WHAT TO DO TO HELP IMMUNE DEFENSES

What to do to support the immune system? This aspect is very important because the immune system is a dynamic organ that takes care of keeping us healthy, it protects us not only from attacks by external biological agents but also from ourselves. 

In this article we will see how to start managing our nutrition and supplementation to build a strong immune system, ready to safeguard us from the seasonal change as soon as autumn peeps on our doorstep. 

What are the functions of the immune system
What to eat to fortify the immune system?
What supplements to take for the immune system?

WHAT ARE THE FUNCTIONS OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

The immune system is a very important organ for our health, so it must be managed in the best possible way as it is also able to turn against our body if abused and teased too much.

The immune system basically serves to protect itself from the attacks of viruses, bacteria and fungi which through the mucous membranes of the body, the skin and the intestine can enter our organism and create sometimes serious diseases. It is very important because it also defends us from bad diseases such as tumors. Think that in our body every day abnormal cells are always formed but they are recognized by the immune system and immediately eliminated. An important aspect that can affect our immune defenses is stress ( article link how to protect yourself from stress) and chronic fatigue. Continued inflammation of the tissues could alter the immune system and go into battle with ourselves by attacking different organs. This can give rise to autoimmune diseases which are usually based on stress and inflammation carried on for too long.

It is therefore clear how important it is to dedicate energy also to this dynamic organ, trying to adopt a correct lifestyle that always keeps it at maximum efficiency. 

WHAT TO EAT TO STRENGTHEN IMMUNE DEFENSES?

As we have seen, the immune system is dynamic, composed of many specialized cells that run throughout our body to monitor if there are inflammatory states to be eliminated and treated. To do this you can well imagine that it needs a lot of energy. It must be dosed with the correct nutrition and knowing well how the cells of the immune system behave during the day.

First of all, it is important to know that during the day the immune system is busy doing a monitoring process, while during the night it is activated to carry out its primary functions of protection and fight against infections. In fact, during the night it begins to produce its weapons, called cytokines, which allow the fight against viruses and bacteria. It goes without saying that sleep is a key factor in keeping the immune system functioning. Choosing the right foods for dinner allows us not only to facilitate sleep, but also to provide the necessary energy for the immune system. Usually a dinner of cooked vegetables and legumes can be an adequate choice. Vegetables are also rich in vitamins which are necessary to activate the energy systems for the breakdown of cells of the immune system. Another useful food is fish , with its easy-to-digest protein content it can provide the building blocks of immunoglobulins, the weapons that capture strangers in our body during an infection. On the contrary, an evening diet rich in undercooked meats, fried foods, alcohol and simple sugars does nothing but strain the liver which will be forced to take most of the energy available to eliminate toxins. The immune system at this point will find itself without the precious nutrients and will not be able to carry out its defensive functions. 

WHICH SUPPLEMENTS TO TAKE FOR IMMUNE DEFENSES?

As we have seen, the immune system is a fast organ that needs reactivity and stability, to do this not only the right nutrients must be present at the right time, but also the correct vitamins. Having the right vitamin intake will speed up immune reactions and thus make it easier to fight against the temporary invader. Vitamins of group B  are the most important because they facilitate the energy system of sugars, these are consumed in large quantities by the cells of the active immune system  during an infection. Furthermore, magnesium and zinc are also essential cofactors of important enzymes that accelerate metabolism. Finally, the Omega 3 fats which have a fundamental therapeutic activity since first of all they make the blood more fluid and therefore the transport of the cells of the immune system is facilitated, and also fight chronic low-grade inflammation thus allowing the immune system to concentrate mostly on infections that come from outside. 

It is therefore necessary to prepare for the autumn season through a strengthening of the immune defenses, let's recap how:

• using a diet that is not rich in red meats and inflammatory foods such as: cheeses, fried foods and alcohol that is toxic to the liver;
• for a few weeks we prefer vegetable foods such as: legumes, eggs and fish;
• we supplement with vitamins and minerals.

These small steps will help the immune system prepare for the fall season.