How to keep your Immune System in tip top condition this winter.
Winter is the time in the UK when coughs and colds strike and we all try so hard to keep away from sickness. We cannot see the germs around us and this makes it very difficult to avoid the viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites that exist amongst us all.
If the Immune System is strong and in an optimal condition this will help to avoid coming down with any illness over the winter months, but how can you do this….
First of all, let us take a look at the statistics amongst the age groups…
- Adults have between two and five infections annually.
- Children typically present 6 to 12 “colds” per year
- In the elderly rates of symptomatic infections increase
- The average life span of a common cold is around 10 days.
It is important to know the difference between and common cold and the “flu”. Someone once told me that if you had a cold and you were walking along the pavement and saw a £10 note you would stop to pick it up…. If you had the “flu” you wouldn’t. I completely relate to this as I have myself suffered a bout of flu once in my life and it was severe. Symptoms were rusty coloured mucous, severe fever, body temperature changes from freezing to sweating; loss of appetite; breathlessness; pleurisy (pain in lungs around the back)
Other symptoms of influenza are:
• A sudden fever – temperature above 38 degrees C
• Aches all over your body
• Feeling tired and exhausted
• Headache
• Difficulty sleeping
• Diarrhoea or abdominal pain
• Nausea or vomiting
Symptoms generally would last about 3 to 7 days and adults only really catch flu about twice a decade.
How does the immune system develop
When we are unborn babies in our mother’s womb our immune system develops from the second trimester. During the gestational period a mother’s breast milk is produced which contains a range of prebiotics and probiotics. This makes up the colostrum that is contained within the milk and is given at birth. Those first few days of a child’s life are vitally important for the mother’s milk to enter the child’s digestive tract and lay down the core microbiota. This is why breast feeding is so important even if it is only for the first few days as this is when the colostrum is most powerful.
There are two parts to the immune system:
Firstly, we have the Innate Immune System. When pathogens attack the body, there is an immediate response initiated within seconds. It is fast acting but unable to remove the infecting pathogen completely.
We also have the Adaptive Immune system which responds to infection but at a much slower rate than the Innate Immune system. The Adaptive Immune system produces two type of cells, the T cells (memory cells) which stay in the body a long time after infection to help deal with any re-infection from the same pathogen.
B-cells make special Y-shaped proteins called antibodies. Antibodies stick to antigens on the surface of germs, stopping them in their tracks, creating clumps that alert your body to the presence of intruders. Your body then starts to make toxic substances to fight them. Patrolling defender cells called phagocytes engulf and destroy antibody-covered intruders.
The two immune systems work in tandem together when they are at optimal level of health. This protects the individual from foreign pathogens causing havoc in the body.
This is why when two immune systems work together, they are able to kill the infecting pathogen. Once this occurs any symptoms (e.g. cough) of the infection normally subside.
Which nutrients support a healthy immune system
Various nutrients play an important role in the function of the immune system.
Beta glucans
Beta glucans are naturally found in small amounts within oats, medicinal mushrooms, rye, wheat and other plant sources. This compound is well known for its role in the modulation of the immune system, mainly stimulating the activity of macrophages.
This stimulation of macrophage activity also results in the increased production of cytokines which modulate an immune response.
Vitamin C
Many people know that Vitamin C has a positive impact on the immune system. Vitamin C (also known as Ascorbic Acid) is a water soluble micronutrient, which is found in citrus fruits, broccoli, red pepper, as well as other plant sources.
Vitamin C is believed to be found in high concentration within immune cells and is used up at a faster rate during periods of infections. It therefore is thought to have a role in supporting immune function and also as an antioxidant. When a cold strikes it is possible to have up to 3000mg of vitamin C a day (1000mg every 4 hours) to fight the infection. If you have too much Vitamin C this would be identified by the presence of diahorrea.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin which is produced by the body when exposed to the suns UV rays. The active form of vitamin D is essential for the absorption and utilisation of calcium from our diet.
For a long time Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to an increased chance of infection and has recently become the focus of much immune research. Improved vitamin D status has been linked to inhibition of inflammatory cytokines and may be supportive for autoimmune conditions such as lupus.
Zinc
Zinc is a mineral which can be found naturally within seafood, spinach, meat, nuts and seeds. It has been shown to have an active role in immune function and those who are deficient are considered to be more vulnerable to pathogens.
Zinc has an important role in the development and function of immune cells which are involved in the non-specific (innate) immune response e.g. natural killer cells.
Although the human immune system is very effective in fighting off pathogens, in some cases the immune system attacks its own cells. This is referred to as an autoimmune condition. Due to the nature of these conditions it can sometimes be very hard to determine what exactly causes an autoimmune condition to be triggered.
What else can we do to improve our Immune System
Sleep
Ensuring that you are having at least 8 hours of sleep each night. Have a relaxing winding down routine before bed that involves maybe a soothing bath with Epsom Salts (magnesium) or reading a book. Switch off all device an hour before bedtime. If you rely on your phone as an alarm, purchase a separate alarm clock.
Do not eat at least 2 hours before bedtime as if you eat and go straight to bed you may think you are asleep but your digestive system is busy and wide awake. This prevents the body from reaching the REM type of sleep which is the refreshing type of sleep that one needs to function the next day.
Movement
Ensure that you are exercising regularly. As we age we lose muscle so it is important that you choose a workout that works your cardio function as well as strengthens you. Invest in a fit tracker and aim to move 10,000 steps per day.
Relax
Stress does not support the Immune System. If you are stressed your body releases a stress hormone called “cortisol”. This hormone is required for us to get out of bed in the morning and it should reduce as the day passes so that by the end of the day we are ready for bed. However, modern life is filled with little moments of stress throughout the day and over time this can put pressure on your adrenal glands. When your adrenals are stressed this set off the bodies stress response triggers and so the cycle continues.
When we are stressed the ability to fight off antigens is reduced. That is why we are more susceptible to infections. The stress hormone corticosteroid can suppress the effectiveness of the immune system by lowering the number of lymphocytes.
Ensure that you manage to have “nothingness” or “me” time as I like to call it regularly throughout the week, where you can breathe, take your time and just “be”. Maybe this is going for a walk, relaxing with friends or spending time meditating.