In the developed world, most people get enough vitamins from their diets unless they are restricted — vegans, for example, are more likely to have certain deficiencies. However, there is one exception — vitamin D. Several studies have linked low vitamin D levels to a higher risk of respiratory infections , and more severe symptoms when they develop.
But crucially — and unusually — vitamin D deficiencies are endemic in many countries, even wealthy ones. Read more about who needs to take vitamin D and why. Historically, this form of sexual activity was held in deep suspicion by Western medicine. After an 18th Century doctor claimed that the loss of one ounce of semen 28 millilitres had the same effect on the body as losing 40 ounces 1. Now the tables have turned, and recent research has shown that it can come with some surprising health benefits.
Alas, any claims that masturbation can improve your immunity or protect you from Covid are overblown. However, there is no evidence that this translates into protection from infections. There is one way that the practice might protect you — by keeping away from other people. As part of the inflammatory response, white blood cells release toxic oxygen compounds.
These are something of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they can kill bacteria and viruses and stop them from being able to make more copies of themselves.
On the other, they can damage healthy cells, leading to cancer and ageing — and wearing out the immune system. To stop this from happening, the body relies on antioxidants. These help to control those unruly oxygen compounds and keep our cells safe. And we get some of our reserves of these compounds from our diets.
Brightly coloured fruits, vegetables and spices tend to contain the most, because antioxidants are often pigmented: they give carrots, blueberries, aubergines, red kale, turmeric, and strawberries their hues. Wellness experts like to promote kombucha as more than just a drink - but there's no evidence that it can treat or prevent any illnesses, including Covid Credit: Getty Images.
However, the trial is just one of hundreds looking into potential treatments for Covid If you believe the wellness experts and homeopaths, kombucha is much more than a sweet, fizzy drink made from fermented tea. Like probiotics, kombucha contains live microorganisms. However, no studies have ever confirmed whether the drink has these in high enough concentrations to be considered one — and there is currently no evidence that kombucha specifically can treat or prevent any illnesses whatsoever.
One review found that probiotics — beneficial microorganisms which are concentrated in foods, drinks, or pills — significantly reduced the number of upper respiratory tract infections that people got and made them less severe.
Where green tea really excels is in its levels of epigallocatechin gallate EGCG , another powerful antioxidant. In studies , EGCG has been shown to enhance immune function. The fermentation process black tea goes through destroys a lot of the EGCG. Green tea, on the other hand, is steamed and not fermented, so the EGCG is preserved.
Green tea is also a good source of the amino acid L-theanine. L-theanine may aid in the production of germ-fighting compounds in your T cells. Papaya is another fruit loaded with vitamin C. You can find double the daily recommended amount of vitamin C in a single medium fruit.
Papayas also have a digestive enzyme called papain that has anti-inflammatory effects. Papayas have decent amounts of potassium , magnesium, and folate , all of which are beneficial to your overall health. Like papayas, kiwis are naturally full of a ton of essential nutrients, including folate, potassium, vitamin K , and vitamin C.
The soup may help lower inflammation, which could improve symptoms of a cold. Poultry, such as chicken and turkey, is high in vitamin B About 3 ounces of light turkey or chicken meat contains nearly one-third of your daily recommended amount of B Vitamin B-6 is an important player in many of the chemical reactions that happen in the body.
Stock or broth made by boiling chicken bones contains gelatin, chondroitin, and other nutrients helpful for gut healing and immunity.
Too much zinc can actually inhibit immune system function. Variety is the key to proper nutrition. Eating right is a great start, and there are other things you can do to protect you and your family from the flu, cold , and other illnesses. Start with these flu prevention basics and then read these 7 tips for flu-proofing your home.
Perhaps most importantly, get your annual flu vaccine to protect yourself and others. Learn more about the ways you can treat a stuffy nose, or nasal congestion, at home, including tips on decongestants, humidifiers, and steam remedies. Steam inhalers are used as personal saunas for skin care or supporting respiratory health. We created a list of steam inhalers to suit your needs.
You may have heard that you can sweat out a cold, but is this an effective remedy? Learn more here. Typically, postnasal drip can be alleviated at home. Try these remedies and OTC products to relieve your symptoms.
Salt water gargles are touted as an effective and easy home remedy for a sore throat. We explain why, plus additional benefits. Can apple cider vinegar be used for colds?
