Natural Immune Boosters: How to Strengthen Your Immunity

It’s not fun waking up in the morning feeling achy, lethargic and generally unwell. Unfortunately, health issues can strike at any time. The good news is that you can incorporate several natural immune boosters and lifestyle changes to strengthen your immune system and fend off sick days.

In this guide, we'll explore effective strategies to bolster your immune system and cultivate a resilient state of well-being, empowering you to face each and every day with vitality and vigor.

Dietary Immune Boosters

Maintaining a healthy diet plays a key role in immune function — the immune system relies on essential nutrients, and undernutrition can compromise its effectiveness. During times of sickness, the immune system requires even more energy, as it works in overdrive to fend off pathogens and support tissue repair.

For enhanced immune support , consider incorporating the following foods into your diet.

#1 Citrus Fruits

It’s no secret that vitamin C plays a crucial role in immune function. As a powerful antioxidant, it helps prevent immune cell damage caused by free radicals, enhancing their ability to combat pathogens. It also supports the production of white blood cells, which fight off harmful invaders.

As such, you can bolster your diet with:

Oranges
Grapefruit
Clementines
Tangerines
Lemons
Limes

#2 Veggies

Vegetables like red bell peppers, broccoli and spinach are powerful natural immune boosters — and delicious, too!

Like citrus fruits, red bell peppers are abundant in vitamin C. Actually, they contain much more. A large orange contains roughly 97.9 mg of vitamin C, while a large red bell pepper boasts 210 mg of vitamin C. They’re also rich in beta-carotene, which converts into vitamin A — an essential nutrient that plays a role in the body’s immune response.

Broccoli, on the other hand, contains many more essential micronutrients, including vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps the body react quickly to pathogens. Broccoli is also high in fiber to support the health of the gut, where 70 to 80% of immune cells reside.

Lastly, spinach contains vitamin C, beta-carotene and antioxidants to support healthy immune system function. If possible, avoid cooking spinach down too much, as raw spinach contains the most nutrients.

#3 Yogurt

We touched a bit on the importance of a healthy gut for optimal immune function, but let’s dive in deeper: The gut contains trillions of gut microbiota, which help to support the production and function of immune cells.

Yogurts that contain live and active cultures, such as Greek yogurt, support a healthy gut microbiome and immune function. They’re also rich in vitamin D, which helps the body fight off pathogens.

To bolster this natural immunity booster, consider adding:

Sunflower seeds– Packed with phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin B6 and vitamin E to help regulate immune system function.
Crushed almonds– A rich vitamin E source that’s key to immune health.
Papaya – A small papaya contains 100% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C to support immune function and digestive health.
Kiwi– Rich in folate, potassium, vitamin C and vitamin K, which helps to regulate the immune response.

#4 Green Tea

A hot cup of green tea can soothe the body and deliver several beneficial ingredients to support immune health, such as:

Flavonoids – As antioxidants, flavonoids help to regulate the immune response and neutralize harmful free radicals.
Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) – Another antioxidant, EGCG can enhance the immune response and defense against pathogens.

#5 CBD Supplements

CBD, or cannabidiol, is a non-psychoactive component of hemp plants. Studies have shown that the cannabinoid can interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system, which encompasses cannabinoid receptors found in both the nervous system and the immune system.

As such, it’s believed that CBD supplements, such as CBD gummies, CBD chewable tablets and CBD oils, may help to modulate immune responses and promote immune cell activity.

To explore all the key benefits of CBD oil, including its potential immune support, take a look at our other detailed article. After learning about the various advantages, you can better understand the different types of CBD products available to make the best choice for your health needs

Lifestyle Immune Boosters

Beyond a healthy diet, you can also incorporate several healthy habits into your daily routine to maintain a strong immune system.

#1 Move Every Day

The immune system is very responsive to exercise: exercising moderately to vigorously for under 60 minutes can activate the immune cells, allowing them to move more freely between the bloodstream and the tissues.

This type of exercise can also increase the production of immunoglobulins and cytokines, which help to strengthen the body’s defenses against pathogens and other invaders.

While exercise offers countless health benefits, straining your body with intense workouts, competitions or long training sessions can put unneeded stress on the body, which can impair immune function and cause damage to cells and tissues.

To avoid pushing yourself too hard, you can adopt such exercises as:

Briskly walking (moderate)
Gardening or yard work (moderate)
Dancing (moderate)
Jogging (vigorous)
Swimming laps (vigorous)
Cycling (vigorous)

#2 Prioritize Your Sleep

When you sleep, the body releases protective cytokines that aid immune function. Conversely, a lack of sleep can limit the number of antibodies in the body, which can increase your risk of getting sick.

To create an optimal sleeping routine, consider:

Creating consistency by going to bed at the same time every night
Limiting screen time before bed
Cultivating a cozy sleeping environment
Relaxing before bed by reading, taking a warm bath or lightly stretching
Avoiding caffeine and large meals before bed
Practicing meditation or journaling to ease feelings of stress

For more strategies on establishing a calming night routine that can enhance your sleep quality and overall well-being, dive into our other comprehensive guide.

#3 Limit Alcohol

Evidence suggests that drinking alcohol can weaken the immune system and make it harder for it to fight off invaders. As such, it’s recommended to limit your alcohol intake.

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, men should limit their drinks to two or less a day, and women should limit their drinking to one or less a day.

Boost Your Health With Zebra CBD

Your immune system is vital to your overall health. Fortunately, you can maintain a healthy immune system by incorporating plenty of nutrient-rich foods and supplements and practicing healthy habits, such as exercising regularly, sleeping enough and avoiding harmful substances like alcohol.

If you’re interested in adding CBD to your daily routine, there is Zebra CBD. Each of our CBD products, from our CBD topicals to CBD gummies for sale, is cultivated with premium hemp extract to deliver vitality and immune support with every serving.

Shop our CBD online today.

Sources: