Wondering how to boost the immune system naturally? Here are 20 ways of boosting your immune system without chemicals.
We have been created perfectly. Our body has an immune system that is not fully understood by our researchers, despite the enormous progress that has already been done. But there are situations when we feel overwhelmed, too frightened for our children and elder, too exhausted of spending money on chemical drugs that won’t work. Unable to control stress and always in search of a reliable remedy.
Or perhaps too weak after chemotherapy or with an immunodeficiency caused by HIV.
What are the best solutions, because the immune system functions after laws not yet fully understood and there is a steady increase in immune-related diseases such as allergic diseases, Type 1 diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease and others. What is the best way to keep our immune system balanced?
Somewhere in the next 20 ways of supporting and improving the immune system, you may find the answer that fits your necessities.
What is the immune system?
The immune system is often described like a cognitive system, which is a system capable to remember, recognize, filter and structure information. Some compare it to an army of defense with the subconscious as the general. We recognize its following main attributes:
– The components of the immune system are B-cells, antibodies, T-cells, and MHC molecules.
– The immune system recognizes and responds to an antigen.
– The immune system distinguishes self from non-self.
– The adaptive immune system has the capability to learn and has memory.
Cognitive, yes. In his study from 2016, “Conceptual Spaces of the Immune System“, Walter Fierz tried to demonstrate the applicability of the theory of conceptual spaces to the context of the immune system as a cognitive system and also to demonstrate the value of conceptual spaces in explaining immunological phenomena. It sounds rocket science for most of us, yet it is a new perspective, a different approach, something that can bring us closer to understanding it and closer to making a better vaccine structure.
Despite being such a complex system, there is one way in which an infectious agent can evade immune surveillance: by altering its antigenic property. It happens in recurrent epidemics of influenza. The virus has developed two strategies that allow evading neutralization by antibodies. The milder form, called antigenic drift is caused by point mutations in the genes encoding surface antigens of the virus. In this way, the saliences of the epitopes are changed and although the virus still looks similar for the immune system, the defense is less vigorous and infection prolonged.
Major influenza pandemics result when the second strategy comes into play, the antigenic shifts caused by re-assortment of the genome of the influenza virus and related animal influenza viruses in an animal host. The resulting virus is not recognized anymore by the immune system knowing the concept of the previous variant but being ignorant to the new antigens disguising the virus.
Consequently, severe and sometimes fatal infections result. In a worldwide endeavor, each year new vaccines are constructed, which contain the new antigenic variants of the virus and that allow the immune system to learn in advance the new viral concept.
Naturopaths say this is the moment when natural boosters should be taken, to increase this less vigorous defense system. Here are the main important factors that contribute to a strong and ready to action immune system. And as with everything else in life, our body is not only what we can see with our naked eyes, and we should consider reaching a healthy state on all levels, as they are interdependent.
1. Food.
The human body is material matter, perfectly combined chemicals that need other chemicals to sustain them. What substances enter our body is very important. We cannot fuel a car with benzine instead of diesel and expect to work. You cannot feed a lion a bowl of cereals, or give meat to a cow.
When it comes to humans, things are complicated, as we are omnivore. We are neither designed to be herbivores nor are we designed to be carnivores (some basic differences: we do not produce Vit C, like carnivores and had to take it from plants, but produce hydrochloric acid, which is necessary to carnivores but not to herbivores. The human mouth, stomach, and liver can secrete enzymes to digest almost every type of sugar except cellulose, which is essential to a herbivores).
It is not true that you will be perfectly healthy if you are a vegetarian. The human body needs varied food from different sources and lack of some nutrients leads to dysfunctions. Make sure to cover them. And if you eat everything, then be aware of quantities. Balance is the key.
What is really dangerous is the way today food is prepared. It is not meat that harms us but the way it is cooked. Junk food is indeed junk. Eat it from time to time only. Sweets are way too much, alcohol is way too much.