We explain the benefits of apple cider vinegar, and what the science says about it treating the common cold. What does research say about whether you should exercise with a cold? Learn what you should and shouldn't do, and how you can help yourself recover…. As we age, our immune response capability becomes reduced, which in turn contributes to more infections and more cancer. As life expectancy in developed countries has increased, so too has the incidence of age-related conditions.
While some people age healthily, the conclusion of many studies is that, compared with younger people, the elderly are more likely to contract infectious diseases and, even more importantly, more likely to die from them.
Respiratory infections, including, influenza , the COVID virus and particularly pneumonia are a leading cause of death in people over 65 worldwide.
No one knows for sure why this happens, but some scientists observe that this increased risk correlates with a decrease in T cells, possibly from the thymus atrophying with age and producing fewer T cells to fight off infection.
Whether this decrease in thymus function explains the drop in T cells or whether other changes play a role is not fully understood. Others are interested in whether the bone marrow becomes less efficient at producing the stem cells that give rise to the cells of the immune system.
A reduction in immune response to infections has been demonstrated by older people's response to vaccines. For example, studies of influenza vaccines have shown that for people over age 65, the vaccine is less effective compared to healthy children over age 2.
But despite the reduction in efficacy, vaccinations for influenza and S. There appears to be a connection between nutrition and immunity in the elderly. A form of malnutrition that is surprisingly common even in affluent countries is known as "micronutrient malnutrition. Older people tend to eat less and often have less variety in their diets. One important question is whether dietary supplements may help older people maintain a healthier immune system. Older people should discuss this question with their doctor.
Like any fighting force, the immune system army marches on its stomach. Healthy immune system warriors need good, regular nourishment. Scientists have long recognized that people who live in poverty and are malnourished are more vulnerable to infectious diseases. For example, researchers don't know whether any particular dietary factors, such as processed foods or high simple sugar intake, will have adversely affect immune function.
There are still relatively few studies of the effects of nutrition on the immune system of humans. There is some evidence that various micronutrient deficiencies — for example, deficiencies of zinc, selenium, iron, copper, folic acid, and vitamins A, B6, C, and E — alter immune responses in animals, as measured in the test tube. However, the impact of these immune system changes on the health of animals is less clear, and the effect of similar deficiencies on the human immune response has yet to be assessed.
So, what can you do? If you suspect your diet is not providing you with all your micronutrient needs — maybe, for instance, you don't like vegetables — taking a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement may bring other health benefits, beyond any possibly beneficial effects on the immune system.
Taking megadoses of a single vitamin does not. More is not necessarily better. Walk into a store, and you will find bottles of pills and herbal preparations that claim to "support immunity" or otherwise boost the health of your immune system.
Although some preparations have been found to alter some components of immune function, thus far there is no evidence that they actually bolster immunity to the point where you are better protected against infection and disease.
Demonstrating whether an herb — or any substance, for that matter — can enhance immunity is, as yet, a highly complicated matter. Scientists don't know, for example, whether an herb that seems to raise the levels of antibodies in the blood is actually doing anything beneficial for overall immunity.
Modern medicine has come to appreciate the closely linked relationship of mind and body. A wide variety of maladies, including stomach upset, hives, and even heart disease, are linked to the effects of emotional stress. Despite the challenges, scientists are actively studying the relationship between stress and immune function. For one thing, stress is difficult to define. What may appear to be a stressful situation for one person is not for another.
When people are exposed to situations they regard as stressful, it is difficult for them to measure how much stress they feel, and difficult for the scientist to know if a person's subjective impression of the amount of stress is accurate. The scientist can only measure things that may reflect stress, such as the number of times the heart beats each minute, but such measures also may reflect other factors.
Most scientists studying the relationship of stress and immune function, however, do not study a sudden, short-lived stressor; rather, they try to study more constant and frequent stressors known as chronic stress, such as that caused by relationships with family, friends, and co-workers, or sustained challenges to perform well at one's work.
Some scientists are investigating whether ongoing stress takes a toll on the immune system. But it is hard to perform what scientists call "controlled experiments" in human beings. In a controlled experiment, the scientist can change one and only one factor, such as the amount of a particular chemical, and then measure the effect of that change on some other measurable phenomenon, such as the amount of antibodies produced by a particular type of immune system cell when it is exposed to the chemical.
In a living animal, and especially in a human being, that kind of control is just not possible, since there are so many other things happening to the animal or person at the time that measurements are being taken.
0コメント