The 7 most effective tips for a strong immune system

Perhaps you’re familiar with the phenomenon: sometimes you catch a cold easily, while other times you’re miraculously spared? And this despite the fact that you may have been directly exposed to the trigger or carrier? How can this be? The answer is hidden in either the innate or the acquired immune system.

The gut plays a special role in the context of the specific immune response. For it is proven that a good two thirds of the immune system is located in the gut microbiome. With a surface of 300 to 500 square meters, the intestinal mucosa is the largest boundary surface of the body. In addition, the gut is home to around 100 billion bacterial cells which, in turn, present a wide variety of characteristics. This means that the human gut is home to at least 160 types of microorganisms (including bacteria and fungi, but also viruses). This diversity highlights just how important the intestinal flora is when it comes to the specific immune response. The more diverse the intestinal flora, the more robust the immune system.

In order to strengthen the body’s defenses, therefore, the most pertinent question is how we can support the health of the gut microbiome. This is where our top tips come in:

Tip 1: Fasting as the key to a strong immune system

By now, it’s a well-established fact that a varied diet containing plenty of vegetables, complex carbohydrates, high-quality proteins and healthy fatty acids is crucial for maintaining our health. Yet much less well-known is the fact that deliberately abstaining from food also has health-promoting effects. And this despite a very substantial body of research on the impact of interval fasting. In fact, in 2016, the Nobel Prize was awarded for the discovery of the mechanism that is set in motion by periods of fasting and that strengthens the immune system. We’re talking about autophagy, the body’s self-cleansing process by which damaged cells are broken down into their individual parts and therefore made available for other processes. The longer the digestive system is able to take a break, the more this mechanism gets going, and the more effectively this “clean-up” process is carried out in the body.

The foods that help to form alkalines are, above all: vegetables, potatoes, ripe fruit (ideally seasonal and from local organic farming), cold-pressed vegetable oils, fresh herbs and hazelnuts. Milk, cream, pistachios and almonds are pretty much neutral. Acid-generating foods, on the other hand, include meat, fish, pulses, grain-based foods, dairy products such as cheese or quark/cottage cheese, sour tropical fruits like citrus fruits and pineapple, refined oils and fats, walnuts, peanuts and seeds as well as industrially produced foods and beverages. In addition, coffee, alcohol and nicotine are also considered acid-forming. Sugar, products made of white flour and soft drinks, in turn, are examples of foods that act against alkalines.

Looking at this list, it becomes clear how much of an enormous burden our modern way of eating puts on our acid-alkaline balance. If the organism suffers from hyperacidity for an extended period of time, it becomes more susceptible to infections, since the body’s immune cells are unable to work as well in an acidic environment as they are in a relatively neutral setting. Feel free to dig in, therefore, when it comes to alkalizing foods – you’ll be strengthening your immune system in a completely natural, highly effective manner!

And for even more tips for an alkaline-based diet as well as numerous inspiring recipes, check out the new VIVAMAYR cookbook, “Veggie Stars”.

Zinc has positive effects on the innate immune system in particular. You can read more here about how this essential trace element prevents viruses from entering the body. Zinc is vital for humans and cannot be produced by the body itself (hence its designation as “essential”). This makes it tremendously important to ensure sufficient consumption via food. Foods rich in zinc include peanuts, corn, oats, oysters, Brazil nuts, lentils and cheeses such as Gouda or Emmental. Beef is also a great source of zinc. Due to its acid-forming properties, however, meat should only be consumed in moderation.

A further important point to consider is that certain foods can inhibit the absorption of zinc in the body; these include foods such as whole grains, seeds, pulses and nuts. These contain what is known as phytic acid, which obstructs the uptake of zinc in the body. Accordingly, it is recommended that you supply the body with these foods in separate meals so as to benefit from the highest possible absorption of zinc.

Vitamin D, when examined more closely, is in fact not a vitamin, but rather the preliminary stage of a hormone. Vitamin D also goes by the name calciferol and is a precursor to the active hormone calcitriol. It plays a major role not only for the health of the skin, but also for our calcium levels (and thus our bone health) as well as our immune system. This is because vitamin D activates the so-called killer cells (macrophages) in the body, which are responsible for fighting pathogens. If too little vitamin D is present, the macrophages – and therefore an important part of the immune system – are inactive. “To strengthen our immune defenses, generally speaking, a dosage of 1,000 units per 10 kilograms of bodyweight per day is recommended,” advises Dr. Stossier.

Tip 6: Use movement to strengthen your immune system

Movement – no matter what form it takes – involves a whole host of effects that help to keep the body, mind and spirit healthy. Moderate types of movement such as tai chi, yoga and qi gong result in a twofold benefit: on the one hand, they provide gentle strengthening and an improvement in mobility, and on the other, they are incredibly effective at a psychological level, since they relax our entire system. This is thanks to the vagus nerve, the tenth cranial nerve, which on its way from the head to the stomach wraps around almost all organs, ultimately leading to the enteric nervous system, the nervous system of the gut. The vagus nerve is part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the relaxation of our systems. The gut, in turn, is best able to do its job when in a relaxed state. So while passive relaxation sessions (massages, osteopathy and so on) stimulate the production of oxytocin, active relaxation sessions have an especially calming and regenerative effect on the digestive system via the vagus nerve. It’s not without reason, therefore, that both types of relaxation are taken into consideration as part of the VIVAMAYR programmes. They support gut health, strengthen the immune defenses and promote detoxification.

It goes without saying, however, that challenging physical training sessions are also worthwhile when it comes to our health and fitness. Although they initially have a dampening effect on the immune system, in the course of the subsequent regeneration they help to strengthen our defenses beyond their starting point.