14 Easy Immune Boosters

Want to toughen up your defenses against diseases? It can be this simple. Try out;

• Call a friend:
Chatting with a pal may trigger positive emotions. Laughing and confiding reduce the body’s levels of cortisol, a hormone known to suppress the immune systemdefine.

• Cook some liver:
Liver brims with immune-boosting selenium, zinc, magnesium, iron, copper, folic acid, and vitamin B6 and B12.

• Relax with a crossword puzzle:
Stimulating brain parts that handle memory, judgment and abstract thought elevates the levels of T cells (the white blood cells (WBCs) that hunt down the virus and bacteria attacks).

• Make love:
Individuals having sex once or twice a week have a higher level of immunoglobulin-A, a virus-fighting antibody developed and secreted by B cells.

• Get adequate sleep:
Special immune-boosting functions come into play when one sleeps. If one doesn’t get a seven to eight hours daily, the chances of getting sick increase.

• Balance your belly:
Stress, alcohol and a poor diet can alter intestinal bacteria and weaken the bug-fighting ability. Probiotic – or ‘good’ bacteria (particularly found in curd) puts this imbalance right.

• Check your iron:
Women of childbearing age are more likely to be deficient in this immune-building mineral than any one else. But, be sure not to get more than 45 milligrams of iron a day (either from food or supplements), as excess iron can be toxic.

• Choose water, not soft drink:
Chugging water keeps germ-trapping mucous membranes moist and effective. It also makes one feel more energetic overall.

• Munch on wheat bran:
Cereals and baked foods contain immune-strengthening magnesium, selenium and zinc. Also, a daily intake of wheat bran lowers the levels of estradiol, a female sex hormone linked to hormone-dependent cancers.

• Prefer red wine to of alcohol:
Although alcohol is known to stifle the immune system, red wine offers heart-healthy and potentially immune-enhancing antioxidantsdefine.

• Swing your hips:
Dancing for 45 minutes a day, five days a week, rouses the immune system and slashes the risk of illness by almost half. Music also heightens immune function because listening raises the immunoglobin-A levels.

• Seek the shade:
The sun’s UVA and UVB rays reduce immunity by depleting T cells and immune-activating skin cells. Wear sunscreen and use an umbrella.

• Get a massage:
Massage prevents gridlock in lymph vessels, the immune circulatory system.

• Update your work skills:
Feeling unqualified or blaming oneself for career failures may weaken immune function. Revamping the skills and being realistic about what one can control increases job satisfaction and reduces stress.