— GAEF

You can think of your immune system as an army of millions of microscopic soldiers patrolling your body, working to prevent illness by fighting any invading germs. These "soldiers" are white blood cells, and how you "treat" and "feed" them has a large influence on how well they protect you from microorganisms, infection, and disease.

How do you treat your immune system so that it'll work well for you? By following basic healthy patterns! In fact, many health recommendations you may have heard, such as eating a varied and balanced diet and exercising regularly, all help boost immunity.

Studies have linked a number of foods and nutrients to the strengthening of the immune system:

• vitamin C (citrus fruit, broccoli)
• vitamin E (nuts, vegetable oils, and whole grains)
• garlic (also a natural antibiotic)
• zinc (beef, turkey, beans, oysters, crab)
• bioflavenoids (fruits and vegetables)
• selenium (chicken, whole grains, tuna, red snapper, lobster, shrimp, garlic, egg yolks, sunflower seeds, brown rice)
• carotenoids (carrots, yams)
• omega-3 fatty acids (nuts, salmon, tuna, mackerel, flaxseed oil)

Experts recommend getting as many vitamins and minerals as possible through food, rather than through supplements, because the body absorbs nutrients from food more effectively. You also can take supplements, since many find it difficult to get all the vitamins and minerals from what they eat alone. However, when it comes to nutrients, more is not always better, since overdoses and related adverse effects can occur. Make sure to talk with your health care provider, or with a nutritionist, about what kinds and amounts of supplements are appropriate for you. If you are a student at Columbia, you can call Health Services at Columbia at x4-2284 for an appointment with a registered dietitian. Outside of Columbia, you can get a referral from your primary care provider.

In addition to what you eat, certain lifestyle changes can boost your immune system, including:

• washing your hands thoroughly and often with soap and warm water, particularly before eating and after using the bathroom. This reduces the number of organisms that can enter your body.
• cooking meat thoroughly to kill dangerous bacteria and other microorganisms.
• getting at least eight hours of sleep every day — deep sleep stimulates and energizes the immune system.
• maintaining a healthy weight — obesity can lead to a weakened immune system.
• exercising at least 30 minutes most days of the week — physical activity stimulates the immune system and helps with weight maintenance or reduction.
• consuming alcohol moderately — while one drink does not appear to affect immune response, having three or more drinks in a short period starts to impair white blood cells' functioning.
• eating less sugar — 100 grams of sugar, the amount in one 12-ounce can of regular soda, can reduce the ability of white blood cells to kill germs by 40 percent for up to 5 hours!
• not smoking — smoking leads to lung and other cancers, and also weakens the immune system.
• reducing and managing stress, such as effective time management — long periods of feeling stressed weakens the immune response.
• getting the vaccines recommended by your health care provider.

All of these are possible kinds of behaviors you can change or focus on to boost your immune system. Of course, there are things out of our control, such as genes and family histories, but if people incorporate healthier patterns into their daily living, they increase the likelihood for better health.

Alice

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