Immunity - Is it a switch that you can turn ON?
The second wave of Covid is raging and the virus seems to be more potent. I hope you are all taking good care of yourself and your health. Immunity is one aspect that everyone is behind these days, and rightfully so! Sadly, there are a lot of myths also floating around, about immunity. A plethora of immune boosters too are available in the market! In this article, we take a scientific approach to immunity and how to improve the same.
What is immunity & immune system?
Our immune system is a complex system of different types of cells, organs, chemicals etc that works in tandem to ward off any foreign organisms such as bacteria, virus, fungi, toxins etc. The immune system is quite literally like the military of a country – it has different departments that give intelligence, sophisticated communication systems, the first line of defense, missiles, guns, etc! Some countries have a better military; similarly, some of us have a better immune system!
How effective this immune system is in attacking such foreign organisms is partly decided by the immunity that we acquire through vaccines, mothers’ breast milk, hereditary factors etc! Our lifestyle also plays a HUGE role in the efficacy of this defense system.
1. Sleep for at least 7 - 8 hours a day
Did you know that the first and foremost thing one should do to improve immunity is to sleep well?. Our body cannot effectively create an immune response if it is tired and not given enough rest. It is clinically proven that lack of sleep and excessive stress can cause excess stress hormones in our body. These stress hormones, while are part of the normal immunological response of the body, excess of it are counterproductive.
2. Quit Smoking (if you are a smoker)
This is perhaps the second most important thing to recoup our immunity. Smoking severely impairs immunity – both innate & adaptive immunity. This is especially important as smoking also impairs the lung capacity. Smokers are more susceptible to pneumonia and other complications of covid
3. Get rid of the visceral fat!
Visceral fat is the fat around the internal organs of the body and is proven to alter the immune mechanism of the human body in a negative manner. Remember – Belly fat is seen not just among obese or overweight individuals; even skinny fat is a deterrent to the normal functioning of our immune system. In medical language, ‘visceral fat is like an endocrine system’ that meddles with the normal functioning of various metabolic processes.
4. Exercises
This is a no brainer! Routine Exercises are proven to improve the immunity
5. Anti-Oxidants, Vitamins & other Anti-in- flammatory agents
Nutrition plays an important role, as it is the basic fuel to fire up those tanks, missiles, and war-planes! Antioxidants are naturally occurring molecules in fruits & vegetables that neutralises highly harmful free radicals in the body. They are also anti-inflammatory in nature. These antioxidants positively boost our immune response.
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant. Citrus fruits, potatoes etc are rich in vitamin C. Yet another antioxidant is Vitamin A, also known as carotenoids that are seen in orange colored fruits and vegetables such as carrot, pumpkin, orange etc. Vitamin E also is an antioxidant vitamin seen in green leafy vegetables.
Curcumin seen in turmeric is yet another highly powerful antioxidant. Most of the immunity boosters supplements available in the market and other home remedies such as ginger, turmeric, lemon, garlic etc are nothing but highly powerful antioxidants. While these antioxidants help to reduce the oxidative stress of the body, it is in no way a replacement for proper sleep & exercises.
6. Vaccination
Vaccination is a form of acquired immunity, in which vaccines, which are nothing but microorganisms such as viruses in their weak or dead state, are administered to the body. This, in turn, stimulates the body’s adaptive immunity, thereby preventing the diseases in the future when the person comes in contact with the virus/bacteria.
7. Hygiene
Personal hygiene, and hand hygiene, in par- ticular, are yet another important factors that will keep yourself away from diseases. How- ever, it is also interesting to note that, we im- prove our acquired immunity as we get more exposed to germs. This is perhaps the reason why some countries that are socio-economi- cally backward are sometimes more immune to the flu and the common cold.
A very important point to note!
As discussed, the human immune system is a complex mechanism that involves multiple organs, cells, chemicals, processes etc. While all these points can have a positive impact on the efficiency of our immune system, none of them, in isolation, may help the body to ward off harmful bacteria and viruses. If we take care of all the above points, then our body will be more immune and better capable of handling harmful microorganisms!
Immunity is not a switch that can be turned ON by having some supplements and immune-boosters. Also, immunity does not increase overnight; It is a slow & steady process and the result of a healthy lifestyle that encompasses all the above points.