Does winter weather reduce you to an achy, sniffling mess? Are you
reluctant to get a flu shot? Luckily, there are ways to ward off seasonal
sneezing without visiting the doctor. The following program of dietary
changes and stress relievers will bolster your immune system and help you
escape the ravages of cold and flu—or at least recover from them more
quickly.
First, let's talk about food. Simple sugars, like those you add to
coffee or find in soda, can inhibit the ability of phagocytes, or white
blood cells, to pursue and devour foreign antigens such as viruses and
bacteria—a process referred to as phagocytosis. Hydrogenated or trans
fats, present in margarine and common baked goods, can also interfere
with metabolism, ultimately disrupting our normal immune processes.
Avoiding these sugars and harmful fats, or at least replacing them with
more healthful alternatives such as the natural sweetener stevia and
olive or canola oils, can improve the body's resistance to
illness.
Second, nutritional supplements can also help. They work by
triggering the activity of natural killer cells, which serve as one arm
of the immune system's attack on virally infected cells and tumor cells.
Some also boost T-cell counts, which are involved in specific immune
reactions and produce antiviral substances called interferons. One of the
best cold-preventers on the market is echinacea, a supplement with
immune-enhancing and anti-microbial properties. Other immune stimulants
include selenium; beta-carotene; vitamin E, vitamin A; and garlic, usually
consumed in deodorized capsules and with combinations of other Chinese
herbs including astragalus, glycerrhiza and codonopsis.
If you've already come down with a cold, many of these remedies can
also be taken to help lessen the illness' severity and duration. To treat
acute infections, take echinacea for one to three weeks at the earliest
sign of symptoms. Golden-seal also works this way, though, unlike
echinacea, it should not be taken for more than a few weeks. Despite
conflicting studies, zinc lozenges appear to be helpful in relieving cold
symptoms if you start popping them early.
The third weapon against winter illnesses is an understanding of
the mind-body interaction. Chronic stress can suppress immune system
activity by leading to the excess production of stress hormones such as
corticosteroids. Stress inhibits the ability of lymphocytes, key immune
cells, to proliferate or divide in response to foreign antigens such as
viruses; it also squelches the activity of natural killer cells. This can
make you more susceptible to infection so that a previously
inconsequential exposure to a pathogen now leads to illness.
While major stressors such as bereavement, depression and chronic
anxiety can decrease immune response, even everyday hassles can
compromise your immune system. A more relaxed approach to life's ups and
downs goes surprisingly far toward protecting the body from infection. If
you recline by the fire, frolic in the snow and enjoy the holidays, you
may just survive the winter sniffle-free.
Tags:
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