Smoothies. Here are 100 Recipes for green smoothies for detox and cleansing To Make Green Smoothies for Detox and Cleansing, or juicing them using a masticating juicer.
The problem with today vegetables is that they have become almost toxic. Like synthetic drugs: treat a specific disease and cause others in the process. Fruits and vegetables today are subject to pesticides and other chemical treatments that remain on the fruit. Their grinds cannot be eaten. With few exceptions.
2. Supplements
Because our lifestyle today does not allow us to have a balanced food, we need supplements. Research says stress causes us deficiencies and some chemicals in our body are depleted.
Supplements can help us.
It is better to have a set of medical tests done before starting taking them. What works for an individual might not work for me. Nevertheless the market is abundant in plants and herbs and people consider them the ultimate salvation. There is a wide range of supplements with boosting immunity properties available to whoever wants to buy them. Among them, found at Amazon: L-argininne, moringa oil 
Probiotics make the most important supplement for a strong immune system. It is considered that 80% of the immune cells are build in our guts. The good bacteria make our good soldiers so let’s take care of them first. A healthy digestion is essential for a strong body. Look for ones that are stomach acid and bile resistant, include at least 10 strains of bacteria and also have prebiotics. Here is a good recommendation from Dr. Mercola: Complete Probiotics – 90 Day Supply.
In almost all cases of colds and flue probiotics are always recommended.
Be careful! Do not take too many boosting immunity supplements at a time. They do work and overstimulating the immune system is possible and dangerous. Remember it is a cognitive system, which works on principles yet not fully understood.
Propolis is one product of the hive with very good benefits for immunity.
LifeMel honey – a special type of honey, able to prevent and treat side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, suffered by cancer pacients: anemia, severe neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia. This honey is a multifloral honey made from certain medicinal herbs, cultivated by researchers on special places, away from any reach of pesticides and pollution. Despite being rather expensive, after using it, patients reported exceptional results.
3.
Take it in extreme situations only. Replace them with other natural remedies, like essential oils. You will be surprised of how effective they are.
These over the counter drugs can be bought without limits, but taking them frequently and for long periods of time lead to other medical complication and built resistance.
4. Sunshine or Vitamin D3 supplements
We are told not to stay in the sun or we’ll get skin cancer. Sunshine contains different ultraviolet (UV), visible, and infrared radiations and is an essential source of light and warmth for life on earth. But it has strong negative effects on human health, such as promoting the malignant transformation of skin cells and suppressing the ability of the human immune system to efficiently detect and attack malignant cells. True.
However, there is also abundant evidence showing that sunlight effects, especially of “very low doses,” are indeed beneficial and not only due to Vitamin D synthesis. (D. H. González Maglio et al., 2016)
5. Grounding aka earthing
Walking barefoot, running on the sand, gardening, taking a bath in the see/ocean, all activities that imply direct contact with the Earth, thus electrically connecting our body to it.
The Earth is a massive reservoir of negatively charged free electrons. Our body needs to connect to this reservoir, because the cells in our body are unable to balance, by itself, the positive charge which results from things like electron-deficient free radicals. The effect of excess positive charge in the blood can be seen very clearly by the way in which the cells are attracted to clump together. The picture bellow clearly shows a dramatic thinning and decoupling of the blood cells. See this study and many others on groundology.co.uk.
Even more. Our modern environment is full of a wide spectrum of electromagnetic radiation from computers, mobile phones & masts, radio & TV broadcasts, WiFi, power lines, domestic wiring, and other electrical appliances. This electromagnetic radiation induces voltages in our bodies, disrupting the trillions of subtle electrical communications which are a vital part of the function of our body’s systems. Because we also have our own electricity and our frequency, and altering them will eventually alter our body.
Grounding can be done simply by going outside and placing your bare feet or hands on some grass or earth, or to immerse yourself in a body of conductive water such as the sea or a mineral-rich lake.
