WE ALL KNOW healthy lifestyle habits contribute to keeping our immune systems strong, and, as Super-As, we all do what we can to actively support it. However, even the most conscientious of us are capable of unwittingly compromising our immune system, no matter how many oranges we’ve got piled up in the fruit bowl.
Here are six ways you might be harming yours:
- Too many late nights
Sleep might not come as quickly during anxious times like right now. The hashtag #cantsleep has recently been trending, as people share their frustrations with their off-kilter sleeping patterns.
Getting enough sleep not only feels great, but it’s also an essential function for the body. As well as helping to maintain a healthy brain function, physical health, executive function, and emotional wellbeing, it promotes a healthy immune system. It’s all down to cytokines – a type of protein that is made and released during sleep. Cytokines target infection and inflammation in the body and create an immune response. So without sufficient sleep, our body produces fewer of these essential proteins, resulting in weaker immunity.
- Not getting enough vitamin D
Besides strong bones and healthy blood cells, vitamin D is essential for keeping your immune system in good nick.
We can only make vitamin D in our skin on exposure to sunlight when the UV index is more significant than three. As a result, vitamin D deficiency is increasingly likely during autumn and winter in the UK, as there isn’t enough sun for us to produce enough of it. Many people will still fail to make enough vitamin D. Lockdown means many of us are spending more time indoors than usual, too, so our vitamin D levels are likely to be even lower.
Vitamin D helps to activate macrophages – our hunter-killer immune cells that engulf and destroy viruses and bacteria and stimulate the production of antibiotic-like proteins (defensins) within the lining of the respiratory tract. Our immune cells, including B and T lymphocytes, all carry specific vitamin D receptors that help to regulate their activity.
- Not looking after your gut bacteria
As well as promoting digestion, ‘friendly,’ lactic acid-producing bacteria in the lower part of the gut can help stimulate our resistance to infection – including viruses that may cause upper respiratory tract infections.
Research involving 3720 adults and children concluded that, compared with a placebo, taking a probiotic supplement can reduce the chance of experiencing at least one to three acute upper respiratory tract infections by 47%. It also shortened the length of cold, reduced antibiotic prescription rates, and meant children took less time off school.
Gut-boosting supplements are not all created equal, though. Plus, it’s important to remember that your actual diet – the food you eat – is the most crucial factor, and a varied, balanced diet with plenty of fibre is essential for promoting healthy gut bacteria.
If you want to consider a supplement, too, look for those that provide a known quantity of digestive bacteria, such as 10 billion to 50 billion colony forming units (CFU) per dose, and provide at least three different strains for optimum benefit.
- Not exercising enough
Regular movement is a vital component of a healthy lifestyle. The NHS recommends everyone do a minimum of 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week. Being fit and regularly physically active supports our health overall – including immune function.
Exercise can help promote sleep and reduce the stress hormone cortisol, which can impair cells’ functioning that fight infection. It also improves metabolic health, has an anti-inflammatory influence on the body, and helps delay the onset of ageing.
- Drinking too much
When you’re feeling tired or anxious, it can be tempting to crack open a bottle of wine to soothe your worries. Unfortunately, alcohol can weaken the immune system and make the body more susceptible to infections.
Drinking in excess impairs [the] ciliary function of the lungs, which keeps the airways clear of dirt and irritation. It also reduces the immune system’s response to harmful bacteria, increasing the risk of infection.
- Loneliness
Studies have also found that lonely or isolated people may have less healthy immune function than those who feel more socially connected.
There might be several factors associated with exactly how loneliness and isolation impact our health. However, the increased anxiety associated with loneliness can be detrimental to the immune system. This is why it’s essential to keep socially active, even during the lockdown.
Last Word
Even if you feel you are doing everything in your Super-A power to stay healthy, just focussing on the basics again may well lead you to tweak your routine and find a way to give your immune system that extra boost.
