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What can lower Immunity?

4.5 Some of the factors that can lower your immunity are: –
(i) Unhealthy Diet – A diet consisting largely of junk food, refined, fried and processed foods, low in minerals and vitamins, soft/fizzy drinks laden with chemical additives, refined oils, excessive salt and sugar can weaken the immune system. For example, one teaspoon of white sugar can stop natural killer cells (T-cells) working for upto six hours.
(ii) Chronic Stress – Prolonged grinding stress can lead to a constant wearing down of your immune system by your body’s own steroid hormones. Researchers now know that the central nervous system can communicate with the immune system and that the immune system produces chemicals that can reply to the nervous system. They have found that stressful events can actually suppress the immune system, causing the person under stress to be more susceptible to illness.
(iii) Limited Exposure to Natural Surroundings – Being overprotective and seriously limiting one’s exposure to natural surroundings leads to underdevelopment of immune cells. Similarly being over-hygienic can have a similar effect.
(iv) Lack of Quality Sleep – Lack of good quality sleep can disturb the chemicals that are produced by the immune system to combat infection.
(v) Constipation – Lack of fibre in the diet and not drinking enough water is a common cause of constipation, causing a buildup of toxins leading to impaired immunity.

How to improve Immune System?

4.6 Everyone’s immune system is different. Some people never seem to get infections, whereas others seem to be sick all the time. From genes to basic body metabolism, to lifestyle, to stress and most importantly to diet – all these have a cumulative effect on developing or debilitating the immune system as the case may be. But at the end of the day, it is the basics that matter. A good nourishing plant-based balanced diet, healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, stress management and adequate relaxation and sleep are essential requisites for a fighting-fit immune system as well as a healthy disease-free body.

(i) Diet – The importance of nutrition for boosting immunity cannot be overstressed. A healthy body requires a number of nutrients in balance such as proteins, carbohydrates, essential fats (Omega-3), vitamins and minerals. Foods rich in antioxidant vitamins A, C and E contain minerals like selenium and zinc, essential fats and probiotics greatly help improve the immunity. Other important nutrients that help improve response include vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, iron, folic acid, magnesium and copper. A diet consisting of a variety of foods, adequate calories, rich in wholegrains, whole pulses, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, low-fat dairy and oily fish and low in refined and processed foods, sugar, salt, alcohol and bad fats along with a healthy lifestyle is the key to good immune function. Walnuts, almonds, peanuts, mushrooms, basil, garlic, turmeric and Indian gooseberry (amla) have a significant role in building the body’s immunity. One of the best ways of enhancing killer T-cells activity is to drink green tea.