We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Healthy foods provide many substances including vitamins and minerals to keep us strong and healthy. Other lifestyle practices such as regular exercise and good sleep will better prepare you for the battle.
Smith shares some tips for some of the top vitamins and minerals your immune system needs to perform:. Vitamin C may help prevent infections or shorten their stay. Citrus fruits are a standout, but did you know there are other good sources? Smith recommends the following:. Fun fact: vitamin C is in so many foods that most people may not need to take supplements unless a doctor advises it. Consult with your doctor before taking any vitamin C supplements.
Like vitamin C, vitamin E can be a powerful antioxidant that helps your body fight off infection. This important vitamin — part of nearly biochemical reactions in your body — is critical in how your immune system functions. To get your vitamin E, think high-fat plant foods such as:. Vitamin A is an infection-fighter and comes in two forms: preformed such as in animal foods such as fish, meat and dairy or from plant carotenoids.
Tuna is a great source of preformed vitamin A. When it comes to carotenoids, go colorful :. Every part of your body, including your immune system, functions better when protected from environmental assaults and bolstered by healthy-living strategies such as these:. Many products on store shelves claim to boost or support immunity. But the concept of boosting immunity actually makes little sense scientifically.
In fact, boosting the number of cells in your body — immune cells or others — is not necessarily a good thing. For example, athletes who engage in "blood doping" — pumping blood into their systems to boost their number of blood cells and enhance their performance — run the risk of strokes. Attempting to boost the cells of your immune system is especially complicated because there are so many different kinds of cells in the immune system that respond to so many different microbes in so many ways.
Which cells should you boost, and to what number? So far, scientists do not know the answer. What is known is that the body is continually generating immune cells. Certainly, it produces many more lymphocytes than it can possibly use.
The extra cells remove themselves through a natural process of cell death called apoptosis — some before they see any action, some after the battle is won. No one knows how many cells or what the best mix of cells the immune system needs to function at its optimum level. As we age, our immune response capability becomes reduced, which in turn contributes to more infections and more cancer. As life expectancy in developed countries has increased, so too has the incidence of age-related conditions.
While some people age healthily, the conclusion of many studies is that, compared with younger people, the elderly are more likely to contract infectious diseases and, even more importantly, more likely to die from them. Respiratory infections, including, influenza , the COVID virus and particularly pneumonia are a leading cause of death in people over 65 worldwide.
No one knows for sure why this happens, but some scientists observe that this increased risk correlates with a decrease in T cells, possibly from the thymus atrophying with age and producing fewer T cells to fight off infection. Whether this decrease in thymus function explains the drop in T cells or whether other changes play a role is not fully understood. Others are interested in whether the bone marrow becomes less efficient at producing the stem cells that give rise to the cells of the immune system.
A reduction in immune response to infections has been demonstrated by older people's response to vaccines. For example, studies of influenza vaccines have shown that for people over age 65, the vaccine is less effective compared to healthy children over age 2.
But despite the reduction in efficacy, vaccinations for influenza and S. There appears to be a connection between nutrition and immunity in the elderly. A form of malnutrition that is surprisingly common even in affluent countries is known as "micronutrient malnutrition.
Older people tend to eat less and often have less variety in their diets. One important question is whether dietary supplements may help older people maintain a healthier immune system. Older people should discuss this question with their doctor. Like any fighting force, the immune system army marches on its stomach. Healthy immune system warriors need good, regular nourishment.
Scientists have long recognized that people who live in poverty and are malnourished are more vulnerable to infectious diseases.
For example, researchers don't know whether any particular dietary factors, such as processed foods or high simple sugar intake, will have adversely affect immune function. There are still relatively few studies of the effects of nutrition on the immune system of humans. There is some evidence that various micronutrient deficiencies — for example, deficiencies of zinc, selenium, iron, copper, folic acid, and vitamins A, B6, C, and E — alter immune responses in animals, as measured in the test tube.
However, the impact of these immune system changes on the health of animals is less clear, and the effect of similar deficiencies on the human immune response has yet to be assessed.
So, what can you do? If you suspect your diet is not providing you with all your micronutrient needs — maybe, for instance, you don't like vegetables — taking a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement may bring other health benefits, beyond any possibly beneficial effects on the immune system.
Taking megadoses of a single vitamin does not. More is not necessarily better. Walk into a store, and you will find bottles of pills and herbal preparations that claim to "support immunity" or otherwise boost the health of your immune system. Although some preparations have been found to alter some components of immune function, thus far there is no evidence that they actually bolster immunity to the point where you are better protected against infection and disease.
Demonstrating whether an herb — or any substance, for that matter — can enhance immunity is, as yet, a highly complicated matter.
