How to improve your immune system?

Maintaining a balanced diet, exercising, and getting enough sleep are just a few of the tools that will help increase the responsiveness of your defenses.

The immune system is the body’s natural defense against germs, viruses, and bacteria because, by recognizing the presence of foreign organisms in the body, it generates a response that fights them and destroys them before they cause any damage.

This response is usually manifested as inflammation caused because the white blood cells that move in the blood are concentrated in the place where the infection is, generating a barrier that prevents the bacteria or virus from continuing to grow; decreasing its capacity until it is eliminated.

The role of the immune system is commonly known as defenses. It has long been known that food plays a very important role because if it is balanced, it has the ability to strengthen its responsiveness. At Formé, we want to share a series of tips that can boost your immune system.

  • A high-fat diet will weaken the immune system’s responsiveness. However, both the amount and origin of these should be considered. Monounsaturated fats such as olive oil, nuts or soybeans are of a natural nature and because of their composition, the intake of these is recommended by nutritionists.
  • Eating Vitamin C-Rich foods protects cells from damage caused by free radicals. It is easily found in fruits and vegetables such as strawberries, melon, citrus fruits, and tomato, among others.
  • In the case of citrus fruits, precaution should be taken not to consume them during skin exposure to the sun, as it could trigger adverse reactions such as spots on the skin.
  • Consuming iron products aids in the production of hemoglobin and myoglobin, proteins present in red blood cells that carry oxygen to the lungs and muscles, among other parts of the body. They can be found in fish, eggs, and red meats.
  • Foods such as bread, rice, pasta, and nuts, among others, provide Vitamin E to the body. In addition to fulfilling antioxidant functions, they help dilate blood vessels to prevent clot formation. It is also used by cells as a channel of interaction in order to develop numerous body functions.
  • Vitamin A is one of the most important for human consumption, as it helps maintain teeth, soft tissues, bone, and mucous membranes, which act as natural barriers against infections. It is present in dairy products, fruits such as melon and mango and vegetables such as carrot and broccoli.
  • Night rest is another tool that drives the function of the immune system. Sleeping between 6 and 8 hours a day will allow macrophages (in charge of recognizing a foreign substance in the body) to efficiently produce cells at night.
  • Exercise is another habit that helps the immune system, especially those that require the movement of many parts of the body at the same time, such as swimming.

Among other recommendations, the moderation of alcohol intake, not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, minimizing stress situations, and washing hands frequently.

These are just a few of the recommendations we should follow throughout our lives, especially in adulthood, as according to a Harvard Medical School study, “people over 65 are among those most likely at risk of death due to the spread of respiratory infections like flu and pneumonia.”

At Formé, our mission is your health! Therefore, in addition to sharing these guidelines, we urge all our patients to practice self-care, especially during these times of crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. We provide Urgent and Primary Care Services which you can access with one of our Medical Memberships. Paying as low as $1 a day will give you access to multiple benefits for your health care.

Call us at 914-723-4900 and receive more information about our services.