple, yet very effective lifestyle changes.

The 10 ways to naturally boost immunity I explained in this article can be a good start for you. Pick one of these suggestions, add it to your to-do list today, and start working for better health and life!