Our immune system is our natural defense system against external and internal agents.
However, it turns out that since we are in our mother’s womb our immune system is being exposed to foreign agents that could potentially put our health in check. This is the key to a strong immune system: controlled exposure to foreign agents.
In this article we explain how you can train and keep your immune system strong to stay protected against infections and diseases.
Train and stay active
That we should practice physical exercise for good health I think is not surprising to any of us at this point. It turns out that the strength and efficiency of our immune system also depends on it since although in the short term the practice of physical exercise can cause a drop in defenses, in the medium and long term it raises them.
In the end, training is still a stressor for our body and strategic and constant exposure to a stressor of this type improves the function of our immune system.
Eat, hydrate and rest properly
Closely related to the previous point since they are the things that any health professional always recommends, not only for the immune system, but in general. Let’s talk part by part:
- Regarding food, try to base it on plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole grains, tubers, virgin olive oil or seeds. In 2022 we already have a lot of evidence available that allows us to know that the more plant-based an eating pattern is, the better.
- Regarding hydration, try to always stay hydrated, which implies a more or less constant and homogeneous consumption of water throughout the day, especially in summer. In the end, our body always tries to maintain a constant balance in the balance of electrolytes (minerals with an electrical charge) that must be present, for example, in the blood. When we become dehydrated, sodium increases in the blood, one of these electrolytes, and our hypothalamus begins to deploy mechanisms to reverse it, such as thirst. In conditions of dehydration our body does not function well either because our blood increases its volume and the heart must work harder or because of the additional load that our kidneys must also suffer.
- Finally, regarding rest, it must be said that a good rest allows us to adapt to the world around us. During rest, processes of repair, regeneration, assimilation and recycling take place, so not enjoying a good night’s sleep can increase the risk of suffering from heart or metabolic diseases such as diabetes. In addition, it is known that people who get little or poor rest are more prone to infections.
Don’t live in a bubble, get dirty from time to time
As a last tip to enjoy a strong immune system expose yourself from time to time to dirt.
This advice is very general but it is in line with how our immune system, through exposure to different stressors or potentially pathogenic agents, learns to recognize them and act accordingly in the future.
Children who are delivered by caesarean section and therefore are not exposed to bacteria from the mother’s vaginal canal during delivery, are more likely to become ill during their lifetime. People who grow up with pets or on farms have stronger immune systems.
In this sense, dirt or at least not living in a bubble and in a 100% aseptic world, can strengthen our system. Give yourself the luxury of walking barefoot in the mountains or on the lawn or getting muddy from time to time.
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