Scientists don't know, for example, whether an herb that seems to raise the levels of antibodies in the blood is actually doing anything beneficial for overall immunity.
This complex system comprises the skin cells, blood, bone marrow, tissues, and organs that — when working the way they should — protect your body against potentially harmful pathogens like bacteria and viruses , and limit damage from noninfectious agents like sunburn or cancer , according to the National Institutes of Health NIH.
Think of the immune system as an orchestra. For the best performance, you want every instrument and every musician in the orchestra to perform at their best. You want every part to perform exactly according to the score. The same goes for your immune system. To best protect your body from harm, every component of your immune system needs to perform exactly according to plan. The best way you can ensure this happens is to practice the good-for-you behaviors your immune system runs on every day.
Here are seven key ones. Regular exercise lowers your risk of developing chronic diseases like obesity , type 2 diabetes , and heart disease , as well as viral and bacterial infections, according to a review published in the April Frontiers in Immunology. Physical activity increases the release of endorphins a group of hormones that reduce pain and create feelings of pleasure , making it a great way to manage stress. And while there is some evidence that very long or intense exercise sessions may suppress the immune system, making you more susceptible to illness and infection in the hours immediately after your workout, other evidence contradicts this, according to the aforementioned Frontiers in Immunology review.
And there is a wealth of epidemiological evidence — that is, studies that followed human behavior and outcomes — suggesting that people who are more active overall tend to have lower incidences of both acute illnesses like infections and chronic ones like cancer and type 2 diabetes. Studies that have looked at how exercise affects the body on a cellular level suggest that bouts of physical activity may make your immune system more vigilant by distributing immune cells throughout your body to look for damaged or infected cells, according to that report.
Adults should be getting at least minutes two and a half hours of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise — like walking, jogging, or cycling — or 75 minutes one hour and 15 minutes , of high-intensity aerobic exercise like running every week.
And while taking 10, steps about five miles per day is a common goal, research suggests you may see health benefits with even fewer steps. For instance, one observational study published in the March issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association found that a greater number of daily steps was associated with a lower risk of premature death from any cause.
Of the nearly 5, adults ages 40 and older included in the study, those who walked about 8, steps per day were half as likely to die prematurely as adults who scored 4, steps a day. Those who took 12, steps daily saw slightly more benefits, though researchers concluded increasing step count, regardless of step intensity, was beneficial for lengthening your life span.
Strength training at least twice a week is also a boon to your health, fortifying your bones, keeping disease at bay, and improving food processing in the body, per the National Institutes of Health. Authors of a review published in July in Clinical and Experimental Medicine recommend exercise, including muscle building, to strengthen the immune system and potentially protect against viral infections such as COVID Lin says that time in nature has been shown to support mood, lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation, and support immune system health.
According to a Frontiers in Psychology article published in August , natural environments contain compounds with known health benefits. For example, many plants emit antimicrobial molecules, such as those formed in the metabolism of fungi and bacteria, that may help lower blood pressure and support immune function. The absence of air pollution may also reduce your risk of heart inflammation, such as myocarditis , and respiratory conditions, the authors wrote.
Sunshine also boosts vitamin D in the body, another huge factor in immune health, according to a past review. The nutrients you get from food — in particular, plant-based foods like fruits , vegetables, herbs, and spices — are essential to keeping your immune system functioning properly, says Lin.
For example, spices like clove, oregano, thyme, cinnamon , and cumin curb the growth of food-spoiling bacteria like Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas fluorescens , harmful fungi like Aspergillus flavus , and antibiotic -resistant microorganisms like Staphylococcus aureus , according to a review published in June in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. Furthermore, the zinc , folate, iron, selenium, copper, and vitamins A, C, E, B6 , and B12 you get from the food you eat are the nutrients your immune system needs to do its job, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Each one plays a unique role in supporting immune function. Research suggests, for example, that vitamin C deficiency may increase the likelihood of infection, according to a review published November in Nutrients. Our bodies do not produce this essential water-soluble vitamin on their own, so we need to get it through foods such as citrus fruits, kiwis , and several cruciferous vegetables.
Protein is also critical for immune health. The Harvard T. Chan School of Public Health recommends getting your protein from plant sources like legumes, nuts , and seeds whenever possible. Meats like poultry chicken , turkey, and duck and seafood are also good choices, but consume red meat, like unprocessed beef, pork, and lamb, only on a limited basis, the website recommends.
Avoid processed meats like bacon, hot dogs, sausages, and cold cuts. In one study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases , mice who ate a diet consisting of only 2 percent protein were more severely impacted by the flu than mice who ate a "normal protein" diet with 18 percent protein.
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