With the arrival of the coronavirus, its increasing number of cases, and the flu season still in full swing, having a resilient immune system is now more vital than ever. However, it turns out that lack of time, chronic stress and lack of attention, among other factors, could lead us to make simple mistakes that, in the long term, expose us to a greater risk of infection.
Learn here about the mistakes that may inadvertently be weakening your immune system, what you can do to correct them and how to bring your immune system to be in better condition .
7 mistakes that weaken your immune system
1. Your stress levels are too high
Mental and emotional stress have a direct effect on immune function. When you're stressed, your body releases cortisol and adrenaline, hormones that lower your levels of lymphocytes and phagocytes.
With decreasing numbers of these white blood cells, your body has a harder time fighting bacterial and viral antigens (Cohen et al., 2012). Stress in turn is a determining factor found in people who smoke, have insomnia or anxiety, which we will delve into later.
How can you solve this? If you're feeling overwhelmed, the best thing you can do is remove yourself from stressful situations for a while. A good option would be to do a little exercise, this can help free your mind of what is bothering you. Setting aside time each day for an activity that makes you happy can also help.
2. You eat a lot of processed foods
Eating too many refined carbohydrates, sugars, or highly processed foods makes it harder for the immune system to do its job.
Processed foods attack the good bacteria in the gut , leaving room for bad bacteria to enter and weakening the intestinal immune system . Many chemical additives disrupt the gut microbiome, from stabilizers to emulsifiers, thickeners, and sweeteners like saccharin, sucralose, and stevia.
To reduce the risks that processed foods can cause, you just have to regulate their consumption. An occasional can of soda won't do any harm, the problem comes when this becomes an ongoing habit.
In addition, you can reverse this situation by consuming natural fiber sources such as apples, barley or oats, which help to produce T cells, which then adhere to and destroy infected cells. Vitamins C and D are also essential to lower your risk of catching colds. They can be found in citrus fruits or in the yolk of eggs, respectively).
In conclusion, filling your plate with natural foods instead of processed ones is a habit that in the long term will help you keep your immune system on top.
3. You don't get enough sleep
If you do not give importance to sleeping at least 7 hours a day, you could have problems. While we sleep, the body releases cytokines, proteins that protect you from inflammation and pain. Without adequate rest, not as many cytokines can be produced and it will be more difficult to fight viral and bacterial diseases.
Since the problem is probably that when you go to bed you have a hard time falling asleep, you can try to solve this by stretching in bed for 8 to 10 minutes so that your brain assimilates that it is time to sleep. Another alternative that can help is to remove the technology at least an hour before bedtime (Cohen et al., 2012).
4. You drink too much alcohol
Too much alcohol wreaks havoc on the immune system . It destabilizes the balance between healthy and unhealthy bacteria in the gut, strips off healthy bacteria, and causes more bad bacteria to pass into the bloodstream, causing inflammation in the liver. Keep in mind that an inflamed liver is unable to cleanse the body of environmental toxins.
How can you fix it? Although any amount of alcohol actually harms the immune system, starting by moderating your intake would be a good option. Decreasing the consumption of this liquid is something that our immune system will appreciate .
5. You smoke
Chemical compounds in tobacco affect the lining of the mucosa of the respiratory tract, from the nose to the lungs. When you smoke, the body produces an excessive amount of mucus, which narrows the airways and makes it difficult for the lungs to eliminate toxins, increasing the susceptibility to infection.
By smoking you are also giving your body double work, as it has to eliminate the chemicals released by tobacco, so its ability to fight infections is compromised.
One possible solution is to quit this habit. Setting a specific date to quit instead of gradually quitting can increase your chances of success (Armand, 2016). Counseling or support groups can also help.
6. You skip flu shots
The flu vaccine develops antibodies against the flu virus, so if you are exposed, you will not get it at all or your symptoms will be very mild. It is especially important for pregnant women, children under the age of 5, adults over the age of 50, and people with lung problems such as asthma.
You may have skipped this for quite some time. Now is possibly not the best time because the health system in many countries is saturated as a result of the Coronavirus, but in the future you can contact your doctor to get it. After that, you can avoid forgetting when your next vaccination is due by putting a reminder on your cell phone.
7. You don't exercise
You don't necessarily have to become a professional athlete, but occasional moderate exercise is beneficial for the immune system .
Exercise increases both antibodies and white blood cells , allowing the body to attack the infection earlier and fight it more effectively. In addition, during exercise the body temperature increases, which prevents the growth of bacteria.
The solution? Get a few exercise sessions a week. A workout can help with your body's immunity, remove harmful stress hormones, and make you feel very healthy.
References
- Triffin, M. 7 Mistakes That Can Weaken Your Immune System (and How to Fix Them). For Livestrong [Revised March 2020].
- Armand, W. What's the best way to quit smoking? For Harvard Health Blog [Reviewed March 2020].
- Cohen, S., Dverts, D., Doyle, W., Miller, G., Frank, E., Rabin, B. and Turner, R. (2012). Chronic Stress, Glucocorticoid Receptor Resistance, Inflammation, and Disease Risk. National Center for Biotechnology Information . doi: 10.1073 / pnas.1118355109.
