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Wednesday 25 May 2016

9 Tips to Speed Up Your Immune Response

The body’s immune response finds and defends against foreign and harmful invaders, such as viruses, bacteria, toxins, and other substances. The immune system recognizes the body’s normal cell activity while destroying outside substances.

Researchers continue to explore how to speed up the immune response through factors such as diet, stress-free activities, and exercise. Healthy living strategies are good way to maintain a strong immune system, according to Harvard Medical School

A healthy lifestyle involves the foods you eat and your daily practices to keep your immune system in the best of shape. These nine tips can help boost your immune response:

1. Washing your hands frequently, especially during cold and flu season, helps to avoid infection and the spread of viruses.

2. Cooking meats thoroughly also helps prevent infections from food.

3. Maintaining a healthy weight helps keep the immune response functioning properly. Exercising regularly is part of weight management.

4. Alcohol and smoking may interfere with the immune system. Harvard Medical School recommends drinking alcohol only in moderation and avoiding smoking. 


5. Vitamins from foods play a huge role in strengthening the immune system, writes registered dietitian Kristin Kirkpatrick for the Cleveland Clinic. Strawberries, papaya, and leafy green vegetables have plenty of vitamin C. Almonds, peanuts, and hazelnuts contain valuable vitamin E. Bananas, lean chicken breast, and cold-water fish have vitamin B-6. Kirkpatrick recommends cantaloupe, squash, sweet potatoes, and carrots for vitamin A.

6. Minerals also play a part in boosting the immune response. Zinc can be found in lean meats, poultry, oysters, and baked beans. Broccoli, garlic, sardines, and tuna have powerful selenium. Iron helps the immune system through lean poultry and seafood.

7. Getting enough sleep aids in avoiding colds and other infections, WebMD notes. Not getting enough sleep could lead to more inflammation in the body and increased levels of stress hormones.

8. Stress could make a person more susceptible to colds and other illnesses. Although it is sometimes difficult to deal with stress, people can slow down their activities or engage in such relaxation methods as meditating.

9. Social networking and having healthy relationships may also help boost the body's immune response. Research suggests having more friends may help strengthen the immune system, according to WebMD.
 

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