READING TIME: 5-10 MINUTES
March 31, 2020
With this COVID-19 crisis, what’s the best way to boost my immune system?
31 Tips for Boosting the Immune System, compiled by David Brewer
(1) Stay hydrated. The body’s cells must have adequate hydration to function optimally and to quickly mobilize fighter cells against enemy invaders. Stick to water, coconut water, herbal teas, and bone broth.
Your urine color should be a light shade of yellow. If it’s any darker than that, you’re dehydrated. If it’s clear in color, you’re drinking too much water, which can be as harmful as not drinking enough. FYI, vitamin C and B-complex vitamins and certain medications can temporarily make your urine more yellow.
(2) Cut way back on processed sugar and carbohydrates. Especially refined white sugar dramatically inhibits immune function by reducing the ability of neutrophils (white blood cells primarily responsible for defense against bacteria) to engulf and destroy bacteria. Many people have a chronically depressed immune system due to a high sugar diet. Did you know that your blood shows lab evidence of a lowered immune system within 30 minutes of eating simple sugars (like glucose, refined sugar, and fructose), and causes a 50% reduction in your white blood cells’ abilities to kill germs? White blood cells are our “army” cells that fight off germs. This effect is most noticeable two hours after ingestion, but is still present five hours later! Plus, sugar and processed foods tend to make your body a bit more acidic and more receptive to viruses.
(3) Exercise 30-60 min four or five days a week. Remember that moderate exercise boosts your immune system, but too much high-intensity activity can temporarily decrease immune function. Moderate exercise can boost the production of macrophages, the type of white blood cells that “eat” bacteria and viruses.
I would recommend you combine weight lifting four days/week with “boost training” or high-intensity interval training (H.I.I.T.) three days/week.
(4) Increase your Omega-3 intake (your daily dose of EPA/DHA in your supplement should be about 2,400 mg/day to maintain optimal levels.
(5) Get plenty of sleep. A lab experiment bears this out: When students at the University of Chicago were limited to only four hours of sleep a night for six nights and then given a flu vaccine, their immune systems produced only half the normal number of antibodies. Like stress, insomnia can cause a rise in inflammation in the body – possibly because lack of sleep also leads to an increase in the stress hormone cortisol.
Also, research shows that an increase in sleep increases the number of white blood cells. On the other hand, loss of sleep even for a few hours at night increases inflammation in our body which makes us more susceptible to catching the flu and having more severe symptoms.
(6) Cut down on chronic stress since it can reduce your B-vitamins. Stress makes you more susceptible to illness. Chronic stress also exposes your body to the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline, which suppress the immune system. Also, emotional stress has been shown to lower our white blood cells’ abilities to kill germs and creates more inflammation that may make us feel even sicker.
Read Phil 4:6-7. Practice relaxation techniques while meditating on the Word of God.
(7) Eat garlic or take odorless garlic in pill form. Garlic is a powerful immune booster that stimulates the multiplication of infection-fighting white cells, boosts natural killer cell activity, and increases the efficiency of antibody production. Garlic is antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal. The bulbs are rich in antioxidants that quench free radicals that play a role in Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, cancers, and other conditions. Garlic boosts the portion of the immune system that is tasked with fighting viruses and cancer. Several studies have documented a link between garlic use and reduced rates of many different types of cancers.
(8) Laugh a lot. It has been proven at the University School of Medicine in California that laughter is good for you and strengthens the body’s infection-fighting T-cells. Laughing decreases the levels of stress hormones in the body while increasing a type of white blood cell that fights infection. In one study, a group of men who were told three days in advance that they were going to watch a funny video saw levels of stress hormones drop while levels of endorphins and growth hormones rose. Both endorphins and growth hormones benefit the immune system.
(9) Caffeine can cause dehydration, so if you do drink coffee, drink two cups of water for every one cup of coffee.
(10) Get rid of toxins by making sure you’re eating enough fiber from fruits, non-starchy vegetables, and whole grains.
(11) Increase your intake of probiotics. If you do have to take antibiotics, eat a good-quality Greek yogurt every day. Buy a yogurt that is high in live active cultures. It’s best to buy plain yogurt and then add fresh fruit to it to sweeten it. If you don’t like yogurt, buy a probiotic supplement. Yogurt is rich in probiotics, including Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, and Bifidus. The good bacteria in yogurt is one of the body’s natural defense mechanisms and it keeps fungi, unhealthy bacteria, and other “invaders” in check. These strains boost immune function and may even help reduce both the length and severity of colds. Beneficial gut flora are needed for proper digestion, detoxification, and immune function.
