Our immune system is not a physical part of our body that we can see, but rather it is made up of a few organs, cells, and chemicals that help us fight against infections. The white blood cells and antibodies combat intruding bacteria and viruses in our body, and they keep a record of every battle fought, thus allowing our body to learn how to defeat repeated enemies. That is why health scientists develop vaccines so that we will be immune to life-threatening infections like Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) and tetanus. Anyhow, we must play our part in protecting ourselves against infections and the best way to do so, is to ensure we have a strong immune system. After all, we don’t want to easily fall sick and waste unnecessary time and money on medical treatment when most of it can be prevented.
In boosting our immune system, we need to have a healthy level of white blood cells because they do our fighting internally. These cells are generated by our body and its production is highly dependent on the amount of protein we consume that are rich in zinc. Lean meats, poultry, oysters, beans, wholegrains, seeds, nuts, and eggs are all rich with zinc and helps to produce both white blood cells and T Cells that fight foreign bacteria and viruses. So be sure to include these foods in our diet.
The orange is among the most popular fruits available to us and it not only refreshing, but highly nutritious. Oranges and other citrus fruits like lemons, grapefruits, and limes are packed with vitamin c, which gives us the supplements that our body in unable to generate itself. A vegetable rich in minerals, protein, and vitamins, is the broccoli. Usually stir-fried or steamed, the broccoli similar to the spinach, is also rich in antioxidants when not overcooked. Another immune-boosting vegetable is the garlic. It helps to fight infections with allicin, a compound with high concentrations of edible sulphur. With the list of fruits and vegetables above, we now turn to a drink that works wonders on its own, green tea. Because green tea is not processed the way that black tea is (fermented), it preserves the antioxidants and amino acid L-theanine which increases the production of the T cells.
For general health, it is advisable for us to work out a good sweat regularly. Doing so comes with more than one benefit as exercising alone helps to strengthen our body and heighten its defence against infections, but it also helps to produce hormones such as endorphins that reduce our levels of stress. Our immune system is deeply affected by stress levels because chronic stress makes our body release cortisol which is a hormone that suppresses our immune response by producing lower levels T Cells. Depending on everyone’s health and capability, we should have a workout routine and make the effort to ensure that these effective ways to boost our immune system are not neglected.
Smoking does not only increase the chances of developing cancer, it lowers our immunity and puts us at higher risk of respiratory infections which our body will be less capable of defeating. Another harmful habit is the excess consumption of alcohol which we should moderate if we want to maintain good health as excessive alcohol intake complicates our body system and puts a strain on our organs.
In boosting our immune system, it is crucial for us to rejuvenate our body. We can do so by going outdoors and being close to nature where fresh air is abundant. Among the tress and cascading rivers, Active Oxygen which consists of ozone (O3) and negative ions(O-) is created and circulated all around which not only cleans the air, but also improves our health. Medklinn’s Active Oxygen can be produced indoors using a handy device and it reaches the air and surfaces of our homes killing 99.9% of all bacteria, viruses, germs, mould, allergens, and removes bad smell at the same time. While going back to basics of having a healthy lifestyle and good eating habits, we should also turn to technology to boost our immunity, something that good practices should be complimented with. Medklinn Air+Surface sterilizers are available for purchase and rent. Rental is from as low as RM13 a month.