In this article, we are going to go over things that you can begin to use or do immediately to build your immune system naturally at home.
Let's first touch base on a couple of basics regarding how your immune system works. In general, your immune system is broken up into two different parts. The innate immune system and the adaptive immune system. Your innate immune system is something that you are born with. Think of it as essentially your first line of defense, things like our skin or coughing or sneezing. Your innate immune system's job is to immediately stop any form of pathogen from getting into our bodies.
The second part is the adaptive immune system. This is the one that kicks in when something actually gets past that first innate response's first line of defense. Think of it as your second line of defense. It is very specific and is designed to go after the pathogen, like a virus or bacteria directly through something called T and B cells. You can have a positive effect on both the adaptive and the innate immune system when you change just a few things in your lifestyle.
Get Enough Sleep
Number one is really, really simple and easy to do, and it seems almost too obvious to be true, but it is to make sure you are getting enough sleep. The optimum number of hours of sleep is between seven and nine hours every single day. This is because when you are sleeping, your body is building and repairing and preparing your immune system for the following day. When your body is sleeping, it has time to identify and fight off potential harmful things that could actually make you sick. This is why oftentimes when you are fighting something off, you will actually spike that fever at night. Your body is not distracted by the activities of daily living, it is powered down. And it is this downtime that allows your body to heal and repair from the previous day. This is absolutely critical to a properly functioning immune system.
Have you ever felt really exhausted or run down, haven't had a whole lot of sleep and then suddenly you get sick? Think of sleeping as your recharge system for your immune system's battery. Every night if you are getting seven to nine hours of sleep, you are charging your immune system battery to full. If you are only getting five to six hours of sleep, then think of it as your immune system is only getting maybe a three quarter charge. Then if the next day you are only getting five or six hours of sleep again, you are only getting that three quarter charge on top of that previous three quarter charge and so on and so on and so on. Over time, your immune system's charge, becomes less and less. Therefore, sleep is absolutely critical to a healthy immune system. Make sure you are getting the proper amount of sleep.
Watch Your Sugar Intake
The second tip to building your immune system naturally is to watch your sugar intake. Too much sugar in your system allows bacteria and viruses to propagate much more quickly. This is why we see diabetics with more infections than people who are nondiabetic. We saw this during the pandemic, the people who had the hardest time with the virus, were those with blood sugar issues. Therefore, dietary lifestyles, such as the ketogenic diet, which are really low in sugar, are a great way to minimize the excessive sugar and to maximize your immune system potential.
Think of carbohydrates and sugar as something that literally suppresses the immune system. You will want to keep this in mind the next time that you or your child are sick. And you think about giving them that sports drink that's pretty sugary to keep them hydrated. Remember sugar suppresses the immune system.
Lifestyle changes like getting more sleep and eating less sugar are not the only ways to boost your immune system. There are many supplements that you can take that have the potential to have a positive impact on your overall immune system. We are going to highlight some that we have found to be the most effective to promote a healthy immune system.
Vitamin D
Let's start with vitamin D. Vitamin D really came to the forefront during the pandemic as to how important it was to make sure we had a sufficient amount in our bodies. It plays such an important role in our immune system. A deficiency makes your immune system weak. Vitamin D is an essential vitamin, but it also works inside your body as a hormone. Your body creates vitamin D from sunlight, but very few people are getting enough exposure every day to have a sufficient amount of vitamin D actually created within their body.
This is especially true for those folks who are in colder climates, where the skin's covered up most of the year or a lot of the year. And it is because of this we find that most Americans are actually deficient in vitamin D. It is one of the reasons why we made this vitamin part of our core four daily essential vitamins that everybody should be taking every day, because it is that important. It is also important to note that as we age, our bodies actually become less able to convert sunlight into vitamin D. This makes it even more important to supplement your diet with it as you start to age. The form that you are going to want to get vitamin D in is called D3 + K. This will help with the absorption and make sure you get the most out of that D.
Zinc
The second supplement to discuss is zinc. It's absolutely essential, and it helps bolster your immune system. You must have a proper amount of zinc in your diet because it plays a major role in something called DNA protein synthesis. And it also has a role in the utilization of your body's most important antioxidant, glutathione. In order for your body to actually utilize zinc and for it to enter the cell, it must be taken with something called quercetin. Quercetin is found in fruits. If you are eating an abundance of fruits, perhaps you do not need to have your diet supplemented with quercetin. But if you are not, it is probably a good idea to make sure that your zinc has it in it, or the supplement that you are taking has quercetin and zinc in it at the same time. That way you actually absorb everything.
