{"id":1896,"date":"2020-03-12T17:34:46","date_gmt":"2020-03-12T16:34:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/helpingthebesttogetbetter.com\/?p=1896"},"modified":"2020-03-12T17:34:48","modified_gmt":"2020-03-12T16:34:48","slug":"boosting-your-immune-system-but-how","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/helpingthebesttogetbetter.com\/?p=1896","title":{"rendered":"Boosting your immune system, but how?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It can hardly have escaped your attention, the Corona virus is having a huge global impact. It is by far not the most deadly virus, but its social and economic impact cannot be ignored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apart from the logical and promoted\nmeasures of avoidance and hygiene, isolation, mouth protectors and washing your\nhands, what else can we do? It is well known that a virus most of the time affects\npeople with a compromised immune system, i.e. elderly people and sick and\nfragile people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your immune system is a biological\nmiracle, consisting of many different components, making it possible to\ndistinguish between the Self (you) and the Non-Self such as bacteria, viruses,\nfungi, but also transplanted organs or foreign objects like pacemakers and\nartificial joints.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anything that might be a potential\nthreat is attacked by the body\u2019s immune system. It also plays a role in\nauto-immune diseases. Here the system gets misinformed and overactive and\nstarts to attack tissues and organs that are your own. (1)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But in many cases and for many\ndifferent reasons the immune system can be weakened. This makes it possible for\nbacteria and viruses to multiply and cause harm. Important cause is e.g. taking\nimmunosuppressing substances in case of organ transplants to prevent rejection\nof the transplanted organ.  More often\nthe immune system is compromised by corticosteroids or prednisone. Even if you\nare not taking any medication your immune system can be compromised. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stress is a well-known cause. In case of stress the body has to shift its priorities.\u00a0 In the case or the perception of a life-threatening situation. A long time ago this could be saber-toothed tiger chasing you, having a great dinner in mind, your body secretes survival hormones like adrenaline and cortisol to mobilize energy in order to flight or flee. And energy will be left to supply the immune system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The amino acid glutamine, which is a fuel for the brain and the body as well as the immune system, plays an important role in this situation. A low level of glutamine has been related to overtraining in sports as the result of the fight for glutamine by the brain, the body and the immune system. (2) \u00a0Anyhow, sports and certainly endurance sports might create an ideal situation for infections. First of all there is the increased contact with air, containing bacteria, viruses, fungi and other particles, in the mouth, nose, windpipe and lungs, increasing the risk of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) in athletes. This is often combined with the higher level of (physical) stress, that is what exercise is!. Weakening the immune system, giving bacteria and viruses a chance to attack and to multiply. (3,4)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, we often see this\nhappening close to major championships like Olympics games or World\nChampionships, where fit and well-trained athletes often run into an unexpected\ninfection like a cold, flu or gastrointestinal infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe you are familiar with the\nsmall blisters on the lips: the herpes simplex virus. This virus is always present\nand grabs the opportunity when the immune system is weakened. These herpes lip\nblisters are often related to stressful periods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many years, people have been trying to boost the immune system. A well-functioning immune system also contributes to a longer and healthier life. Many elderly people may suffer from lethal respiratory infections. Every year many people are affected by the flu and this has a negative impact on sick days and productivity as well. And for athletes, valuable days of training are lost and sometimes participation in competitions becomes impossible due to the flu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore many reasons to try and protect and improve our immune system. Below some often used measures to boost our immune system. It is like recruiting, arming and feeding your army of defenders. Like mentioned above;<\/p>\n\n\n\n