Those with weak immunity are of course more prone to getting sick, however, there are ways to improve your immunity to lessen your chances of getting ill.
8 ways to improve immunity
1. Get enough sleep
Since sleep can restore your body’s vigor and make you feel energetic when waking up, you should ensure you get sufficient rest. Healthy adults generally need 7-8 hours of sleep each night, and older adults should not get less than 6 hours. Sleep is as important for good health as diet and exercise. Good sleep improves your brain performance, mood, and health.
2. Eat more garlic
University of Maryland Medical Center studies show that eating garlic can improve immunity and prevent cardiovascular disease, but patients with gastrointestinal disorders should eat less of it.
3. Chicken vegetable soup
A University of Nebraska Medical Center study indicates that chicken soup with vegetables has specific anti-inflammatory effects and has therapeutic effects on partly eliminating inflammation caused by colds.
4. Drink honey, ginger, and lemon water
Studies show that the antioxidants contained in honey are boosters for improving immunity. Ginger, a natural analgesic and detoxifier, has a particular effect on fighting infections. Lemon, a great source of vitamin C, also has antioxidant properties. Foods rich in antioxidants and vitamin C can protect the body from the damage of free radicals and hazardous molecules, promoting the immune system’s effectiveness.
5. Enjoy afternoon tea
In the afternoon, the human body’s energy begins to decline. At this time, drinking tea or coffee and eating snacks can replenish your energy and reduce fatigue, keeping your immune system healthy through self-regulation.
6. Exercise consistently
According to a United States National Library of Medicine report, exercise can help “clean out” bacteria from the lungs and raise the ability to inhibit diseases. Exercising five days a week for 30-60 minutes per session is sufficient.
7. Get more sun
Maintaining high levels of vitamin D in the body can better prevent problems such as sore throats, common colds, and nasal congestion. Being outside in the morning or late afternoon is ideal. The lower-intensity UV radiation will help you avoid harming your skin. Do not spend more than half an hour in the sun.
8. Keep smiling
Laughter can increase the levels of the antibodies and immune cells in the blood and saliva and relieve fatigue making laughter an excellent medicine to boost immunity. We need to have more positive thoughts, divert attention, and reduce stress by exercising, reading, and chatting with friends.
7 factors that inhibit immunity
There are also factors that weaken our immunity to disease. People who fall into these categories have the weakest immunity.
1. A small social circle
Studies confirm that a person with fewer friends is more likely to get sick and have a shorter lifespan, while one with more than six friends has four times the immunity from influenza.
2. Long-term sleep deprivation
A lack of sleep, especially on a regular basis, is associated with long-term health consequences including chronic medical conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. These conditions lead to a shorter life expectancy. Researchers at the University of Chicago found a decrease in the effectiveness of the influenza vaccination in young healthy individuals who were immunized after 4 days of having their sleep restricted to four hours a night for the purpose of the study.
3. Pessimism
Studies show that when people treat their misfortunes positively, their number of white blood cells will increase, thus significantly improving their physical body.
4. Bottling things up
Studies note those couples who love to discuss their goings-on together have lower blood pressure and heart rate and a higher number of white immune cells than those who keep their emotions bottled up.
5. Experiencing stress
People are most likely to get sick within a year after the death of a spouse, and a stressful daily work regimen also severely damages immunity.
6. Secondhand smoke
Statistics demonstrate that approximately 3,000 non-smokers die of lung cancer yearly in the United States, and 300,000 children suffer from respiratory infections. Second-hand smoke impacts health seriously.
7. Over-reliance on antibiotics
Studies find that taking antibiotics at the first sign of cold symptoms will make the virus resistant leading to more severe infections later on.
Translated by Joseph Wu
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