How To Increase Our Body’s Defenses

At some point, we all look for remedies to increase our body’s defenses. Who has never resorted to the consumption of medications or supplements to fight disease states, decay, weakness, chronic fatigue or infections?

This is such an everyday thing that we don’t realize that it is only a partial solution, and in the long run it is ineffective, as the development of increasingly stronger and stronger resistance of bacteria and fungi to antibiotics has shown. According to studies such as this one carried out by the CESCA team, from the INSALUD Health Center, this has become a public health problem.

It is our immune system that must fight these battles. A good immune system has the capacity and preparedness to fight wars against external pathogens and is capable of curbing almost any infectious disease.

What weakens the immune system?

There are many factors that can cause our immune system to weaken. This research, carried out by the Institute of Hematology and Immunology of La Habana (Cuba) highlights that intense emotional states (such as anxiety or depression) and insufficient sleep can deteriorate various physical functions, such as the combative availability of our defenses.

In addition, other diseases such as cancer, HIV, inflammatory bowel disease and all those that weaken our digestive system or the lack of certain nutrients lead to a “death of defense”.

It also influences the use of certain medical procedures, such as surgery and transplants, which require parallel medication to prevent rejection (which is achieved by weakening certain immune responses).

How does the immune system work?

In a very basic way, we will name the elements that our immune system uses to fight the invasion of external pathogens.

Effective warriors are the cells of the white series (the leukocytes). They divide into two types of lymphocytes: the “polymorphonuclear” (neutrophils, basophils and eosinophils) and the “mononuclear” (T and B lymphocytes and monocytes).

These soldiers, who are our body’s defenses, are very specialized and together provide the immunological coverage. When any one of them fails or is fragile, our vulnerability to any kind of invasion increases, thus occurring infectious diseases or other illnesses such as allergies, arthritis, psoriasis, etc.

Plan to strengthen our body’s defenses

These are some tips to elevate our body’s defenses in a simple and completely natural way.

1. Consume Calories to Respond to Attacks

Our bodies need calories to create antibodies, the soldiers we’ll send to the front invaded by germs. If we are losing weight, we have to gradually consume fruits, vegetables and nuts (preferably nuts). The dietary variety is important, according to this research carried out by the Institute of Sanitary Research of the University Hospital La Paz.

2. Get enough rest

Our bodies need a rest period to recover. One indicator that we are poorly able to ward off attacks of illness is when we feel sleepy at times when most of the people around us are in full swing.

We need to reconsider taking stimulants in order to have a real “thermometer” of our need for rest. If caffeine consumption is excessive, it is likely  affecting our sleep patterns  and sabotaging our immune system.

As long as there is moderation, normal coffee consumption brings more benefits than risks, as stated in this research.

3. Immune cells need to have “fuel” to work

When our body eats protein, it gets glutamine for fuel. If we don’t consume enough amounts of protein, our body ends up “stealing” them from skeletal muscle, especially if we are doing physical work or playing sports. That way, we lose muscle mass, not fat.

Furthermore, for our immune cells the amino acid glutamine is like maximum octane gasoline, it is very potent, but it is consumed very quickly. To correct this deficiency, after having made physical effort, it is good to consume between 5 and 10 grams of glutamine. Your white blood cells and your muscles will thank you.

4. Can our body repair itself well after exercise?

One of the functions of our immune system is to help clean up waste cells. Exercise is healthy in its measure, but working muscles release waste that needs to be excreted. The immune system starts to work and, to help it, what we consume after a physical effort is essential.

According to studies in the Journal of Applied Physiology , post-exercise nutrition prevented illness among sailors recruited from the training camp. There are a number of data that we need to look at to know if we get enough rest or consume enough calories after exercise or not, and if we have low defenses:

• We are essentially tired most of the time, but it costs us a lot to sleep at night.
• Our whole body aches.
• We feel weaker and weaker at the gym.
• Cramps, muscle strains, etc. often appear.

If any of the above occurs to us, we need to reduce the frequency and duration of our physical effort a little.

5. Have a healthy stomach

A chronically inflamed stomach can play a role in problems ranging from heart disease (according to this report) to autoimmune disorders. If you have the burning sensation in your stomach frequently, it may be that we are too used to spicy things or, more likely, that we have an infection.

In this case we need to see the doctor and ask if we can have yogurt daily, or better, probiotics to have healthy bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract (mainly L. acidophilus ).

6. Keep all possible regions of pathogen attack under surveillance

We need to try to make the access points to our body (mouth, eyes, nose and ears, mainly) difficult for germs to invade. For this, we cannot put our fingers in our mouths, ears, etc.

We should also check our skin for eczema and scabs that can cause recurrent Staphylococcus aureus infections. We should never shake hands with someone with a cold, and if we do, we should immediately wash them with soap, focusing mainly on the nails, which by the way, we should always keep short.

7. Keep the immune system well hydrated

Our “soldiers” need to have good water reserves to work effectively. Hydration becomes even more important when we are sick.

Fluids carry nutrients to the site of illness and carry toxins to waste areas. If we notice a dark yellow color in the first urine of the day, then we need more water. The ideal is to drink at least one liter of water on an empty stomach and another two throughout the day.

However, it is essential to keep in mind that water requirements can vary depending on body weight, age and health status. Therefore, if you are overweight or have a special health problem, consult your doctor to find out how much water to drink.

Also, avoid drinking too much fluid as it can also be harmful. Try to distribute the total liquid over several servings a day.

Natural Remedies to Strengthen Our Body’s Defenses

There is a wide variety of shakes and infusions to increase our body’s defenses. Also, we recommend avoiding foods with refined fats and sugars, drinking 10 to 12 glasses of water a day, doing 30 minutes of exercise a day, and relaxation and deep breathing exercises.

Also, there are many foods that can help strengthen our defenses. We can highlight the following:

• Honey from bees. It is a natural antibiotic, according to this research carried out by the University of La Frontera in Temuco, Chile.
• Ginseng. According to this study, ginseng acts as a regulator of all cells of the immune system.

• Green tea. The infusion of green tea can help in the production of immune cells thanks to its high content of antioxidants.
• Carrot and orange juice. Beat carrots and mix with orange juice. Tamar daily for breakfast is very beneficial thanks to the antioxidant properties of lycopene. In turn, citric acid is antimicrobial, as stated in this report from the University of Benin.
• Garlic, orange, and broccoli. Mix the juice of an orange with a 2 garlic clove vitamin (antimicrobial) and broccoli. Drink a glass a day for a week and rest for a month.
• Tangerine, ginger, lemon and honey. Mix juice of 2 tangerines, 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger and 1 teaspoon honey with a little water. Take at least three times a week.
• Echinacea. Boil 1/2 tablespoon of powdered echinacea in a cup of water for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand. Drink 1 cup every other day for 6 weeks.

Before deciding to use supplements to strengthen our body’s defenses, it is important to monitor and take care of your diet. Diet is essential for having a strong immune system that protects us from viruses and bacteria.