As the leaves turn brown, the weather becomes a lot chillier, leading to more colds, coughs and fevers. It can be hard to avoid, especially as we are spending more time in doors and in close proximity to others. Find out various ways you can boost and support your immune system this winter!
What is your immune system and what does it do?
Your immune system has one of the most important roles within your body: to protect you from anything that can make you ill.
The immune system activates when your body recognises something that isn’t its own, also known as an antigen. This includes bacteria, viruses or any other substance that doesn’t belong in the body. Your immune system will then produce antibodies that fight off antigens to protect your body. They also store information about antigens so that if your body encounters them again, they know how to fight them off much faster.
When your immune system struggles to fight off antigens, this is when you become ill. This usually occurs with any new antigens, but can also happen if you have a weak immune system. There are also some germs that will only make you ill once, such as chickenpox.
Ways to boost your immune system
A great way to prevent these illnesses, or minimise symptoms is by supporting your immune system. Here are some ways you can boost your immune system this winter:
Hygiene
Good hygiene upkeep is the most effective method of removing bacteria and germs from your body, particularly your hands, as these touch your face and others the most often. It’s important that you also dry your hands after washing them, as it is more likely that bacteria with transmit from wet skin than from dry skin.
Healthy diet & hydration
A diet that is healthy, balanced and varied in all food groups is ideal not only during the winter but all year round. It should consist of :
- 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day
- Carbohydrates and starchy foods should make up a third of the food you eat
- Proteins like lentils and beans
- 2 portions of fish a week, 1 should be oily
- Dairy or dairy alternatives but aim for lower fat, lower sugar products or semi-skimmed
- Unsaturated fats like vegetable, olive and sunflower oil
- Reduce foods high in fat, salt or sugar
If you need more guidance in creating a balanced diet, you can check out the Eatwell Guide.
You also need to be drinking around 6–8 glasses of fluid a day. In the winter, proper hydrations ensures that our body can produce heat to maintain a normal body temperature, as well as playing a vital role in aiding the body’s ability to prevent hypothermia.
8 hours of sleep
When we sleep, our muscle activity slows down which frees up energy for our immune system to perform critical tasks to function properly. It plays a massive role in the strength of our immune system and helps to enable a well balance immune defence against any germs, bacteria, viruses or other elements that could cause illnesses. A lack of sleep puts the body in overdrive and has the similar effects that stress has on our bodies.
Exercising
It’s key for maintaining not only a strong immune system but for your general health that you exercise on a frequent basis of around 4 to 5 days a week. When you exercise, you are lowering your risk of getting conditions like diabetes and heart diseases which make your immune system a lot weaker and makes it harder for it to fight off infections and illnesses.
Supplements
Between October to early March, many of us do not gain enough vitamin D from sunlight due to it getting dark earlier, the colder weather preventing people from not spending as much time outdoors and the UK sunlight not being strong enough during these months in comparison to the summer. Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption within the gut and keeps the bones, teeth and muscles healthy. You can gain vitamin D in some foods such as salmon, tuna and drinks like orange juice, but it is more effective to take a supplement to aid your body during the colder months. It is recommended that adults should not take more than 100 micrograms (4000 IU) as it can be harmful to the body.
Some other beneficial supplements you can take during the winter are:
- Vitamin C
- Zinc
- Vitamin B12