Top 10 Things That Help Boost Immunity

Our immune system is an incredibly important and quite complex part of our body. You possibly don’t realise that most of our immune system is in our gut and therefore the foods we eat, the state of our digestive system and our gut flora all play a massive role in how our immune system functions.

When it functions well, pathogens are fought off and diseases such as cancer are kept in check.

But, when our immune system gets out of whack, it causes allergies, asthma, autoimmune disease, it may struggle to keep cancer cells in check and it may fail to kill invaders as they enter the body.

Our immune system needs certain things, nutrients and conditions to function well. This list of the top 10 things to boost immunity is taken from Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride’s book Gut and Psychology Syndrome: Natural Treatment for Autism, Dyspraxia, A.D.D., Dyslexia, A.D.H.D., Depression, & Schizophrenia:

Cold pressed oils – olive oil, fish oils, nut and seed oils – I would also add coconut oil to this list
Fresh eggs. Particularly raw egg yolk
Onions and garlic
Freshly pressed fruit and vegetable juices
Regular consumption of greens: parsley, dill, coriander, spring onions and garlic etc.
Probiotic supplementation and fermented foods
Contact with animals: horses, dogs etc.
Physical activity in the fresh air
Swimming in unpolluted natural waters: lakes, rivers and the sea
Exposure to sunlight and sensible sunbathing

I think it’s a sensible list. There’s only a couple of things that I’d add to it. They would be:

Living as stress free as possible: Remove unnecessary stress from your life, be happy and do things you enjoy doing and that make you smile or laugh-regularly
Herbs and spices of all sorts (not only greens). Most herbs and spices have powerful effects on the immune system. Include a variety in your everyday cooking and meals. They add not only flavour, but health!

So there we go, the list went from the top ten things, to the top twelve. Take care of your immune system and it will take care of you!

Next post: The top 10 worst things for your immune system…

Tags: immune system, immunity