FYI - Immune System Boosters
Do you know someone who never gets sick? Do you wonder if they have a super-powered immune system? And are you wondering if there is a way to boost your own? You bet you can! And here's Jennifer Harrison with ways to rev it up in our FYI.
A GLOSSY NEW CAR. WHAT A THRILL TO OPEN THE HOOD AND SEE IT HEALTHY. YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM IS LIKE A CAR. WHEN YOU'RE NEW, IT WORKS WELL. THEN LIFE HAPPENS. WE STAY UP TOO LATE, EAT ON THE GOSTRESS OUT...AND THE PERFECT IMMUNE SYSTEM WE'RE BORN WITH GETS DEPLETED.
But the good news is there are ways to boost your immune system. And guess what? They're all fun ways to boost itexcept for oneit's quite different, but we'll get to that later. For now, take a guess at the number one way we can boost our immune systems.
"I think that sleep is invaluable. It's the cure-all."
"Hmmm"
"Occasionally, if I'm feeling like I'm getting a cold, I'll drink a lot of fluids or water."
"The number one thing we can do is eat right."
BUT SOME OF THE IMMUNE BOOSTING FOODS ARE SURPRISING
"Chocolate."
"Chocolate?"
"Chocolate!"
"Chocolate."
Dr. Eric Gershwin/researcher
"Eating a Mars bar can stimulate your immune system. How? It turns out that coca has got the same chemicals in it that are found in good vegetables."
AND YOGURT IS ONE OF THE BEST IMMUNE BOOSTING FOODS. WHEN YOU EAT THIS STUFF, YOU ARE ACTUALLY INGESTING CERTAIN ORGANISMS, THAT'S RIGHT, ORGANISMS INTO YOUR SYSTEM.
Dr. Gershwin
"Eating yogurt is a good way of putting the good bacteria back in your body."
YOGURT IS FULL OF BACTERIA! FLIP OVER THE CONTAINER AND YOU'LL SEE. YOGURT HAS SOMETHING CALLED ACTIVE YOGURT CULTURES. THEY'RE A FORM OF PROBIOTICS. AND PROBIOTICS WORK LIKE ANTIBIOTICS, BUT THEY'RE NATURAL, LIVING ORGANISMS THAT COME FROM FOOD – AND NOT A PRESCRIPTION – TO HELP YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM.
Dr. Gershwin
"There are certain bacteria that are actually healthy. They reduce inflammation and they help fight the bad bacteria. They also stimulate your immune system."
GET YOGURT'S IMMUNE SYSTEM IMPACT BY EATING ABOUT TWO TO THREE CONTAINERS OF IT A DAY. SO BESIDES EATING, WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO TO BOOST OUR IMMUNE SYSTEMS?
"Decrease in stress."
HAVING GOOD OLD-FASHIONED FUN IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO FIGHT OFF COLDS AND VIRUSES....
Dr. Gershwin
"Laughter is good medicine, having a positive attitude is good medicine, being upbeat is good medicine."
MENTAL HEALTH IS SO LINKED TO OUR IMMUNE SYSTEMS RESEARCHERS THINK A DEPRESSED MIND CAN CAUSE A DEPRESSED BODY.
Dr. Gershwin
"We suspect that when the brain becomes dysfunctional some of the same chemicals that it produces to give you the blues also suppress the immune system."
SO LEARN A LESSON FROM THESE KIDS. LAUGH A LITTLE TO STAY HEALTHY, SWEAT A LITTLE, TOO. EXERCISE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS FOR YOUR HEART AND SOUL, IS ALSO GOOD FOR YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM.
Dr. Gershwin
"Exercise sort of gets the immune cells activated. You sweat. You raise your heart rate, and you do that for your immune system just as much."
AND SLEEP FIRES UP YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM. IT HELPS TO KEEP YOUR KILLER T-CELLS – THE CELLS THAT FIGHT OFF VIRUSES – WORKING. NOT ENOUGH SLEEP CAN LOWER THE NUMBER OF KILLER CELLS YOU HAVE. SO SLEEP AWAY....
And the final way to boost your immune systemit's different! Eating pond scum. Well, eating something called spirolina, which comes from places like this.
Dr. Gershwin
"Spirolina is an algae that comes from the surface of some ponds and some lakes. We've done studies to show it's pretty healthy. It stimulates the immune system. And it's also full of phytochemicals and flavanoids."
PHYTOCHEMICALS AND FLAVANIODS IN THIS POND SCUM ARE THE SAME CHEMICALS FOUND IN FRUITS AND VEGGIES, BUT HELP US LIVE LONGER. SO, FOR A SUPER-POWERED IMMUNE SYSTEM, EAT UP, LAUGH UP, HAVE FUN AND HIT THE SNOOZE BAR FOR A LITTLE MORE SLEEP. YOU JUST MAY HAVE AN IMMUNE SYSTEM THAT RETURNS THE FAVOR BY WORKING OVERTIME.
Take a trip to the museum or a symphony to boost your immune system. Studies have found that getting a little culture because of the social interaction and new experience may increase certain antibodies in your saliva that fight off infection.
UC Davis article