12 Ways to Balance Your Immune System

There is no one smooth fix when it comes to restoring the equilibrium and best possible functioning of the immune system. The immune system is just that-a system. And this complex organisation involving many proteins, cells, tissues and organs, has many different parts responding to many different things. 

Despite its complexity, and the unique factors effecting each person’s individual system, there are simple broad approaches that support its function that everyone should consider. Whether you’re looking to boost the immune system for better protection against disease and passing lurg, or seeking to soothe an overactive, malfunctioning system already struggling with existing poor health, there are strategies you can put into place straightaway that will bring you one step closer to the health goals you seek. 

So, grab a brew and read on to find out how best to reset and recharge your health.

CLEAN UP YOUR LIVER

It’s the organ of detoxification in the body yet few people understand how crucial it is for your immune system. From clearing away fats and cholesterol to prevent build ups that can impair the lymph system and block the pancreas, to excreting excess hormones and moving out all the toxins that we come into contact with daily via our food and environments, a clean liver is essential in balancing our bodies and supporting our health. Nutrients such as B vitamins and magnesium are key, with additional remedies that specifically strengthen the liver such as milk thistle, dandelion and artichoke, useful for many via easy tinctures and teas. External liver support can also come in the forms of castor oil presses, saunas and warm bathing.

HEAL YOUR GUT

Arguably sciences broadest and biggest story of recent times-the gut microbiome and it’s foundation for health. Research has shown that in many cases your gut microbiome gets ill first, then you get ill.  And you cannot get better until it gets better. Even if poor health results from acute toxin exposure and decline is swift, having a strong and balanced biome on side (and ensuring it remains as such) will keep you moving in the right direction. An optimised microbiome will also support the liver, maximise nutrient digestion, help with hormones and mood, and ultimately create the foundation for aiding the body towards balance. 

In addition to the microbiome, healing the gut wall lining also remains key. The intestinal lining determines what substances can enter the bloodstream from the digestive tract. A healthy gut ensures substances remain in the intestinal tract, but increased permeability (commonly referred to as leaky gut) allows substances to leak through the wall and into the bloodstream, provoking an immune response and creating systemic inflammation. Implicated in food sensitivities, skin disorders, autoimmune conditions and mental health, intestinal permeability is a vital element to address in order to move the body away from a chronically inflamed state. 

Addressing the unique nutrient deficiencies that could be driving this compromised situation, along with actively supporting intake of nutrients to support barrier and microbiome integrity is vital. Think zinc, vitamin A, D, butyrate, collagen, prebiotics and probiotics.

EAT A HIGH FIBRE, WHOLEFOODS RICH, BIOACTIVE DIET

Plenty of research shows that people with the highest consumption of natural fibres have much stronger and more balanced immune systems than people on the least. A common and easy to adopt approach is to ‘eat a rainbow’, with a multitude of colours ensuring a rich and broad selection of nutrients and fibre. The Mediterranean diet- built on the foundation of plant foods including vegetables, fruits, herbs, nuts, beans and wholegrains, with moderate amounts of dairy, poultry, eggs and seafood, and occasional red meat, all from positive sources- ensures optimal healthy fats, fibre, micro and macro nutrients. Collectively aiding the microbiome whilst also avoiding processed sugars and additives that are scientifically proven to weaken and damage the immune system.

TAKE SUPPLEMENTS

Whilst it’s not in debate that the more nutrients one can get from a balanced diet the better, our food chains are fundamentally flawed when it comes to providing everything we ultimately need for ideal health. Whilst diet can and should be the first point of call, chronic disease, bioavailability, age, specific health goals and genetic profiles are just some of the reasons that often demand a greater need for boosted and targeted nutrient support. With huge leaps forward in the supplement market ensuring a greater choice of high-quality options being on offer, it’s important to avoid the many poor supplements often available on the high street and online, because cheap ones tend to be synthetic, bursting with excipients and unnecessary fillers and deficient in the very nutrient support you seek. 

ADDRESS SENSITIVITES

Immune reactions to the environments and foods around us is a modern epidemic, with hundreds of millions of people suffering from allergies and intolerances worldwide. Just because a food is viewed as being healthy and good for us, doesn’t mean it is necessarily good for you in particular, and ill health as the result of ingesting something negates any positive nutritional claim it has to fame. If an immune system is constantly triggered, and the body consistently undermined by chronic inflammation even the most robust amongst us will eventually suffer.

