Maintain a strong immune system all year for better health and recovery

We often only think about our immune system when we get sick but understanding the role it plays in various bodily functions and recovery is crucial for year-round health.

The various roles our immune system fulfils extends beyond fighting off acute infections. It’s a continuous, dynamic network working tirelessly to maintain our health and optimal function, even when we feel perfectly fine.  

By taking care of our immune system even when we’re healthy, we can better handle daily challenges like minor infections and stress.

Preventative measures can help reduce the risk and severity of illnesses by controlling inflammation and removing abnormal cells.

Furthermore, a strong, fully-functioning immune system contributes to greater energy levels, better sleep, and a more positive outlook on life.

Follow these tips to strengthen your immune system and enjoy better health all year round.

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Diet and immunity

Eating the right foods is key to building a strong immune system. The body derives the essential nutrients –vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients – it needs to produce disease-fighting immune cells and maintain the immune system from the foods we eat.

Most of these nutrients should come from a diet rich in fresh, natural foods. Eat whole, natural, and minimally processed or unprocessed food, with a variety of colours from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Ideal foods include berries, citrus, leafy greens, sweet potatoes, quinoa, brown rice, and lean protein sources like fresh fish, poultry, beans, and lentils. Healthy fats like olive oil, nuts, and seeds offer anti-inflammatory benefits and support vitamin absorption.

Plant foods in their raw, natural state also contain more nutrients and active enzymes. However, cooking some vegetables can make the vitamins more bioavailable, which makes it easier for our bodies to use.

A wholesome diet that supports your immune system should include:

• An abundance of natural, nutrient-dense fresh vegetables, particularly leafy greens.
• Some fruits, especially citrus and other vitamin C-rich options.
• Sufficient protein from fresh meats including red meat, poultry, and fresh fish, as well as dairy products.
• Natural fats, including essential fatty acids, unsaturated and some saturated fats support hormone production.

Conversely, a poor diet will increase your susceptibility to illness as any nutrient deficiencies can hamper optimal immune system function.

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Gut health

A healthy gut with the right balance of probiotics supports good digestion and boosts immunity. In the gut, probiotics play a crucial role in strengthening your immune system as they help maintain a healthy balance in your microbiome, preventing harmful bacteria from taking over.

Over the last decade, there has been an explosion of research into the immuno-stimulatory properties of probiotics, which indicate that probiotics may help reduce the likelihood of infections, especially after heavy bouts of training.

For example, a 2020 study¹ demonstrated that a specific combination of probiotics reduced the incidence of upper respiratory infections.

Furthermore, probiotics contribute to immune responses, including cytokine and white blood cell production, which are essential for a robust immune system.

Taking a comprehensive product like Biogen Supreme Probiotic 9-Strain may help to support a balanced microbiome.

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Exercise

Moderate exercise for at least 150 minutes a week helps boost immune cell production and circulation.

By increasing blood flow throughout the body, exercise allows immune cells to circulate more rapidly. This improved circulation enables these cells to detect and respond to pathogens more efficiently.

Regular exercise also helps to reduce stress, which is known to weaken the immune system by elevating levels of stress hormones like cortisol. As such, regular exercise can support optimal immune function.

These activities can include simple tasks like brisk walking, swimming, biking, or dancing. The more of these activities you do outside, the better, as getting out into nature can reduce stress and promote immune function.

It’s also important to note that while moderate, regular exercise is beneficial, excessive or intense exercise can sometimes have the opposite effect, temporarily suppressing the immune system. Therefore, finding a balanced exercise routine is key.

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Sleep

Getting enough sleep, ideally 7-9 hours a night, is crucial for immune health. Sleep and the immune system share a bidirectional relationship, as sufficient sleep bolsters our immune defences while a strong immune system helps us sleep better.

During sleep, immune cells perform surveillance functions that helps identify and eliminate abnormal cells or attack pathogens like viruses or bacteria that have entered the body.

For instance, adequate sleep enhances the production of immune cells, including T cells, antibodies that help identify and neutralise harmful pathogens, and cytokines, which are proteins that aid in cell signalling and coordinating immune responses.

Studies² consistently demonstrate that sleep enhances the adaptive immune response against invading viruses.

Various repair and rejuvenation processes also happen while we sleep that support optimal immune system function.

In addition, various studies³ suggest a causal link between reduced sleep and our susceptibility to cold and flu infections.

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Supplement support

Supplement manufacturers like Biogen are also helping to make regular immune support as easy as possible.

Comprehensive complexes that combine various vitamins and minerals proven to support immune system health and function offer a convenient and effective means to meet your nutritional demands and bolster the immune system.

For example, Biogen Immuno Boost Effervescent with Extra Strength Vitamin C (1000 mg) contains various ingredients that can strengthen and support the immune system.

Each effervescent tab is formulated with echinacea to boost immunity and vitamin C, B vitamins and zinc to provide additional essential nutrients needed to maintain good health and contribute to normal immune system function.

These ingredients support a strong immune system in the following ways:

• Echinacea (50 mg per tablet): This natural ingredient boosts white blood cell production, which can help the body fight off bacterial and viral infections.
• Vitamin C (1000 mg per tablet): Immune cells require vitamin C to protect them from free radical damage. Certain immune cells also require vitamin C to function optimally. As such, this vitamin is highly concentrated in immune cells and is consumed quickly during an infection, but the body cannot synthesise vitamin C, which means we need to get enough from food and supplements.
• Zinc (25 mg per tablet): Zinc functions as a co-factor for important enzymatic reactions involved in the antioxidant defence system, making it essential for a healthy immune response.
• B-Vitamins: The body requires sufficient B vitamins to produce cells involved in the immune response. Vitamins B6 and B12 aid optimal immunity because they are involved in numerous internal biochemical reactions related to optimal immune function. Similarly, vitamin B2 (riboflavin) helps produce antibodies and is essential for energy production and antioxidant activity. Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) is converted into coenzyme A, which is essential for many cellular processes, including the production of antibodies and inflammatory cytokines. Vitamin B3 (nicotinamide) helps to activate the innate immune system, potentially increasing its effectiveness against pathogens while supporting white blood cell (phagocyte) activity to help destroy bacteria and other harmful particles.

References

1. Laodong Li, KangKang Hong, et al. Probiotics for Preventing Upper Respiratory Tract Infections in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020; 2020: 8734140. Published online 2020 Oct 26. doi: 10.1155/2020/8734140
2. Besedovsky L, Lange T, Born J. Sleep and immune function. Pflugers Arch. 2012 Jan;463(1):121-37. doi: 10.1007/s00424-011-1044-0. Epub 2011 Nov 10. PMID: 22071480; PMCID: PMC3256323.
3. Gill Phillipson, Sue Aspley, Ingo Fietze. Perceptions of the Importance of Sleep in Common Cold—Two Online Questionnaire-Based Surveys. SN Compr. Clin. Med. 2, 596–605 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42399-020-00265-5.