The best way to boost your immune system

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The best way to boost your immune system

Thursday, 29 October 2009 05:33

(Hint: It doesn"t come in a package).

To many people, shoring up the body"s shield is a logical way to get through the cold and flu season, especially with the H1N1 virus lurking. But despite what marketers promise, there"s little evidence that herbal cocktails, vitamins, minerals and even specific foods have a beneficial effect on the immune system.

"It"s really impossible to boost your immune system instantly by taking a pill," said Dr. Renee Scola, a primary care doctor at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. "What keeps it healthy are the common-sense things you do on a daily basis: Eating a well-balanced diet, sleeping, exercising and de-stressing yourself."

To enhance immunity, the thinking often goes, you simply need to get more immune cells circulating throughout the body. The herb echinacea, for example, has been shown to increase the function of white blood cells called macrophages, which can destroy invading germs.

The problem with that is scientists don"t know what level of immune system cells best helps the body resist disease. There is a wide variety of immune cells and it"s not known how they interact. The immune system, experts say, is a complex system that doesn"t need to be enhanced in healthy people.

"The immune system is made up of scouts -- or white blood cells -- that look for invaders or anyone who might harm the host," said family physician David Rakel, director of integrative medicine at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. "If the scouts find something, they blow the whistle and recruit a number of other cells ... to immobilize and destroy the invading organism."

When the immune system recognizes an enemy, it produces antibodies to help neutralize and expel the unwelcome visitor from the body.

There is good evidence that physical and emotional stress, a lack of sleep and a poor diet all can weaken the body"s protective shield.

Nieman"s research, for example, has found that marathon runners are six times more likely to get sick in the week following a 26.2-mile race than during training because the immune cells throughout the body "go through transient dysfunction after heavy exertion that lasts longer than 75 to 90 minutes," he said.

"The body recognizes it as stress," Nieman said, "and there"s a downturn in the body"s ability to protect the athlete from sickness."

In moderation, however, regular activity and exercising 30 to 60 minutes a day can have an astonishingly protective effect, he said. Exercisers can expect to reduce sick days by a third to a half; when they do get sick, the symptoms are less severe.

Sleep is thought to be another important factor related to immunity. In one study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers gave study participants nasal drops containing a cold virus. Those who slept less than seven hours a night were three times more likely to get sick than those who slept eight hours a night.

At this point, researchers say, the best way to maintain a strong immune system is to keep your entire body healthy by incorporating the usual healthy living strategies: getting more sleep, reducing stress and eating a balanced diet.

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