Getting a clearer picture on what may be causing reactions in the body is now thankfully an easier task than it was some years ago. And whilst some allergic reactions are life-long triggers that must be avoided to safeguard health, many differing meditated reactions can be addressed and ultimately moved past. Regardless of the reaction, long term positive immune health cannot be achieved without a clear picture on what may be undermining it so taking the time to know the individual triggers to your immune system, and working on a path to address them, is an essential part of the puzzle. 

DRINK MORE WATER

Most people understand that regularly drinking water is important for overall health. From lubricating our joints to prevent pain, regulating our temperatures, boosting our skin to guard against disorder and dryness and cushioning our brain and spine, water is vital for healthy function with dehydration proving a real disrupter to the body.

When it comes more specifically to your immune systems optimal hydration is key. Your immune system relies on your blood stream (blood plasm is 90% water) to transport fluid, nutrients and important communication signals around the body, whilst our lymphatic system (which works closely with out immune system and is also 90% water), relies on water to help remove toxins, waste, debris, abnormal cells and pathogens out of your body. As discussed, digestion is foundational for health and when it breaks down we are unable to process our food and harness nutrients as intended. Water is significant in guarding against constipation and an overly acidic stomach acid which increases the risk heartburn and stomach ulcers. So, keep an eye on your hydration levels to ensure the body has all it needs to function.

TAKE EXERCISE

Physical activity is considered one of the main components of healthy living and multiple studies have demonstrated the profound impact that exercise can have on our immune health. With factors such as regularity, intensity, duration, type and effort applied all determining whether its effects are positive or negative (strenuous exercise has been shown to increase gut permeability temporarily and raise cortisol), striking the right balance and finding what resonates with you to encourage activity most days of the week is an excellent goal for overall positive health. 

As a modulator of the immune system, exercise exerts it potent effects in a number of ways. From stimulating cellular immunity by increasing the circulation of immune cells in your body, aiding the recruitment of the immune systems best defensive cells and decreasing the risk of heart disease and diabetes thus guarding the body from inflammatory conditions that cause long term immune dysfunction, exercise also generates endorphins that act as powerful positive drugs inside the body. Neutralising harmful hormones such as cortisol, oxygenating the blood and moving lymph and dissolved visceral fat and thus toxins away from cells.

In the right amounts and in moderate intensity, exercise has been shown to be a key natural anti-inflammatory with scientists finding that regular exercise has been shown to decrease levels of tension, stimulate anti-anxiety effects and improve sleep. Leading us onto the next two points…

REDUCE STRESS

Stress can exert both short-term and long-term effects on the immune system and has been implicated in the altered immune functioning of many diseases, enhancing the risk of autoimmune disorders, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease and exacerbating symptoms of IBS to name but a few. In the immediate response to stress, the body releases hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which can temporarily suppress certain immune functions and also may cause a redistribution of immune cells. In the long term, chronic stress has a ripple effect on the health of an individual, depleting all our body’s reserves and diverting resources within the body away from often necessary and key processes, ultimately leading to chronic inflammation, impacting the immune system’s optimal functioning and potentially increasing susceptibility to infections. 

Individual responses to stress vary, with some people exhibiting a more significant impact on immune function than others. Unhealthy coping mechanisms associated with chronic stress, such as poor sleep and inadequate nutrition, can further compromise the system. Whilst no one can escape all of modern life’s stressors and research on the intricate relationship between stress and the immune system is ongoing, managing stress through techniques like relaxation, exercise, and a healthy lifestyle is widely recognised as beneficial for both mental and physical overall well-being.

HAVE UNDISTURBED SLEEP

Sleep and the body’s circadian rhythm exerts a strong regulatory influence on immune function with many of these functions displaying prominent rhythms in synchrony with the regular 24-hour sleep-wake cycle. 

During sleep, the body releases cytokines and activates T cells, essential components of the immune response. Slumber also regulates inflammation, facilitates cellular repair, and maintains overall health. Studies show varying degrees of sleep loss led to reduced Natural Killer Cells, reduced antibodies and an increase in pro inflammatory markers- all contributing to immunodeficiency. Supporting accompanying research also indicated those with less than 7 hours a night’s sleep were three times more likely to develop the common cold than those routinely on 8 hours or more.

