Fight Back: Five Natural Ways to Boost your Immune System
Welcome to winter! As the temperature drops and daylight hours shorten we tend to spend more time indoors, less time exercising and are exposed to people suffering coughs and colds that tend to go round at this time of the year.
You may have heard your chiropractor telling you countless times how incredibly smart your body is. Your body houses its very own protective army that has evolved to destroy pathogens, viruses and bacteria. To help your army of immune cells protect you from infection, you need to create the right conditions for them to effectively defend you. Keep reading to discover our top five tips for supporting your immune system naturally and triumph over illness this winter.
1. A well adjusted spine and nervous system
Our immune system is made of proteins, tissues, cells and organs that work together to recognise and fight infectious organisms. In order for all the parts of your immune system to work together seamlessly the communication pathway between your brain and body must be free of interference. This communication pathway is called your nervous system, it may be interfered with by areas of dysfunction in your spine called vertebral subluxations. Chiropractic care corrects vertebral subluxations to ensure your nervous system is free of interference. This allows your brain to communicate with all the components of your immune system effectively.
Chiropractic adjustments have been shown in the research literature to activate the neuroimmunoendocrine system¹. In other words, it alters the way your nervous system works which in turn affects your immune system by changing the levels of chemicals in your body that are important for a healthy immune response. Chiropractic care also promotes activity of the parasympathetic nervous system, this is the part of your nervous system which allows your body to rest, digest and repair².
2. Engage your gut bacteria
Your body is full of trillions of bacteria, viruses and fungi collectively known as the microbiome. The health and balance of your microbiome and your immune system are deeply interconnected. A flourishing network of gut bacteria has been shown to help your immune cells differentiate between normal, healthy cells and harmful invader cells³.
Eating a range of probiotic and prebiotic food is a great start to improving your gut health. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria and yeasts found in certain foods or probiotic supplements⁴. Probiotics can be found in fermented food such as sauerkraut and kefir or yogurt containing live cultures. Prebiotics are types of fiber that feed the beneficial gut bacteria⁴. Prebiotics can be found in many foods including legumes, onions and garlic.
3. Stock up on nutritional ammunition
Several vitamins and minerals are involved in keeping your immune cells in good shape. Without enough of these nutrients to fuel your immune army, your chance of getting sick is higher⁴. Vitamins A, C and D as well as zinc are crucial nutrients in the immune response⁵. If you're usually on the losing end of cold and flu season, and haven’t considered topping up your nutritional stores, there’s a fair chance increasing your intake of these nutrients through food or supplementation will increase your resistance to infection and support faster recovery.
4. Prioritise sleep
The importance of getting enough sleep is certainly not a new concept. We all know the difference between how we feel after a restful and sleepless nights sleep. Your immune system feels the same, especially when it’s faced with the threat of illness. Recent studies have shown that quality sleep can bolster the T cells in your body that help fight off infection⁶. Sleep enhances the ability of the T cells to adhere to and destroy cells that are infected with foreign invaders⁶. A lack of sleep also results in increased production of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline in our bodies⁶. Increased levels of these hormones reduces the ability of your immune system to fight off bugs.
5. Stay immune fit with exercise
Regular exercise is one of the pillars to healthy living. Did you know that walking for just 45 minutes increases the number of specialised immune cells circulating your body for up to three hours after you have finished the walk?⁷ Because exercise increases blood and lymph flow as your muscles contract, it also increases the circulation of immune cells, making them roam the body at a higher rate and in higher numbers⁷. Exercise also decreases inflammation in the body, which in turn, can also improve immunity⁷.
Dr Caitlyn
References
1. Colombi, A., & Testa, M. (2019). The Effects Induced by Spinal Manipulative Therapy on the Immune and Endocrine Systems. Medicina, 55(8), 448.
2. Welch, A., & Boone, R. (2008). Sympathetic and parasympathetic responses to specific diversified adjustments to chiropractic vertebral subluxations of the cervical and thoracic spine. Journal of chiropractic medicine, 7(3), 86-93.
3. Wu, H. J., & Wu, E. (2012). The role of gut microbiota in immune homeostasis and autoimmunity. Gut microbes, 3(1), 4-14.
4. Sanders, M. E., Merenstein, D. J., Reid, G., Gibson, G. R., & Rastall, R. A. (2019). Probiotics and prebiotics in intestinal health and disease: from biology to the clinic. Nature reviews Gastroenterology & hepatology, 16(10), 605-616.
5. Maggini, S., Pierre, A., & Calder, P. C. (2018). Immune function and micronutrient requirements change over the life course. Nutrients, 10(10), 1531.
6. Dimitrov, S., Lange, T., Gouttefangeas, C., Jensen, A. T., Szczepanski, M., Lehnnolz, J., ... & Besedovsky, L. (2019). Gαs-coupled receptor signaling and sleep regulate integrin activation of human antigen-specific T cells. Journal of Experimental Medicine, 216(3), 517-526.
7. Nieman, D. C., & Wentz, L. M. (2019). The compelling link between physical activity and the body's defense system. Journal of sport and health science, 8(3), 201-217.