Stress weakens the immune system and limits the body's ability to fight illness. That fact is especially relevant now that flu season is upon us. Peg Moline of the The Daily Press offers the following tips on subduing stress and boosting immunity to keep the flu bug at bay:
- Listen to music that gets you moving. According to Moline, a Sussex University study found that listening to dance music increased production of immunoglobin-A, an essential antibody, and decreased production of cortisol, a stress hormone.
- Do yoga one to three times a week. The health effects of yoga are cumulative, so practicing thrice weekly will yield a bigger stress-relieving benefit than hitting the mat once a week.
- Consuming probiotics can also boost the immune system. In fact, though further research on the subject is still being done, a study released by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that the probiotics present in foods like yogurt and kombucha tea, among others, "may strengthen a defense barrier that keeps out harmful microorganisms," Moline writes. In addition to probiotics, nutritional dietary supplements are available to ensure you are getting the maximum immunity-strengthening benefit from your diet.
- Get eight hours of sleep a night. Sleep deprivation caused by stress decreases the strength of your body's immune responses, and getting more sleep is an adjustment that takes planning but is attainable. "A study published by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology found that even a modest disturbance of sleep produced a reduction of natural immune responses and an alteration of cellular immune functions," states Moline.
- Massages can also work wonders for stress levels and the immune system. Moline cites a study that showed the immune cell levels of breast cancer patients rose when they were given one or more half-hour-long massages per week.
Physical activity and nutrition are key factors in lowering stress levels, which greatly affect sleep, mental health and the immune system. Taking the right supplements can help you maintain a healthy balance.
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