5 Things That Suppress Your Immune System
Our immune system is complex and vital to our health. Yet, many of us don’t actually know much about it, how it works, what could affect it, what could boost it or how important it is for our everyday lifestyle. This is why so many of us feel ill or weak, when there is nothing really wrong with us. The normal everyday things should not affect us but they do. This might be congested air in public transport, maybe a gust of wind hitting you up the nose, or it could be the inability to fight seasonal allergies. So here are 5 things that you could be doing right now, that are all harming your immune system and hence making you feel tired and weak.
Lack of sleep
Number one on our list is a lack of sleep. Not getting enough sleep is the root cause of so many problems. But, if you don’t allow your body to heal, replenish energy stores and create your antibodies during sleep, you will be at a higher risk of so many things. You’re more likely to catch viruses and harmful germs. So something that would not normally harm you, such as wiping your face after touching a door handle in your office, will cause you to fall ill or feel weak. Your body creates proteins that include antibodies that will be used to fight viruses as they enter your body. Not to mention, your gut will also make fighting bacteria that will kill germs that seek to harm you if they enter your body.
Anxiety’s hidden harms
Nobody wants to experience anxiety, but nobody wants to experience its side effects either. Did you know that if you are overly stressed for long periods of time, your immune system becomes weaker? Stress and worry, will not put your body in a great position to fight germs and viruses. Being anxious can limit your immune system’s capability to fight germs in as little as half an hour. This is something that many of us might experience because most of us will be stressed for at least more than 30 minutes during the day. If you are stressed or worried on a daily basis, you should speak with your doctor.
Not getting enough vitamin D
Vitamin D is incredibly good for us and most of us should be getting it from the sunshine. About 30 minutes of direct sunshine on our skin, will force our body to make good amounts of vitamin D, which helps to make our bones strong and boost our immune system. You can get vitamin D from foods such as milk, fatty fish like sardines, sea bass and salmon, but most of all, eggs. Eggs have lots of nutritional value and they are easy to digest. If you can’t get enough vitamin D in your diet, then look at these Immune System Supplements. They have vitamin D supplements you can take daily, with your coffee or lunch, and it's a very affordable option.
Not enough veggies
Not getting enough vegetables in your diet is probably one of the most common reasons for your immune system being weaker than it should be. In vegetables, you will find vitamins A, B, C and E. you’ll also find zinc and fiber that your body requires to remain strong and healthy. Fresh vegetables and fruits should be mixed with nuts for healthy fats, vitamins and nutrients. Try to include just one vegetable or fruit in your meals every single day. Maybe a banana for breakfast, grapes and mushrooms for lunch etc. This is something that you should get into the habit of doing.
Too much alcohol
There are some bad habits that really do harm your body’s ability to fight germs for about 24 hours. Alcohol and smoking are the two culprits you should blame. Your liver and lungs are harmed the most from these two substances, and your body struggles to retain as many white blood cells as possible in these areas. You’ll find that you don’t get as many of the nutrients from each meal as you would if you stopped drinking. You may be more at risk from viruses as your lungs are inflamed from the smoke and hence, not as much blood flow is circulating around your lungs.
If there is one thing you could do right now to stop your immune system from being harmed, is getting 8 hours of sleep. Next you could add some veggies into your meals and get some sunshine every day.