Probiotics also help our gut detoxify toxic chemicals like heavy metals, pesticides, and bisphenol A (BPA).
Also, eat fermented foods to support your microbiome and immunity. Eat sauerkraut, kimchi, natto, miso, tempeh, unsweetened yogurt, kefir. The fermented Korean cabbage, kimchi, was found to have significant effects in preventing and fighting the H1N1 influenza virus! Also, beneficial microorganisms found in miso soup and other fermented foods perform a variety of necessary functions in the GI tract. They synthesize vitamins and amino acids. They produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that the cells lining the GI tract use for fuel. The probiotics establish a healthy balance of flora in the gastrointestinal tract, protecting against pathogenic strains that try to take hold. About 70% of the immune system lies in the gut. Healthy, balanced gut flora makes for a strong immune system.
(12) Eat more whole foods and less processed foods and eat multiple servings of colorful fruits and vegetables high in vitamins C, A, and phytonutrients that support the immune system. They are also full of antioxidants that will destroy the free radicals that weaken our immune system and are responsible for making us feel sick when we catch a bug. Choose more leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower), peppers, sweet potatoes, and squashes.
(13) Add spices to your diet (for example, cloves, aniseed, cayenne, cinnamon, ginger) since they are antiseptic, antiparasitic, antifungal and other properties). Antioxidant compounds in the ginger root have potent anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties. Normal metabolic processes in the body, infections, and toxins all contribute to the production of free radicals resulting in oxidative stress. Antioxidants in foods like ginger quench free radicals and help guard against arthritis, cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and many other conditions. Ginger has proven antibacterial and antiviral properties.
(14) Consistent fellowship – several studies support the idea that people who have consistent fellowship and who feel closely connected to friends have stronger immunity than those who are isolated. In one study, lonely freshmen had a weaker immune response to a flu vaccine than those who felt connected to others. Another recent study found that isolation changed the immune system on a cellular level: Being lonely affected the way some genes that controlled the immune system were expressed.
(15) During the winter months (if you don’t receive adequate exposure to the sun), supplement your diet with 5,000-8,000 IUs/day of Vitamin D3. Studies have shown that people who supplemented with adequate levels of Vitamin D3 during the cold and flu season had significantly lower rates of infection. Vitamin D3 increases our body’s production of cathelicidin, an antimicrobial compound, to help fight viral and bacterial infections. Vitamin D suppresses inflammatory cytokines, which are particularly dangerous in certain flu cases. And surprisingly, vitamin D impacts almost every aspect of health, including protection from cancer and cardiovascular disease.
(16) Bone broth has amazing immune-supporting properties. See this helpful article: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/bone-broth#section3. Here’s a partial list of some of these properties: (1) it can inhibit some of the inflammatory cells that contribute to upper respiratory infection: (2) it’s a nourishing source of protein and minerals it contains the amino acids glycine and proline (although in small quantities), which have anti-inflammatory properties; (3) it contains quite a bit of gelatin which can be soothing and healing to your gut lining. If you would like to make your bone broth, read this article: https://healthykidshappykids.com/2016/05/24/amazing-bone-broth/.
(17) Take echinacea at the first sign of a cold or the flu. This should not be used daily for very prolonged periods, and should not be used in individuals with an autoimmune disease without professional guidance.
(18) Pure, raw, unfiltered and unpasteurized honey is a natural antibiotic, among many other things. Honey is an array of plant chemicals that act as antioxidants, it has antibacterial and antifungal properties, is a phytonutrient powerhouse, is used to treat digestive issues, soothes a sore throat and cough, is a natural energy source, can promote sleep, can reduce the risk of developing diabetes and help aid medication used to treat diabetes, can help improve urinary tract infections due to its antibacterial properties, lowers cholesterol, is full of natural prebiotics , improves circulation, and the local, raw honey counters pollen allergies.
Honey is extremely nutritious: it has approximately 22 amino acids, 31 different minerals, many vitamins, and 5,000 enzymes. It contains nearly 30 types of bioactive plant compounds called polyphenols, which act as antioxidants. According to many studies, these antioxidants have impressive health benefits, including reduced inflammation and a lower risk of heart disease and certain cancers.