Just as sleep can help the brain consolidate learning and memory, studies suggest sleep can also strengthen immune memory. The interaction of immune system components during sleep reinforces the immune system’s ability to remember how to recognise and react to dangerous antigens. All this plays into the popular wisdom that ‘sleep helps healing’, enabling a well-balanced immune defence effecting positive broad response to both infections and allergic reactions. In contrast, prolonged sleep loss and disruption and the accompanying stress response best described and viewed as a state of chronic stress and low-grade inflammation.

Establishing good sleep hygiene practices, regardless of individualised sleep duration needs, such as maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, is crucial for promoting optimal immune health and prioritizing sufficient and restful sleep is essential for a robust immune system and overall well-being.

LAUGH

The best medicine. Whilst a good sense of humour can’t cure all ailments and research into this area is still in its infancy, data has shown thus far that laughter induces physical effects in the body and can improve your immune system. 

From enhancing our intake of oxygen rich air and increasing endorphin release, altering heart rates and blood pressure, moderating stress hormones,  and increasing immune cells  and infection fighting antibodies to soothing tension via stimulating circulation and aiding muscle relaxation thus calming the physical symptoms of stress- humour can affect health and people who laugh a lot have stronger immune systems.

So, find ways to be happy and seek out a cure in comedy- try to cut out the things that make you unhappy, or those who make you feel inadequate, worthless, guilty and cause you stress and find the things that make you laugh, be it people, programmes, cards or comic strips.

LIMIT ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION

Drinking can undermine our immune systems in a number of ways. Alcohol increases the permeability of the gut, impacting the microbiome thus undermining gut health and a key foundation of health. Often alcohol exacerbates existing immune conditions by opening up the blood vessels with excessive drinking also damaging the liver and compromising our detoxification pathways.

Intolerances and allergies to alcohol, to the chemicals in the drink (congeners which provide body, aroma and flavour) or the foods on which a drink is based (grapes for wine, grains for whiskey) can trigger an immune response with histamine, yeasts, moulds, sulphites, sulphur dioxide and additives all offering up allergens that can stress the system out.

With sober curious and sober flexible conversations now commonplace and the alcohol-free drinks market booming, socialising no longer carries the criteria to get sloshed or the mere offerings of a sparkling water in a way it once did. Experimenting and exploring evenings and events without booze may surprise you.

AVOID

It would be remiss after focusing on the do’s not to take a moment on the don’ts. Whilst toxin exposure can be a tough thing to avoid in the modern world, there are obvious no-no’s when it comes to protecting your immune, and overall health. 

SMOKING

Smoking provides a cocktail of chemicals known to have immunosuppressant effects, triggering a cascade of inflammatory agents that lead to tissue destruction and inflammation. 

HIGH REFINED, PROCESSED, SUGAR FILLED DIETS

Eating a highly refined, processed diet alters immune response with the WHO classifying processed meat as a carcinogen in the same group as tobacco and asbestos. A high sugar intake alters immune responses with studies showing it can predispose the development of allergic reactions, with sugar spikes wearing down our immune systems whilst also contributing to excess fat tissue that drives metabolic change.

TOO MANY PHARMACEUTICALS

Whilst modern medicine is a wonder and the positive effects of medications are welcome, the downsides of frequent or long-term use, including side effects need highlighting. Taking too many pharmaceuticals, or drugs for too long can lead to dysregulation, with lowered immunity and supersensitised immune systems a risk. 

MOULD

Thankfully momentum is building and the conversation expanding on this hugely impactful and damaging immune disrupter. From fungal infections, allergic reactions and the toxic effects from the mycotoxins that moulds emit, a host of immune system related diseases across suppression to over stimulation are possible. Guarding against dysbiosis in the gut and protecting yourself from the external presence of mould in homes and other indoor environments is paramount to ensuring immune system harmony. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

A balanced and robust immune system serves as a cornerstone for overall health and well-being. A coordinated immune response defends the body against infections, prevents chronic diseases, and promotes optimal physiological functioning and the intricate interplay between various immune components, including cytokines, T cells, and inflammatory regulation, underscores the importance of maintaining immune equilibrium for maximum whole-body health. 

Whilst targeted liver detoxification and the deep-rooted functional medicine often required for specific toxins exposure such as moulds or for more chronic conditions and specific genetic profiles, is best done under the support of a practitioner, it is easy to recognise the intricate connections between lifestyle choices and immune health. With key habits that contribute to an optimised immune system emerging as a fundamental strategy for safeguarding and enhancing wellbeing, anyone and everyone can play a pivotal role in their own health, taking simple steps to pave a path towards precious immune system balance. So use this as your checklist and start making headway today.