A Healthy Immune System

We’re often told that good immune function is essential for our overall health and wellbeing, but what exactly is our immune system, how does it work, and how can we look after it so that it keeps looking after us, whatever our age? 

The immune system is a vital defence mechanism that protects our bodies from harmful invaders like bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites, and from dangerous substances and abnormal cells. A healthy immune function involves a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs working together to identify and neutralise threats quickly, defending us against infection and diseases, and helping us to recover from them. 

There are five key stages to robust immune functioning:

Recognise: Our immune system accurately identifies invaders that could harm us.

Respond: Our immune system fights back against the threat. It can do this by producing antibodies, activating certain proteins, and recruiting immune cells to the site of the infection or disease.

Regulate: Our immune system regulates itself properly so that it doesn’t overreact to the threat. Overreacting can lead to allergies or autoimmune diseases where the body attacks itself.

Resolve: Once it has removed the threat, our immune system heals any damage and returns itself to a state of readiness.

Remember: Our immune system remembers an invader so that it can respond quickly and effectively if we’re exposed to it again in the future.

If our immune system is weakened or compromised, then some or all of these elements might not work properly, making us more susceptible to infections, slowing down our healing, and putting us at greater risk of chronic disease or autoimmune disorders. 

So what can we do to maintain a healthy immune system that will protect us at every stage of our lives?

A nutritious, balanced diet is fundamental. A wide variety of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, nuts and seeds, legumes, and healthy fats will provide a rich source of nutrients to support and strengthen our immune system. Some of the most important ones include:

• Vitamins C and E help protect cells from damage and are found in citrus fruits, berries, nuts and seeds.
• Vitamin A is essential for maintaining the structure of skin cells and mucous membranes, which are both part of our bodies’ natural defences. It’s in eggs and dairy products, oily fish, yellow and red fruits and vegetables like apricots, carrots and sweet potatoes, and in dark leafy greens. 
• Vitamin D plays a crucial role in immune response. The best food sources are oily fish, fortified dairy products, and egg yolks.
• Zinc helps to make new cells and enzymes and contributes to wound healing. It’s found in meat, shellfish, legumes like lentils, chickpeas and beans, milk and cheese, and nuts and seeds.
• Probiotics in fermented foods like yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut and kimchi support the beneficial bacteria that are essential to a healthy gut, which is closely linked to immune health.  

Despite our best intentions to get all of our essential nutrients from the food we eat, sometimes we need extra support from supplementation. Click here for a list of our immune-boosting supplements.

Moderate, regular exercise has many immune-system-related benefits including boosting blood circulation and lymphatic flow, which help to move immune cells more efficiently through the body, and reducing chronic inflammation and high cortisol levels, both of which can suppress immune function. Exercise also helps to regulate the production and release of immune cells in our bodies, contributes to a healthy gut microbiota, and can improve sleep quality and duration.  As we’ll see next, good sleep is crucial to our immune function.

Sleep plays a vital role in supporting and enhancing our immune system. It promotes the production of the proteins, immune cells and antibodies that are so important in an effective immune response to a threat. And it helps to regulate inflammation, reduce stress levels, and gives the cells and tissues in our bodies time to repair and recover each day.  Click here for a deeper dive into sleep and why it’s essential for a healthy life.

While science suggests that short-term stress can boost immune function, chronic or elevated levels of stress suppress its effectiveness. Prolonged stress reduces our immune system’s ability to respond to a threat, increases inflammation, slows down our healing and recovery, and makes us more susceptible to illness and infection. Stress management practices such as breath work, mindfulness, meditation, getting out into nature, and most forms of exercise can have a profound and positive impact on our immune system. Making time to connect with friends and family, taking proper rest, and seeking professional help if we need it can also be very helpful. 

EssentiaGlow offers a wide range of supplements that can help keep your immune system in peak condition.  Some of the best immune boosters are: Aloe Vera, Apple Cider Vinegar +, Beach Rose Hip, Ginkgo Biloba and Ginseng, Omega-3 Fish Oil, Rhodiola Rosea Root, Turmeric Curcumin and Vitamin D.