Strengthen your defenses, strengthen your immune system and you will be less susceptible to a cold or flu. Read here how you can strengthen the immune system in general, but also that of children and the elderly.
Strengthen the defenses of the immune system
You can strengthen the defenses of your immune system primarily with a healthy diet, regular exercise, and fresh air.
- A permanently healthy and balanced diet will keep you fit and not only protect you from the next wave of flu but also prevent diabetes and heart disease. Eat as many vegetables, fruits, and nuts as possible. These foods contain a wide range of important vitamins and fiber.
- Avoid ready meals and desserts with lots of saturated fat, free sugar, and too many calories. This weakens your metabolism and thus your immune system.
- Sport is particularly important for a strong immune system. Because movement activates the metabolism and allows certain immune cells to increase after physical activity.
- If you exercise regularly, your immune system stabilizes, which keeps high blood pressure in the normal range and thus also reduces stress hormone release.
- Quit smoking because it weakens your immune system. Tobacco dries out your mucous membranes and promotes inflammation in the body. It also harms the natural cleaning system of the airways.
- Get enough sleep so your body is rested. Because if you sleep less than seven hours a day, it not only weakens your performance but also your immune system.
Strengthening the immune system: children
Signs of a weak immune system in children have increased infections such as lung, sinus, and middle ear infections and frequent diarrhea.
- The following also applies to children: a healthy diet and plenty of exercises strengthen the defenses of the immune system.
- In addition, children, in particular, need enough sleep, there are differences to adults in terms of sleep duration. One to two-year-olds need 12.5 hours of sleep, three to five-year-olds 11.5 hours, six to 13-year-olds ten hours, and 14 to 17-year-olds nine hours of sleep.
- You can give your child a boost by giving them medicinal plants such as echinacea and pelargonium root. Ask the pharmacy how your child should take the medicine. Elderberry juice is also good for the immune system because it contains vitamin C and other supporting plant substances.
- Stress is not good for anybody, including children. So treat your child to some daily time out from kindergarten, appointments, school pressure, and afternoon groups. The stress hormone cortisol weakens the immune system. An hour of reading or cuddling with parents will help your child wind down.
- In fact, the immune system needs some dirt so it doesn’t forget how to function. Some dirt and dust train children’s defenses and prevent the formation of some allergies.
- Except in the case of circulating noro viruses, it is better to avoid using extremely aggressive cleaning agents. Normal soaps and natural detergents such as vinegar are absolutely sufficient for household cleaning.