If you cannot do this, than we can buy conductive products that are available on the market, such as these found on Amazon: earthing half sheet with grounding connection cord, mats
6. Limit exposure to radiations
Radiations from around us are a quiet fire that burns without a sound. It’s not like being in a microwave oven, but the effects on a long run are becoming more and more obvious. Try to turn on your Wi-Fi when not in use, use headphones and don’t keep your phone next to you when sleeping, use some protections for smart meters, or other EMF shields (But beware of scams, as there are incredibly many).
7. Stress management
Science confirmed that most of our diseases come from stress. We always hear: avoid stress! What they don’t tell you is how to do this.
It seems that it comes down to reaching a general level of balance and calm which can help you stay in control when critical moments show up. Meditation, yoga, music therapy – these are some suggestions. It is hard to be in control of your nerves, anxiety, fears, frustrations… Conquering them and remaining cool takes a lot of energy and a deep understanding of life.
8. Laughter
It is said that laughter is the best medicine. Science connects it with an increased lymphatic flow, which means an elevated, improved immune system, more lymph flowing through the nodes, thus producing more lymphocytes, antibodies etc.
The effects of laughter on natural killer cell cytotoxicity have been studied by Mary Payne Bennett and Cecile Lengacher in Humor and Laughter May Influence Health IV. Humor and Immune Function, published in 2009.
Here is a cheap but good book I recommend: The Laughing Cure: Emotional and Physical Healing—A Comedian Reveals Why Laughter Really Is the Best Medicine
But nobody can laugh at demand, out of the blue. That’s why comedy movies are highly recommended. Watch something funny, read something funny, sing along with your children, play games with them. Basically, ignore the tough life and laugh as if you were a child yourself. Educate yourself to create fun in your life.
9. Sleep
Research says that sleep facilitates the consolidation phase of immunological memory formation, that is the formation of the immunological synapse. Lange T and his research team showed since 2003 that a single night of normal sleep after vaccination strengthens the evolvement of a natural immune response against an invading antigen, to a clinically relevant extent. Importantly, these immuno-enhancing effects of sleep were still present at a 1-year follow-up, indicating that sleep in enhancing the initial formation of an adaptive immune response also supports the long-term maintenance of the antigenic memory, a function hallmarking the immune system.
Nocturnal sleep, and especially SWS prevalent during the early night, promotes the release of GH (growth hormone) and prolactin, while anti-inflammatory actions of cortisol and catecholamines are at the lowest levels. The endocrine milieu during early sleep likely promotes the initiation of Th1 immune responses that eventually supports the formation of long-lasting immunological memories (Luciana Besedovsky et al, 2012)
Best positions for a good sleep. For a healthy sleep you need to sleep on your back, in a neutral position, with a pillow under your neck, not your head, to maintain proper spinal curve. Poor sleeping position is a common cause of aches and pains, it can trigger or aggravate arthritic conditions. You may consider these advice and see if they work for you. (Dr. Peter Martone, chiropractor and exercise physiologist.)
Turn off electricity. For a proper rest of the entire body, it is also recommended to turn off ALL electricity to your room by going to the breaker box and shutting it off. You can have an electrician install a remote breaker for convenience.
Bottom line, sleep is essential for a strong immune system. Respect your body and let it rest properly.
10. Warm temperature
Cold temperature weakens the immune system. During winter, blood pressure increases and, by some reckonings, 70% of the wintertime increase in the death rate can be traced back to heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular causes of death. Flu season is a winter event, and flu viruses spread more readily once the air is dry and chilly.
However, a little bit of exposure to cold may not be such a bad thing. It’s been suggested, that moderately cold temperatures could be good for the vasculature because it trains blood vessels in the skin to be responsive. Cryotherapy, which is using cold temperatures for medical purposes, has proved to be efficient in pain suppression. “Whole-body cryotherapy” was developed in Japan to treat pain and inflammation from rheumatic and other conditions.
British researchers ‘ hypothesis: cold air rushing into the nasal passages makes infections more probable by diminishing the local immune response there. (health.harvard.edu)
Keep it warm.
How to boost the immune system naturally – Part 2
