۸ Ways to Boost Your Body’s Natural Defenses

Prioritizing sleep, staying hydrated, and eating nourishing foods are just a few ways to support your immune system and reduce your risk of certain illnesses.

If you want to boost your immune health, you may wonder how to help your body fight off illnesses.
While bolstering your immunity is easier said than done, several dietary and lifestyle changes may strengthen your body’s natural defenses and help you fight harmful pathogens, or disease-causing organisms.
Here are 8 tips to strengthen your immunity naturally.

۱. Get enough sleep

Sleep and immunity are closely tied.
In fact, inadequate or poor quality sleep is linked to a higher susceptibility to sickness.
In a study in 164 healthy adults, those who slept fewer than 6 hours each night were more likely to catch a cold than those who slept 6 hours or more each night (1).

۲. Eat more whole plant foods

Whole plant foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes are rich in nutrients and antioxidants that may give you an upper hand against harmful pathogens.
The antioxidants in these foods help decrease inflammation by combatting unstable compounds called free radicals, which can cause inflammation when they build up in your body in high levels (5).
Chronic inflammation is linked to numerous health conditions, including heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and certain cancers.

۳. Eat more healthy fats

Healthy fats, like those found in olive oil and salmon, may boost your body’s immune response to pathogens by decreasing inflammation.
Although low-level inflammation is a normal response to stress or injury, chronic inflammation can suppress your immune system (8).
Olive oil, which is highly anti-inflammatory, is linked to a decreased risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Plus, its anti-inflammatory properties may help your body fight off harmful disease-causing bacteria and viruses (9, 10).
Omega-3 fatty acids, such as those in salmon and chia seeds, fight inflammation as well (11).

۴. Eat more fermented foods or take a probiotic supplement

Gut health and immunity are deeply interconnected. Fermented foods and probiotics may bolster your immune system by helping it identify and target harmful pathogens.

۵. Limit added sugars

Added sugars contribute significantly to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease, all of which can suppress your immune system. Lowering your sugar intake may decrease inflammation and your risk of these conditions.

۶. Engage in moderate exercise

Moderate exercise can reduce inflammation and promote the healthy turnover of immune cells. Jogging, biking, walking, swimming, and hiking are great options.

۷. Stay hydrated

Given that dehydration can make you more susceptible to illness, be sure you’re drinking plenty of water each day.

۸. Manage your stress levels

Lowering your stress levels through meditation, yoga, exercise, and other practices can help keep your immune system functioning properly.