Holidays and Christmas are approaching. Many of us have travel plans, both at home and abroad. Large crowds are forced together in various places. But it’s not just people who gather. Because a number of uninvited guests also travel with us – namely bacteria, which in turn can lead to illness. And maybe you’ve already thought about it and want to be ahead of the curve. Because both advertisements and posts in social media tell about products you can take to “boost” your immune system. – There are countless examples of dietary supplements offered on the internet. These often claim that they can provide increased immunity, says professor and immunologist Aimee Pugh Bernard to news. But if we are to believe the expert, this is not the way to go to stay healthy. It can actually make it hurt worse. Perhaps you will be traveling by plane before Christmas? It is easy to pick up unwanted bacteria in large crowds. Photo: Audun Braastad / NTB scanpix A perfect balance Because, as with many other things in life, the immune system can also get too much of the “good thing”. A weak immune system can make us vulnerable to disease – we know that. But an overactive system can also cause problems. It can itself cause illness. – A healthy immune system does not need to be “boosted”. It works best when perfectly balanced. Too much of a good thing can lead to allergies, autoimmune disorders or chronic inflammation, explains Bernard, who is employed at the University of Colorado in the US. Further down in the matter, she shares her tips for how you can maintain a healthy and balanced immune system. The immune system’s cells and proteins circulate with the blood between the body’s various tissues where they can come into contact with infectious agents. Illustration: enot-poloskun / Getty Images/iStockphoto Looking for intruders The immune system in our body acts as a kind of defense. It is a complex network of cells and organs that work together to protect us from disease. Our immune cells are constantly on alert – they travel throughout the body in search of infectious invaders. Aimee Pugh Bernard says she understands how boosting the immune system can be tempting. But advise us against it. She compares it to a thermostat: turning the “thermostat” too high could result in inflammation that cannot be controlled. If you turn it too low, you will get a lack of response to disease and infection. – Because it is absolutely essential to maintain this balance, one should not fiddle with the system by, for example, taking nutritional supplements. This is fine if a clinical deficiency of certain nutrients has been demonstrated. For people with healthy values, subsidies can lead to a false sense of security, she says. Aimee Pugh Bernard says eating a balanced diet will help your immune system and maintain a good balance. Photo: University of Colorado Garlic and C vitamins But what do we typically put into ourselves to try and avoid illness? Supplementation of C vitamins is quite common. Often in the form of effervescent tablets. And some also believe that garlic can work wonders. Such products are sold, among other things, in some health food stores. Anne Spurkland is an author, professor of anatomy and researcher in molecular immunology. She has the following to say about this: – Vitamin C was once launched as a remedy to avoid colds by Linus Pauling himself, the chemist who won two Nobel prizes (once in chemistry and once for peace). Nevertheless, despite great interest and much research, there are no convincing results showing that vitamin C reduces the chance of catching a cold, or shortens the course of the disease if you get a respiratory infection. Anne Spurkland thinks the word immune defense can seem confusing to some: – A defense can be strengthened, right? But defensive weapons can also be aimed at oneself, she points out. Furthermore, Spurkland says that vitamin C is not stored in the body, so if you take more than you need, it is only excreted in the urine. How about garlic? – Garlic has traditionally been used as a remedy against infections. Exactly what it is in garlic that possibly has a health-giving effect is unclear, says the researcher. She concludes that neither of the two supplements will prevent a possible cold. Vitamin C in the form of effervescent tablets is sometimes used to prevent colds. Photo: Julie Haugen Egge/news This is what you should do To keep your immune system in balance, there are various things you can do. The two researchers recommend the following: Eat a balanced diet (but not too much) Exercise regularly Reduce stress and ensure enough sleep Aimee Bernard points out that these specific pieces of advice are not foolproof, but that they contribute to general good health, which in turn is good for the immune system. Furthermore, both experts say that it is vaccines that are the only safe and effective tool besides a healthy lifestyle. – Vaccines contain harmless forms of virus that help train your immune cells to recognize and fight disease, says the American immunologist.
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Therefore, you should not “boost” your immune system
