Help yourself strengthen your immune system
Supplements, wonder treatments, immune-boosting vaccines and even exercise can help the immune system do its job.
There is a crowd in you. There are billions of defenders within you, ready to protect your health from threats arising outside and inside your body. This is your immune system, and it contains a complex combination of cells and proteins that are able to recognize and destroy cold-causing viruses, infectious bacteria, and even distorted versions of your own cells that are on their way to becoming cancerous.
But sometimes, when faced with the flu, allergies, an autoimmune disease like multiple sclerosis, or a life-threatening tumor, your immune system can use a little help.
It could benefit from a boost, a push, some extra resources to keep you healthy. Supplements, wonder treatments, immune-boosting vaccines, and even exercise can help the immune system do its job. The big question is which one works best? Tons of supplements and vitamins that promise to aid the immune line line drugstores and supermarket aisles, and friends and family all have their favorite teas and creams that they swear will help. The options can be confusing.
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This is where science comes in. For this special edition’s stories, we looked for immunity boosters backed by randomized controlled trials – the best way to compare treatments to see which one is most effective. We also looked for studies involving larger groups of people. And we interviewed experts in immunology and specific diseases.
Omega-3 fatty acids are appreciated for the way they reduce harmful inflammation. Curcumin, the yellow component of turmeric, does the same. Learn more about these supplements. Regular use of the former may reduce the risk of heart attacks, and the latter may reduce osteoarthritis symptoms. In contrast, vitamin D is not a cure-all, as it was once said. It turns out that most people make enough vitamins on their own because our skin uses the energy of sunlight to make vitamins. Additionally, it is also found in fortified milk and fish like salmon.
But vitamin D appears to reduce the chance of developing certain autoimmune diseases like lupus and psoriasis. And sunlight itself may be a good remedy for autoimmune disease, balancing your immune response to reduce symptoms of multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes, as our story shows.
Are you full from a cold or allergies? This is usually caused by tissue inflammation caused by your immune response. Your best course may be the over-the-counter decongestant pseudoephedrine. And nasal saline sprays work really well. For food allergies, read about new medications and treatment protocols for the immune system that have dramatically helped children with life-threatening reactions to peanuts. An approach called hyposensitization may provide relief from pet allergies.
To treat diseases like cancer, doctors use precise targeting of immune system antibodies to direct chemotherapy directly to cancer cells, as we describe here. But medicines are not the only treatment. Regular exercise, such as brisk walking several hours a week, leads to longer survival for some cancer patients and more immune cells attacking their tumors.
Puzzles about immunity persist, such as why stimulating a key nerve called the vagus increases the protective effect and why women get more autoimmune diseases than men. But scientists are trying to turn the information gathered while investigating these mysteries into treatments. Therefore, your immune system may soon get a further boost.
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