How To Naturally Boost Your Immune System
When you stop to think about how hard your immune system works for you, it’s nothing short of amazing. It’s an incredibly complex system that works nonstop to protect and defend you – and it’s a system that depends on good nutrition in order to function properly.
Your immune system is constantly on the alert - protecting you from germs and illness 24-7. In essence, your immune system is your own personal army of ‘soldiers’ that protects your body by identifying anything foreign – from a virus to a bacteria to a parasite – and then seeking it out and destroying it.
And your body does depend on the proper nutrients and a healthy lifestyle to keep your defenses up.
How Nutrition Supports Your Immune System
Your immune system has some ‘special forces’ in the form of white blood cells. These cells produce specialized proteins – called antibodies – that seek out and destroy invading viruses and bacteria. Since antibodies are proteins, you need adequate protein in the diet to ensure you’ll be able to manufacture the antibodies your body needs. Healthy protein foods – like fish, poultry, lean meats, soy foods and low fat dairy products – provide the building blocks that your body needs to make these specialized proteins.
The Importance of Fruits & Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are key players in immune system health because they are great sources of vitamins A and C, as well as phytonutrients. Vitamin C encourages your body to produce antibodies, and Vitamin A supports the health of your skin and tissues of your digestive tract and respiratory system – all of which act as first lines of defense against foreign invaders. And, many of the phytonutrients found in fruits and veggies act as antioxidants, which can help to reduce oxidative stress on the body which may weaken your body’s ability to fight of illness.
The Role of the Digestive System
Keeping your digestive system healthy is also important in supporting immune function. Your digestive tract is home to trillions of bacteria that have numerous functions in promoting health. Some strains of bacteria help you digest the fibre in your foods, others consume intestinal gas, while others produce vitamins, like vitamin K and vitamin B12. When your system is populated with these “good” bacteria, they also serve to ‘crowd out’ the potentially harmful bacteria that might enter your digestive tract. Some of the best sources of these friendly bacteria are cultured dairy products – like yogurt and kefir. As you know, whenever you are trying something new, make sure to check with your doctor or other professional about the amount to take that’s right for you.
Some people suffer medical conditions that affect the operation of their immune systems. Diet alone won’t improve the function of a compromised immune system. But for healthy people, eating well can help keep your immune system healthy and strong. And to help your body in the fight against foreign invaders, your internal ‘army’ needs the best nutrition possible.
Product Suggestions
Herbalife RoseGuard is an anti-oxidant free radical scavenger designed for immune support. Herbal Aloe Concentrate supports the digestive system by cleansing the digestive tract and thereby increasing nutrient absorption. Both products are available on this website.