How to naturally boost your immune system?

Strengthening your immune system means taking action on your lifestyle (changing your diet, preserving your sleep, practicing physical activity, etc.). You can also use some natural products. Vitamins, trace elements, essential oils: Santé Magazine takes stock of how to get immunized and prepare for the onset of cold, winter and the diseases that go with it.

The singularity of winter

Start by improving your lifestyle

Vitamins, allies of immunity

Selenium and zinc, two essential trace elements

Favor essential oils that are antiviral and immunostimulating

Immunity refers to the body's ability to defend itself against substances that threaten its proper functioning or survival . These threats can be microbes such as viruses, bacteria, fungi or parasites , cells that have become cancerous, or a foreign body such as a splinter for example.

“Immunity is a complex machine,” smiles Jean-Luc Teillaud, immunologist. It involves several types of white blood cells , which interact with each other and are able to react very quickly in the event of external aggression, ”explains the specialist.

In fact, it has been shown that the environment and the hygiene of life influence the quality of the immune response.

The singularity of winter

In this context, the cold seasons which coincide with a stronger circulation of viruses are generally unwelcome by the body. “In terms of food, the unconscious need to build up reserves through a more fatty diet can lead to intestinal inflammation ,” explains Dr. Teulières, general practitioner and immunologist. If immunity is at half mast as winter approaches, it is not without reason. In some people, the production of serotonin decreases between fall and winter, and causes the onset of depressive syndrome, fatigue and stress.. However, this hormone is secreted not only by neurons, but also by cells of the immune system, and more than 95% of serotonin is not produced by the brain but by the intestine. It is not uncommon to have sugar cravings , especially at the end of the day and in the evening, when the days are getting shorter and the light is reduced. This is completely normal: the body tries to compensate for the decrease in serotonin in the brain. So boosting your serotonin production is fighting stress, and therefore boosting your immune system!

Start by improving your lifestyle

"The entry into the winter period represents a considerable adaptation effort for the body ", analyzes Dr Teulières.

Dr Teulières' advice: do not suddenly change your diet, favor seasonal products, and do not enrich your diet with sugar or fat under the pretext that a winter depression is making itself felt. And ideally: you really have to ease off alcoholic drinks and sugary sodas, which can deregulate the immune system.

To boost the production of serotonin, and therefore the functioning of cells: immune, neuronal and intestinal, be sure to favor slowly digested carbohydrates from bread, pasta, cereals, rice rather than consuming rapidly digesting carbohydrates from sweets, cookies, pastries.

Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night, and during the day, let as much sunlight as possible inside your home, or your workplace if you can. A tip from our Scandinavian neighbors: place a few mirrors in strategic places to reflect the daylight towards the interior of the place where you are for online diet consultation

Regular physical activity, such as walking for 30 minutes a day, improves blood circulation, helps increase cell immunity and reduces the risk of respiratory infection by 40%. Conversely, overtraining would have a rather negative impact: after a session of too intense sport, we observe a drop in the level of lymphocytes, which implies less potential antibodies in the event of aggression. It's up to you to find the right balance, without forcing.

Vitamins, allies of immunity

Vitamin A : It stimulates the proliferation of white blood cells, and the production of antibodies by lymphocytes. It is also essential for the barrier function of the intestinal mucosa. The right dose: 600 to 800 micrograms per day. For a contribution, think of carrots, pumpkin or spinach. Be careful, for pregnant women, supplements containing vitamin A (retinol) and in particular fish liver oil, can be harmful and cause birth defects if the recommended dose is significantly exceeded.

Vitamin C : It is a powerful antioxidant that protects white blood cells and increases their mobility. It stimulates the production of cytokines, the messengers that activate the immune response. It is found in fruits and vegetables. The recommended daily dose is 110 mg per day.

Vitamin E : refers to a group of molecules called alpha-tocopherols. These are naturally present in the diet, such as in sunflower seeds or vegetable oils. Studies have shown that vitamin E compensates for the loss of immune response due to aging by stimulating the production of white blood cells and its benefit in fighting respiratory infections.

Vitamin D : is known to activate white blood cells (T lymphocytes) needed to make antibodies and destroy germs. It is found especially in fatty fish (cod liver and its oil, smoked herring, mackerel ...). Two forms are the most common, D2, of plant origin, and D3, of animal origin. No difference in effectiveness between the two, but a recommended minimum intake of 5 micrograms per day potentiated by daily exposure to daylight, the production of vitamin D being mainly induced by UV rays.

Selenium and zinc, two essential trace elements

Selenium , found in Emmental, cooked ham or button mushrooms. At a rate of 50 micrograms per day, it intervenes at the immune level by keeping a pool of white blood cells alert.

Zinc , (seafood, poultry, cheese ...) at a rate of 10 to 15 mg per day, protects cell membranes from infections by microbial agents.All these assets, in quarterly cure, will restore your annual stocks to a winter in all serenity.

Favor essential oils that are antiviral and immunostimulating

The essential oils of ravintsara , “leaf good for everything” in Malagasy, tea tree, thyme with savory leaves or thujanol and eucalyptus radiate are excellent antivirals and immunostimulants.