{"id":13923,"date":"2017-11-29T08:57:04","date_gmt":"2017-11-29T08:57:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/?p=13923"},"modified":"2024-11-26T16:33:25","modified_gmt":"2024-11-26T16:33:25","slug":"winter-is-coming-boost-that-immune-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/winter-is-coming-boost-that-immune-system\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Boost your Immune System"},"content":{"rendered":"

I always find it funny when people say things to me like \u201cHow do you work in an Immunology Lab and still get sick?!\u201d \u2013 as if studying it makes you intrinsically resistant to disease. I wish the immune system was that simple. That would make for a lot more classical \u201cEureka!\u201d moments in my PhD and a lot less \u201cI-want-to-burn-the-lab-down\u201d moments. I\u2019m kidding \u2013 I love my job, as nerdy as it is. By the way, you can look after your immune system by trying one or more of our supplements in the immune support<\/a> category.<\/p>\n

However, there is no denying the fact that knowledge is power and the more you know about what your immune system is, how it works and what affects it, you\u2019re in a far better position to fight off most things life throws at you. Except failed experiments.<\/p>\n

What is Immunity?<\/h2>\n

Immunity is, in a nutshell, being in a state of protection from danger by your body\u2019s immune system \u2013 a complex network of immune cells, proteins and other small molecules which work together to keep you safe and fight off any potentially dangerous invaders (such as a bacterium, virus etc.)<\/p>\n

I like to think of the immune system as the body\u2019s own little army; always prepared and able to detect, hunt down and defeat the enemy all while keeping your own cells happy and safe. It does usually by making special proteins known as antibodies which basically \u201cmark\u201d the invaders \u201cdangerous\u201d thereby instructing the body to destroy it. Essentially, our bodies declare war on anything that shouldn\u2019t really be in its territory and most of the time, we win.<\/p>\n

Not all of the time, though \u2013 this is when we get sick! Obviously, we want to prevent that as much as possible and there are many things you can do to help your body be the one and only victor.<\/p>\n

What affects your immune system?<\/h2>\n

As I\u2019ve said \u2013 the immune system is complex and therefore multiple factors can impair its function, but the three main culprits are ones everyone will have dealt with at some point; especially if you live in Ireland or the UK where winter is basically one long walk in a rainy, grass-covered fridge.<\/p>\n

Stress<\/h3>\n

Stress is an energy-demanding process. Anyone who\u2019s ever suffered with anxiety or stress knows how much it can actually take out of you. It leaves you feeling tired, moody and \u2013 of course \u2013 sick! This is because stress and anxiety are energy demanding processes.<\/p>\n

This is energy that could be used to fight an invading virus but instead your stress is sucking the energy tanks dry. Without sufficient energy available to fight, your body just can\u2019t fight as well as it used to. It\u2019s busy being stressed!<\/p>\n

Cold temperature<\/h3>\n

While the cold, rainy weather most of us endure in the winter months does not directly make us ill, it does affect our ability to fight infection, just as stress does.<\/p>\n

Your body likes to maintain a body temperature of 37\u030a – and it\u2019s very picky about this. When your temperature drops (or rises) it does everything it can to bring it back to 37\u030a – another process diverting energy AWAY from fighting infection thus making you a lot more vulnerable.<\/p>\n

Malnutrition<\/h3>\n

Hopefully nobody reading this is malnourished but certainly anyone who has ever dieted has experienced very mild malnutrition through the process of losing weight. How this affects your immunity is fairly straightforward \u2013 you don\u2019t have the energy to give to your cells to fight infection. This is easily prevented but unfortunately within the health and fitness industry, being \u201cshredded\u201d year-round is an expectation too many of us risk to achieve.<\/p>\n

Supplementation for optimal immune function<\/h2>\n

You can look after your immune system by trying one or more of our supplements in the immune support<\/a> category.<\/p>\n

