Your immune system is important. It’s what protects you from all those nasty infections and diseases that might otherwise make you seriously ill or worse! Because of this, boosting your immune system is a very important and useful thing to do in order to improve your health. Vitamins play a vital role in doing this, so be sure to read on to find out exactly which vitamins are going to be the most useful in boosting your immune system, and thus reducing your chances of being seriously ill!
The Best Vitamins for Your Immune System
Vitamin C
Vitamin C plays an important role in boosting your immune system, and has been long known to help in such a role. Vitamin C aids in the production of white blood cells, the cells that help to fight off and kill nasty bacteria etc that might otherwise cause disease. It also helps with releasing Interferon, the protein that is released in the presence of harmful pathogens, and activates the immune cells to fight off the bacteria etc.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is also equally important in strengthening the immune system, and is promotes the production of B cells, a type of lymphocyte that produces antibodies designed to fight off infections and disease.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is another vitamin that is incredibly vital when it comes to your health. Vitamin A is important in the role of the creation of the mucosal barrier in the intestines that are designed to keep infections out of your body. Interestingly, it also helps to regulate your immune system because of its support in the production of white blood cells.
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is vital in the production of haemoglobin, the vital component of red blood cells that carries oxygen around your body. Vitamin B6 is also used for cell growth and the metabolising of proteins.
Immune System Supplements
You can find most of these vitamins in supplements that can be found in most supermarkets, and also obviously in health stores, which specialise in health foods and also vitamin and mineral supplements.
Now, the reason such supplements are around is because a lot of the time, many of us as consumers simply do not have the time to sit down, and consume whole healthy meals in order to get our daily vitamin intake. So, because of this lack of time in this ever-increasingly fast world, we have invented supplements. Designed to be taken in between meals in order to get the extra vitamins etc, they are a handy and effective way of getting vitamins into your body without consuming extra food. These supplements come in a variety of forms, and can be taken as powders, capsules or pills, which can be very handy if you struggle to swallow pills, or find powders too dry!
Other Ways to Boost Your Immune System
Aside from taking vitamin supplements etc to help to boost your immune system, there are also a number of things that you can do to aid in improving the effectiveness of your immune system, listed below:
- Eat/Drink Lemons
Lemon juice helps to keep the Ph balance in your body, as if the body gets too acidic, it becomes a very habitable place for all those nasty diseases and bacteria just waiting to bring you down and make you ill. You can mix lemon juice with herbal teas, and all sorts if you struggle to get it down, due to its sour taste.
- Herbal Tea
Herbal teas and other herbal products boost the immune system significantly, and are especially effective during the colder winter months. They come in a variety of different flavours, so there’s little chance of you not being able to find something you don’t like. As previously mentioned, if you like you can mix lemon juice with herbal tea; double shot of immune system goodness!
- Get plenty of sleep
Lack of sleep is one of the biggest causes of illness, and simply getting 8-10 hours of good sleep each night means your body has time for all the reparations, growth and immune boosting it needs. Make sure to give your body the sufficient time it needs to get itself sorted out!
- Drink plenty of water
Again, a big cause of disease and illness. Your body is made up around 70% of water, so it’s pretty obvious that you need to keep feeding your body plenty of water to make sure your body is running at the optimum levels. It has been found that even a 1% decrease in fluidity levels in the body can lead to loss of mental power, among other things including tiredness.
Eat fresh fruit and vegetables
Another biggie. Getting the right fuel into your body can mean the difference between your body running well, or it breaking down. I speak now as if I’m talking about a car, but in this way, they are extremely similar. You wouldn’t pour crappy oil into your car, because you know that it’s only going to end up with your car getting clogged up, and break down soon after. It’s the same with your body – put in quality fuel, and you’ll get great performance out of it.
- Finally, get plenty of protein
Protein is the substance that is used for growth and repair, which makes it obvious that it is a necessary requirement in your body. If you don’t have protein for growth and repair, how can you body possibly make sure it’s at the top of its game? Put simply, it can’t. Make sure you eat plenty of meat (preferably chicken) and eggs. If you’re a vegetarian, or simply don’t like eggs or meat, then look into nuts, as they’re extremely high in protein, and are known to contain more protein than meat!
So there you have it; the vitamins that are going to get your immune system working hard and keeping those nasty colds away, and some other tips to ensure your body stays high and mighty! Make sure to consult your doctor or GP before changing anything significant, such as diet, as it may have harmful effects if not considered carefully.