(19) Take astragalus at the first sign of the cold or flu. This is a Chinese herb and it contains anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Studies on astragalus suggest that the root can boost resistance to infection and boost the immune system.
(20) Oregano oil (oil of oregano) contains properties that are antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal. Take this at the first sign of sickness. If you can’t stand the liquid, buy this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FYLJYG2/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1.
(21) Take extra vitamin C during the cold & flu season. I recommend you take vitamin C (ascorbic acid) with rutin, quercetin, and hesperidin, as they are synergists with vitamin C and in nature, are always found together. FYI, if you have a history of kidney stones and the doctor has told you the type of stones you have is from increased vitamin C intake be careful with taking too much vitamin C. The only potential risk of increasing your intake of vitamin C is the potential of having loose stools.
When your body is fighting an infection, it’s what’s called oxidative stress. Oxidative stress leads to the production of free radicals which can pierce cell walls, causing the contents to leak into tissues and exacerbating inflammation to help protect cells from oxidative stress. Vitamin C helps clean up this cellular mess by producing specialized cells to mount an immune response, including neutrophils, lymphocytes, and phagocytes. The level of vitamin C in your body is connected to the activity of specific cells that engulf and destroy infecting organisms (phagocytes) and of those that recruit, organize, and direct other immune cells (T-lymphocytes).
Vitamin C also improves the effectiveness of Natural Killer cells. These “hit men” of the immune system move in on infectious and malignant targets that have been identified as foreign by other immune system components. These tiny cells also seek and destroy cells that have been transformed by an infection with a virus or by one of many malignant changes that transform them into cancer cells.
Vitamin C helps neutrophils to work better. These are the main immune system cell for fighting bacterial infections. Neutrophils engulf invading organisms, then destroy them with powerful blasts of short-lived oxygen-free radicals. Vitamin C supports many aspects of neutrophil function, aiding in their ability to chase down bacterial targets and improving their ability to engulf and kill such targets.
Lymphocytes are immune system cells that produce antibodies and they work with other immune cells to guide them towards threats needing destruction. In effect, these cells recruit, organize, and direct other immune cells. These key cells are enhanced in the presence of vitamin C.
Vitamin C raises the levels of antibodies, which are noncellular components of the immune system that help identify and destroy invading threats and cancerous cells.
Good sources of vitamin C include oranges, lemons, limes, berries, kiwifruit, broccoli, tomatoes, and capsicum.
(22) Make sure you’re taking enough of Vitamin A. Vitamin A maintains the structure of the cells in the skin, respiratory tract, and gut. This forms a barrier and is your body’s first line of defense. If the fighting infection was like a football game, vitamin A would be your forward line.
We also need vitamin A to help make antibodies that neutralize the pathogens that cause infection. This is like assigning more of your team to target an opposition player who has the ball, to prevent them from scoring.
Vitamin A is found in oily fish, egg yolks, cheese, tofu, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and legumes.
(23) B vitamins particularly B6, B9, and B12, contribute to your body’s first response once it has recognized a pathogen.
They do this by influencing the production and activity of “natural killer” cells. Natural killer cells work by causing infected cells to “implode,” a process called apoptosis.
At a football match, this role would be like security guards intercepting wayward spectators trying to run onto the field and disrupt play.
(24) Iron, zinc, and selenium are also critical. We need iron, zinc, and selenium for immune cell growth, among other functions.
Iron helps kill pathogens by increasing the number of free radicals that can destroy them. It also regulates enzyme reactions essential for immune cells to recognize and target pathogens.
Zinc helps maintain the integrity of the skin and mucous membranes and it is required for the normal functioning of white blood cells. Zinc and selenium also act as an antioxidant, helping mop up some of the damage caused by oxidative stress.
(25) Consume one-two tablespoons a day of virgin or extra-virgin cold-pressed and unrefined coconut oil. By the way, if anybody tells you that saturated fat causes heart disease, they are giving you wrong and outdated information. Coconut oil is anti-fungal and anti-microbial and it contains lauric acid that is very helpful for immune function. Coconut oil raises HD. It improves the quality and size and type of cholesterol and it lowers the total cholesterol to HDL ratio. It also contains a unique type of saturated fat called MCT oil that boosts metabolism, reverses insulin resistance, and improves cognitive function.
