Your immune system is a shield against viruses, bacteria and other enemies, such as cancer cells, which can endanger your health.
If your immune system is healthy, your body fights infections easily. Here are 10 tips on how to strengthen the immune system.
1. Varied and balanced diet
If you're too busy to eat properly, emphasizing on a quick snack, you can incur trouble with your immune system. Studies show that lack of nutrients in the body can weaken you so you must emphasize having a variety of foods.
2. Increase your intake of fresh fruit and vegetables
Antioxidants, especially vitamin A, C and E help to cleanse the body from free radicals - potentially harmful chemicals that can cause damage to healthy cells. Experts believe that many fruits and vegetables help increase antioxidants that destroy free radicals before they cause any harm.
3. Choose your meat carefully
Many manufacturers add a lot of antibiotics in the diet of birds in order to stimulate growth. Medical experts believe that great abundance of antibiotics can lead to lowered immunity of the human body and the formation of bacteria resistant to antibiotics.
4. Eat less sugar
Many studies have confirmed that the immune system is weakened with the use of sugar. The World Health Organization believes that it is imperative that people limit the use of products rich in sugar to reduce obesity - one of the main causes of cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases.
5. Consume adequate amounts of zinc
Zinc plays an important role in our metabolism. The sources of this mineral are seafood, meat, nuts, eggs, cheese and cereals.
6. Reduce the use of pesticides
Several scientific studies suggest that pesticides suppress the immune system. It is believed that pesticides adversely affect the formation of white blood cells, which reduces the body's ability to fight infection. Pesticides are chemicals used to kill pests in the cultivation of fruits and vegetables.
7. Think about probiotics
Good bacteria (probiotics) in the gut play an important role in digestion and help maintain a healthy immune system. Probiotics stop the growth of harmful organisms in the gut. To fill the reserves of probiotics in your body, include yogurt in your daily diet.
It is useful to have more products that enhance the growth of beneficial bacteria in the body. They include leeks, onions, garlic, apples and bananas.
8. Eat more broccoli
Broccoli contains large amounts of nutrients, including vitamin C. This is the substance, that neutralizes carcinogens in the body, preventing cancer development.
9. Do not forget about selenium
Selenium not only slows down the aging process, but it is also an antioxidant that blocks the action of free radicals. Every day, we should take a very small amount of it as excess selenium can be toxic. The best sources of selenium are Brazil nuts (you need only one or two nuts per day), liver, seafood, kidney, whole grains and cereals.
10. Stock up with flavonoids
Flavonoids have strong anticancer properties and stimulate the immune system. They block tumors early. Flavonoids can be found in onions, blueberries, apples, fennel, walnuts and red cabbage.
