We know how to avoid germs — wash our hands, wear a mask and maybe try to avoid people who have obvious symptoms of a cold or the flu.
But there are also certain things you can do every day to help your immune system fight off viruses that get through. One of the most effective is vaccination. While the covid and flu vaccines may not prevent illness, “year in and year out, they provide protection against more serious disease — that is, they help keep you out of the hospital,” said William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases and preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University.
Here are other things experts say you can do every day to support healthy immune function.
Eat more whole foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains
A healthy, well-balanced diet will provide nutrients to help support your immune system, said Richard L. Wasserman, an allergist and immunologist in Dallas.
When your body encounters viruses or bacteria that it hasn’t seen before, your immune system leaps into action, producing an army of white blood cells designed to fight off that germ. “All the building blocks of life need to be readily available and accessible to support this increased number of immune cells,” Wasserman said.
You need adequate macronutrients, including proteins, carbohydrates and fat, and micronutrients, or vitamins and minerals that you get from fruits, vegetables and other whole foods, “because they are key components of the intracellular machinery responsible for cell duplication,” he said.
Wasserman recommends a diet similar to the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds, and limits red meat and saturated fats.
Yet only about one in 10 U.S. adults is eating the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables. In general, federal health authorities recommend eating these food groups daily: two servings of fruit, three servings of vegetables, two to four servings of whole grains, three servings of dairy and 1.2-1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.
Aim for daily physical activity, but anything is better than nothing
A body in good physical shape from daily activity is more likely to have the energy and resources it needs to mount a good immune response when it encounters viruses or bacteria, Wasserman said.
Federal guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week. Additionally, you should aim for at least two days of muscle-strengthening activity, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
Only about one in four Americans are meeting this goal. “But there is a pretty much universal recommendation that anything is better than nothing,” Wasserman said.
Some research suggests that even a few short, one to two-minute bursts of activity per day such as climbing the stairs or walking fast with grocery bags can be good for your heart and overall health.
Also, people who exercise regularly may produce more protective antibodies after a vaccination, which may have benefits for your immune system, specifically. One study found that a single 90-minute session of light-to-moderate exercise right after a shot boosted antibodies.
Try to get seven to nine hours of sleep
Sleep is crucial for a healthy immune system, too.
The daily recommendation for most adults is seven to nine hours, and research shows that getting enough sleep can not only support your immune system but also improve heart health, mood, memory and may lower your risk of developing chronic diseases.
When you get enough sleep, your immune system shifts into “a more protective, homeostatic state” and keeps inflammation in better balance, and your body also maintains a better balance of stress and metabolic hormones such as cortisol and insulin, said Leena Padhye, an allergist and immunologist in Carmel, Indiana, and a member of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
One study of 164 healthy men and women found that those who slept six hours or less per night were more likely to get a cold after being exposed to a cold virus than those who slept more than seven hours.
Inadequate sleep can disrupt hormones, as well as prompt your immune system to ramp up inflammation in the body, Padhye said. “And the more inflammation you have, the more prone you are to viruses and bacteria getting in,” she said.
Practice mindfulness and reduce your stress
Research suggests that a lower stress level may be beneficial for your immune system.
In one study of about 3,600 people, researchers found that people with depression, loneliness and general worry about covid had a higher risk of hospitalization when infected with the virus that causes covid.
On the other hand, mindfulness and a positive mindset have been shown to have positive health effects, including lowering your blood pressure. You can try finding a yoga class or meditation group, practicing optimistic thinking, keeping a gratitude journal or writing letters of gratitude to help manage your stress.
Even something as simple as picturing the best-case scenario of any given situation — instead of the worst — and then thinking of which steps you could take to reach that goal can help put you in a more positive mindset.
Manage your underlying health conditions
In general, the better controlled your existing health conditions, the more resistant you may be to infection and the better you may be able to tolerate infection, Wasserman said. Eating a healthy diet, exercising and taking any prescribed medications can help. One study found that people with poorly controlled diabetes, for instance, were more likely to be hospitalized for infection as those whose diabetes was well controlled.
This applies to allergies, too. When mucous membranes in your respiratory tract are injured from chronic allergic reactions to pollen or pets, for instance, it impairs your body’s defense system, which starts in your nose, he said.
In addition to using allergy medications to treat allergies, Padhye said she and her family use saline rinses every night before bed to clear out their nasal passages. That can help soothe irritation and help reduce inflammation, she said.
Schaffner said eating healthy, exercising and getting enough sleep are the “icing on the cake” for a good immune system.
“But the cake is the vaccines — getting protected against flu and covid,” he said.
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