Vitamin C<\/h3>\n

Remember the army of cells I was talking about \u2013 the ones that fight off the invading bacteria, viruses and the like? Well these guys rely on Vitamin C<\/a> to function properly and eat up and dispose of those invading germs.<\/p>\n

Yep. They literally eat them up. Gruesome, right?<\/p>\n

Probiotics<\/h3>\n

While not required year-round, a probiotic<\/a> in winter can help build up a happy family of the \u201cgood\u201d bacteria in your intestine, which will not only aid in your digestion, complexion and gut health but also help your body fight off infection from the more \u201cunfriendly\u201d bacteria.<\/p>\n

Win, win situation!<\/p>\n

Vitamin D3 and Zinc<\/h3>\n

Zinc isn\u2019t just for you boys (you know what I\u2019m on about\u2026!) it\u2019s also a major component of multiple proteins involved in immunity and cell repair, while Vitamin D3 plays a major role in immunological signalling pathways (important stuff, just trust me on this!). Supplementation with Zinc<\/a> and Vitamin D3<\/a> (ideally in combination with Vitamin C) can help in the prevention of infection and help maintain optimal immune function, so be sure to hit that recommended daily dose of 8mg (females) or 11mg (males) during those winter months.<\/p>\n

Keep calm, stay warm and eat peanut butter<\/h2>\n

As we now know, stress, cold temperatures and malnutrition all negatively impact our immune system. While combating stress is trickier and will vary between individuals, do try and keep a steady head during times of stress such as exam season, holidays and even intense training cycles. While there\u2019s no supplement or \u201cone size fits all\u201d for tackling stress, the best advice I can give is to allow yourself one hour to yourself a day to do something that makes you feel good. I\u2019m a typical kind of girl when it comes to this and usually use my \u201cme time\u201d to dye my hair or do a face mask but this is totally personal. Just ensure it is not a stressor and this INCLUDES training!<\/p>\n

Whatever you choose, just make sure you\u2019re not cold. Totally defeating the purpose of the exercise here!<\/p>\n

As for malnutrition, this may seem like a no brainer but to ensure your immune system is working as effectively as possible, try to limit dieting to 6-week blocks with at least a 2-week \u201cdiet break\u201d in between each dieting phase. Dieting is unavoidable for many and required for some but does indeed take its toll on your immune system. If you are dieting during the winter, give yourself a break every now and then and indulge a little bit more \u2013 your body will thank you.<\/p>\n

Yes, I did just give you another reason to eat peanut butter<\/a>. Just what we all needed. You\u2019re welcome.<\/p>\n

Take home message<\/h2>\n

The winter months can take its toll on your body and with Christmas, exam season and champagne-infused parties added to the mix you\u2019re immune system can take a fine beating. However by taking these simple steps to not only improve your immune system\u2019s function but also prevent future infection you\u2019ll be downing that glass of bubbly no problem.<\/p>\n

Well, maybe don\u2019t down it. That just creates totally different \u2013 and messier \u2013 problems.<\/p>\n

Related articles<\/h3>\n

Looking to learn more? We believe that every person, with support, has the right to transform their lives through fitness. That’s why we’ve put together hundreds of articles with expert advice, all to help you on your fitness journey.<\/p>\n

5 Supplements to Survive Freshers<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Different types of Protein Snacks<\/a>
\nBest Supplements for Students<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Health Heroes: 4 Great Products<\/a>
\nBenefits of Mushroom Supplements<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Protein Chocolate vs Regular Chocolate<\/a>
\nBenefits of Ashwagandha<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Benefits of a Complete Food Shake<\/a>
\nIntroducing Essential Whey Protein<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 What is the 1\u2122 Complete Food Shake?<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I always find it funny when people say things to me like “How do you work in an Immunology Lab and still get sick?!” – as if studying it makes…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":14734,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[351],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13923","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diet-and-nutrition"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13923","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13923"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13923\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24741,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13923\/revisions\/24741"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13923"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13923"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13923"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}