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Health Tip: Is it possible to "boost" immunity?
 To be completely honest, I'm not certain. A Google search
for "boosting immunity" turned up 548,000 results.
Just a few of the measures to boost immunity mentioned
include eliminating dietary sugar, aromatherapy, herbal products, listening to music,
eating garlic, and even eating Cocoa Krispies cereal. Clearly, there are many (mostly
with a product to sell) who believe that it is possible to enhance one's immunity.
Some measures seem to work for some individuals,
like the patient I had who swore that an ounce or two of apple cider vinegar each
day would ward off colds. But, in otherwise healthy people, research has yet to
confirm that a vitamin, herb, food or other measure is uniformly effective for everyone
in enhancing immunity.
What constitutes the immune system?
The immune system is truly complex. It incorporates organs, tissues, cells, antibodies
and other biochemical components in performing its primary task of identifying and
destroying unwanted agents (viruses, pathogenic bacteria, cancer cells, etc.). From
a scientific standpoint, in order to establish that a particular intervention improves
immunity to infection, it is necessary to show that the intervention, e.g. eating
garlic, has an effect on some component of the immune system (such as increasing
white blood cell activity), and that this effect translates into lower incidence
of infection. Rigorous scientific evaluation of the literally thousands of products
that claim to "boost" or "support" the immune system has simply not been done. Does
that mean that they don't work? Not necessarily. It just means that most of these
interventions have not been scientifically proven to work.
Are there diseases associated with poor immune function?
Clearly, there are situations in which the immune system is not working
properly. Primary immune deficiency (PI) is a group of mostly inherited diseases
that includes X-linked Agammaglobulinemia, Hyper-IgM Syndrome, and Selective IgA
Deficiency. Some types of PI are characterized by low levels of antibodies, whereas
other have defects in the function of white blood cells. Acquired Immunodeficiency
Syndrome (AIDS) is an example of an immune deficiency that usually develops later
in life, rather than being inherited. In the case of AIDS, the immune deficiency
develops as a result of an infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Most people who are interested in boosting their immunity, however, do not have
one of these very serious underlying conditions; they simply want to avoid having
colds or other minor illnesses.
What measures have been shown to help with immune function? A number
of researchers are exploring the effects of diet, exercise, stress, herbs, and other
factors on the immune system. Here are a few that do seem to be positively associated
with "boosting" immunity:
-
 Eating
a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in saturated fat. Foods
that may have a particular "immune enhancing" effect include vitamin C (citrus fruit,
broccoli), vitamin E (nuts, vegetable oils, whole grains), garlic, zinc, bioflavenoids
(fruits and vegetables), selenium (chicken, whole grain, tuna, eggs, sunflower seeds,
brown rice), carotenoids (carrots, yams), and omega-3 fatty acids (nuts, salmon,
tuna, flaxseed oil).
- Exercising regularly. As with a healthy diet,
exercise contributes to good general health and therefore to a healthy immune system.
Overtraining or exercising when ill, however, appears to have an adverse effect.
- Not smoking. Nicotine, which is one of the main
constituents of cigarette smoke, suppresses the immune system. This could lead to
the development of lung or other types of cancer.
- Maintaining a healthy weight. Research in mice
has demonstrated a negative effect of obesity on immune function. Also some illnesses,
such as influenza, are known to have higher mortality among obese individuals.
- Controlling stress. The relationship between
stress and immunity is still being evaluated. Nevertheless, researchers have identified
many ties between stress and an impaired immune system. Two examples are a reduced
level of white blood cell activity (t-cells) in depressed individuals and decreased
immune system function in survivors of natural disasters.
- Receiving appropriate immunizations. Depending
on the situation, these could include Hepatitis A and B, tetanus, diphtheria, influenza,
measles, mumps, rubella and polio.
- Washing your hands regularly. Washing with soap
and water, particularly before eating and after using the bathroom can reduce your
exposure to pathologic organisms.
- Getting adequate sleep. Several studies have
shown that sleep deprivation can negatively affect certain components of the immune
system as measured by white cell count and activity.
If you or your family have any questions boosting
your immunity, please do not hesitate to sign into your eDocAmerica account and
send us your questions. We are ready to help you however possible.
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