Tips to Improve Immune Function

Tips to improve immune function

                This time of the year is well known to increase the risk of sicknesses such as the common cold. Athletes are at an even higher risk due to high intensity training, academic stress, and being around teammates or other students who may not know they are sick. This is why it is important to include foods that boost your immune system in your daily diet in order to keep you healthy to train and perform at your best. Here are some tips and foods to help boost your immune system:

1.       Make sure to eat enough calories: When you don’t eat enough, your body increases stress hormone levels that can lower immune function

2.       Make sure to be fueled up for training: Carbohydrates are very important for fueling immune cells. Eating carbohydrates during training will help keep immune function strong. Also make sure to get some protein in since it is also needed to make important immune factors and to build and repair our bodies.

3.       Keep hydrated: Dry mouths decrease the mouth’s ability to act as a first-line defense. This means an increase in risk of the body to bacteria and viruses. Dehydration can also cause an increased production of the stress hormone cortisol which can lead to decreased immune function

4.       Load up on these vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants: Iron, Zinc, Vitamin A, E, C, and D are all important to immune function. Eating foods that are high in each of these nutrients will increase immune function. Here are some foods that a good sources of each

a.       Iron: red meat, dark leafy green veggies,
and fortified cereals

b.      Zinc: Beans, meat, spinach, yogurt

c.       Vitamin A: carrots, sweet potatoes

d.      Vitamin E: spinach, almonds, pumpkin seeds

e.      Vitamin C: oranges, bell peppers

f.        Vitamin D: sunlight, fortified dairy, salmon, tuna

5.       Make sure to get enough rest: sleep is an important
 time for our bodies to repair itself which also includes strengthening out immune system

Following these tips will make sure to keep your immune system strong and allow you to avoid missing valuable training time in order to make you the best athlete you can be!