(26) Ensure adequate protein intake. Protein is very important for immune function and protein malnutrition is a big risk factor for death from infections.
(27) Oscillococcinum is a homeopathic flu medicine that may help to prevent influenza infection. This supplement should be taken 3x/day for one day (3 doses total). You don’t have to continue to take it for the duration of the illness. For prevention, take one vial/week.
(28) Irrigate your nasal passages at the end of every day, and after any potential exposure. This is one of the most important things we can do to prevent influenza and other infections from taking hold. This is because, after exposure to a virus, the virus tries to invade and multiply in your nasal passages for at least 1-2 days before you develop any symptoms. Nasal irrigation can wash away any viral particles before they have the opportunity to take hold. Xlear nasal spray works well. This is a saline nasal spray with xylitol and grapefruit seed extract, both of which have antimicrobial properties.
Other options for nasal irrigation are a regular saline spray, Neti pot, and other sinus rinses like Neilmed.
(29) Add elderberry to your daily regimen. Extracts of elderberry have antiviral, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory properties. Elderberry is also high in flavonoids. People take elderberry syrup as a remedy for colds, cases of flu, and bacterial sinus infections. The plant medicine works by reducing swelling in mucus membranes. However, this remedy may interact with certain prescription medications like diuretics, laxatives, steroids, laxatives, and Theophylline. Always check with your doctor or pharmacist before adding any new remedy to your regimen. I don’t take elderberry every day but only take it when I’m fighting a viral or bacterial infection.
(30) Add mushrooms to your diet. Mushrooms are high in selenium and B vitamins like riboflavin and niacin. These minerals and vitamins are necessary for the immune system to work well. Mushrooms are also high in polysaccharides, sugar-like molecules that boost immune function.
(31) Powerful Pomegranate. Beneficial compounds in pomegranate extract have been found in lab studies to inhibit the growth of harmful types of bacteria including E Coli O157: H7, Salmonella, Yersinia, Shigella, Listeria, Clostridium, Staphylococcus aureus, and other organisms. There’s also evidence pomegranate compounds inhibit the growth of bacteria in the mouth that contribute to periodontal disease, plaque buildup, and gingivitis. Pomegranate extracts have antiviral properties against the flu, herpes, and other viruses. In addition to fighting bad viruses and bacteria, there is evidence that pomegranate extracts promote the growth of beneficial gut flora that boosts the immune system including Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus.
Sources Used
Axe, Dr. Joshua. “Raw Honey Benefits for Healing + 20 Popular Honey Uses.” < https://draxe.com/nutrition/the-many-health-benefits-of-raw-honey/>.
Chudkowski, Dr. Stephen. E-mail correspondence on March 29, 2020.
The Conversation. “5 ways nutrition could help your immune system fight off the coronavirus.”
Downey, Michael. “Winterize Your Immune Defenses.” Life Extension Magazine: Feb 2017 Issue.
Fessenden, Ron. The New Honey Revolution: Restoring the Health of Future Generations. Xulon Press.
Fulton, Harry. “Update on Vitamin D and Fish Oil Supplementation.” Life Extension Magazine: November 2019 Issue.
Goldman, Rena. “Beta Glucan: The Heart-Healthy Fiber.”
________. “The Top 6 Raw Honey Benefits.” < https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/top-raw-honey-benefits#sore-throat>.
OnHealth. “16 Foods That Boost and Improve Your Immune System.” < https://www.onhealth.com/content/1/immune_system_boosting_foods>.
Posnick, Stephen. “Activate Your Natural Killer Cells.” Life Extension Magazine: Jan 2015 Issue.
Raman, Ryan. “All About Raw Honey: How Is It Different Than Regular Honey?” < https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/raw-honey-vs-regular>.
Robertson, Chad. “The Link Between Vitamin C And Optimal Immunity.” Life Extension Magazine: Nov 2015 Issue.
Song, Elisa. “Top 10 Ways to Safely Detox Your Child.”
________. Amazing Bone Broth.”
________. “Coronavirus (COVID-19): What a Pediatrician Wants You to Know.”
________. “Top Ways to Boost Your Child’s Immune System.”
WebMD. “6 Immune System Busters & Boosters.”