Vitamin C
The next supplement to discuss is vitamin C. This is one that most people are familiar with as it relates to the immune system. It supports both the innate and the adaptive immune system. The cells in your body literally open up and ask for more vitamin C and increase the ability of each cell to absorb it when your body is fighting something off. The amount you need when you are fighting something off is greater than what you need on a daily basis. Whenever you start feeling a little under the weather, try adding in a little vitamin C. Vitamin C is water soluble, so you are going to urinate out any that you are not going to use. This is so you will not have a toxic buildup in your body.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Next up are omega three fatty acids. These are found in things such as fish, or krill oil. Omega three fatty acids, DHA EPA are essential to a healthy functioning body. Our American diets are greatly deficient in omega three, and they are super high in omega six. And this imbalance causes inflammation. Now omega three plays a huge role in our immune system. It helps with the absorption of certain nutrients and they help keep cellular inflammation down. It is really important to have this in your diet.
The quality of the fish oil that you are taking in is going to be really important. You want to make sure it is from a fish that is wild caught and not farm raised, because they are a lot lower in environmental toxins than the farm raised. You want to make sure it is from a small fish, like a krill, sardine or an anchovy. And finally, you want to make sure it is from a really reputable source, meaning that they should have been created in an FDA approved laboratory. They should have a seal on them that's NSF and GMP, that indicates that they are certified by them. And what that means is that they were produced in an exceptionally high, hygienic environment. And more importantly than anything else, make sure that they are third party independently tested for purity, quality and consistency. Anything that you are going to be taking every single day, you want to make sure is of the highest quality.
Probiotics
Next on the list is probiotics. Simply put probiotics are the good bacteria that occur in your gut. They aid in the digestion and the nutritional absorption of the things that we eat. They actually help break down the food that we are eating and also help absorb the nutrients that are within those foods. Here is the key, you must have a proper amount of bacteria in your gut that is good for these things to actually occur. Too little good bacteria or too much bad bacteria can have a significant negative impact on your immune system overall. Your immune system must have the proper nutrients in order to function.
Keep in mind, it is what you absorb that matters. You can take all the best vitamins and all the best nutrients in the world, but if your gut flora is imbalanced, you are not going to absorb it properly. So it is imperative that you have an abundance of good bacteria. A probiotic helps replenish your gut and will help break down the food and supplements that you are taking, extracting and absorbing those nutrients into your bloodstream, so it can be used to promote a higher functioning immune system.
Echinacea
Next is echinacea. It is one of those that has been used for thousands of years, and there are a ton of studies out there that have shown how it helps your immune system by combating viruses and infections, and actually helps you recover faster if you get an illness. This is one of the reasons why echinacea is often used to prevent or even treat the common cold. It is something you may want to consider if you are fighting something off.
Elderberry Extract
The next one is elderberry extract. Elderberry has been used for thousands of years for its positive effects on the immune system. Elderberry extract is made from something called the black elderberry. And what is great about it is that it contains vitamin C and other antioxidants, which we already know are great for the immune system.
There is one study in the Journal of International Medical Research, that looked at a group of patients that had the flu. Half the group was given elderberry extract to take four times a day for five days. Then the other half was given a placebo four times a day for five days. Those that took the elderberry extract had symptoms that began to improve at day two through day four. Those that did not take it and took the placebo, did not have any improvement until day seven or day eight. This is a huge difference when you are talking about the duration of symptoms, when you are trying to get through the flu.
You can get elderberry, vitamin C, or zinc individually, or you can get them packaged together. We offer it packaged into one single supplement called Elderberry Immune Drink, because we like things that actually taste good and are beneficial to you.
What is important is that you start understanding how your immune system works and how you can start building it on your own at home. Whether it is getting more sleep and exercise, eating less sugar and carbohydrates, taking an immune system blend of supplements every day, or taking a powerful immune boosting drink when you are fighting something off like our elderberry immunity drink. Just start making changes today. And now more than ever, it is important for the health of ourselves and our loved ones.
Hopefully you found this information helpful!
Please visit our website at www.davisnutrition.com for more tips and tricks and to place an order.
