How to boost the immune system in winter?

With the weather changing every day and more and more people falling prey to air-borne diseases, perhaps the best way to take precautions is to boost your immunity system.

Do you know?

The immune system destroys minimum one cell daily that would have turned into cancer if it lived!

The research says that people who sleep fewer than seven hours a night are nearly three times more likely to get a cold than those who sleep eight or more hours. Although sleep’s relationship with the immune system is well-documented, even minor sleep disturbances can affect the body’s reaction to cold viruses, says Sheldon Cohen, the Robert E. Doherty Professor of Psychology at Carnegie Mellon. It provides another reason why people should make time in their schedules to get a complete night of rest.

Here are some tips that will help you boost your immunity system:

Vitamin C

Vitamin C improves the immune system by raising the level of antibodies, and white cell production. It also supports the respiratory system by eliminating inflammation and improving collagen, which helps our capacity to fight against infections. Natural sources of Vitamin C comprise oranges, grapefruit, sweet red pepper, which has twice the Vitamin C content of oranges.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E guards immune cells by shielding the cell membrane. It also raises the production of lymphocytes, which kills the germ and cancer cells and aids in raising the production of antibodies that removes bacteria. Sources of Vitamin E are avocado, lemon, almonds, sea salt, and dark leafy vegetables, especially spinach. Apart from this, you can also consume mineral supplements to boost your immune system.

Soluble Fiber

University of Illinois research proclaims the benefits of soluble fiber in oats, barley, seeds, citrus fruits, strawberries, carrots, apples, and nuts saying that it reduces the inflammation associated with obesity concerned diseases and improves the immunity system. It helps in recovering from bacterial infections very quickly and acts as a precaution against air-borne and water-borne diseases.

Garlic or Garlic Oil

Crushing or cutting the garlic before eating is beneficial since this increases Allicin content- which contains the sulfur, thus providing a smell and taste to the garlic. It is also an excellent way to protect ears from infections during the chilled weather. Research shows that 146 volunteers were given garlic supplements and 63% had a lower risk of getting a cold. Normally, a dose of 600 to 1,200 mg garlic can be consumed per day.

Probiotics

According to health experts, probiotics are of two types: Lactobacillus, and Bifidobacterium. Most of it can be easily found in dairy products and fragmented foods like curd, certain chocolates and also probiotic milk. They are beneficial to the body in multiple ways such as probiotic products aid in boosting memory, digestion of lactose, and other digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome.

Besides all these tips, exercise is an effective remedy as it helps in fighting bacterial infections of the body. Research states that it may be due to the speedy increase of white blood cells circulating around the body at the time of exercising.

So, with these tips, you can go a long way toward boosting your immunity system and beat the winter blues!