Immunity: How to keep your health defences in peak conditon and ready for action

Its no secret that the key to good health is a strong and fully functioning immune system. Thats why scientists at the cutting-edge of naturopathic medicine are constantly searching for safe and effective natural immune-boosters that can improve your bodys ability to fight disease.

Without your immune system, your body would soon succumb to all sorts of harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites and other invaders. It acts as a radar screen and is constantly scanning your body for antigens (foreign substances). If antigens are detected, specialised immune cells quickly respond to ward off these potential threats to your health. 

However, our immune systems arent infallible and there are numerous risk factors including stress, poor diet, medicinal drugs, pollution and environmental toxins that place a huge burden on our bodies and weaken them. Its hardly surprising given all these culprits that colds, flu, infection and disease are so rife.

Thats why it makes sense to take measures right now to strengthen your immune system and keep it in tip top condition.

Eat your way to better health

The efficiency of your immune system is very closely related to your overall diet. For this reason you should eat plenty of fresh vegetables, fruit, salads and seeds, especially during the winter months, as they contain large amounts of antioxidants natural chemicals that bolster your immune system and help fight harmful free radicals.

Another way to boost your bodys natural defences and keep ill-health at bay is to consume more oily fish, such as mackerel, salmon, herring and halibut. The omega-3 fatty acids present in oily fish work by shielding your immune cells against damaging by-products of your metabolism, such as free radicals. In addition, they stimulate several other cells and proteins in your body, which are responsible for destroying infectious pathogens.

However, simply consuming more oily fish on its own may not be enough, as recent research findings have indicated that taking fish oils in supplement form may also be necessary in order to achieve maximum immune system protection (Arterburn LM, Hall EB, Oken H. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006;83(6 Suppl):1467S-1476S).

The recommended dosage for fish oils supplements (containing at least 180mg of the beneficial ingredient EPA) is 1,000mg a day.

Probiotics encourage the production of infection-fighting antibodies

In addition to oily fish, you should include probiotic foods such as live (those containing friendly bacteria such as lactobacillus or bifidum) yoghurts and yoghurt drinks on your shopping list.

Latest research findings have revealed that probiotics activate several components of your immune system, including antibodies proteins that identify and neutralise harmful antigens (Ruas-Madiedo P, et al. J Food Prot. 2006;69(8):2011-5).

Canadian researchers from the Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, revealed that probiotic foods increase the amount of friendly bacteria in the gut and this stimulates your body to produce natural antibodies. The researchers found that these antibodies are particularly active against infections such as tetanus following surgery (Haghighi HR, et al. Clin Vaccine Immunol. 2006 Sep;13(9):975-80).

A US study from the University of California at Davis found that people who ate two cups of live yoghurt daily suffered fewer colds (Am J Clin Nutr. 2001 Feb;73 (2 Suppl):444S-45OS).

Research has confirmed the immune-boosting properties of vitamin E

In an animal study conducted just a few months ago, Greek doctors from the Agricultural University of Athens studied the effects of vitamin E on immunity. They gave vitamin E supplements to a group of 15 animals for a month and compared the results with another untreated group.

The findings revealed that the animals receiving vitamin E displayed greater lymphocyte activity immune cells that kill foreign infectious bugs compared to the untreated animals. They also had higher levels of IgA a very important immune protein that helps eliminate foreign material from your body (Fragou S, Balaskas C, Fegeros K. J Vet Med A Physiol Pathol Clin Med. 2006 Sep;53(7):327-33).

The recommended dosage for vitamin E is 400IU taken once or twice a day. It has been found to work better if taken in conjunction with zinc (20mg a day), selenium (100micrograms daily), and fish oils. As mentioned earlier, fish oils play an important role in maintaining a healthy immune system. Zinc and selenium are two important antioxidants, which protect several components of your immune system against free radicals.

NAC helps reduce the frequency and severity of flu-like symptoms

N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) is an amino acid that occurs naturally in your body and is used to manufacture a substance called glutathione, which plays a critical role in supporting your immune system and helping your body fight disease. However, glutathione stores can soon become depleted as a result of strenuous activity and chronic disease.

Fortunately, supplementing with NAC can help restore and maintain glutathione levels. Many scientists now recommend supplementing with NAC when a cold or flu develops, as its ability to fight viral infections can prevent symptoms from becoming worse. It has been found to loosen mucus, which is thought to be the reason why it is also so effective against chest infections like pneumonia (Arzeimitt 200151(3)264-267).

It is best to take NAC in association with vitamin C, which prolongs the life of NAC in your body and gives it more time to get to work. The recommended dosage is 600mg of NAC a day taken on an empty stomach with water or juice, alongside 1,000mg of vitamin C.

The protein thats in a class of its own when it comes to immune-boosting properties

A powerful immune-strengthening substance that can help prevent ill-health is lactoferrin an iron-building protein found in breast milk (colostrum) (Bauer E, et al. Curr Issues Intest Microbiol. 2006 Sep;7(2):35-51). In fact it was your very first shield against infection and disease and your primary source of immune-system chemicals.

Studies show that lactoferrin binds iron in your blood, keeping it away from cancerous cells, bacteria, viruses and other pathogens that require iron to grow. It also activates very specific strands of DNA that turn on the genes that launch your immune response. This is such a unique and extraordinary action that there is no other kind of protein like it. The recommended dosage is 100mg of lactoferrin each day, taken at bedtime.