Help yourself to stronger immunity

Help yourself to stronger immunity

By Josh Fischman

You contain quantities. Inside you are billions of defenders, ready to protect your health from threats that arise both outside and inside your body. This is your immune system, and it’s made up of an intricate combination of cells and proteins capable of detecting and destroying cold-causing viruses, infectious bacteria, and even wayward versions of your own cells that are on the way to becoming cancerous.

But sometimes, when you’re dealing with the flu, an allergy, an autoimmune disease like multiple sclerosis, or a life-threatening tumor, your immune system may need a little help.

It could benefit from a perk, a push, some extra resources to keep you healthy. Dietary supplements, surprise treatments, immunity-boosting vaccines and even exercise can help the immune system do its job. The big question is, which ones work best? Tons of supplements and vitamins that promise to help the immune system line the drugstore and supermarket aisles, and friends and family all have their favorite teas and creams that they swear will help. Choices can be confusing.

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This is where science comes in. For the stories in this special issue, we looked for immune boosters backed by randomized controlled trials—the best way to compare treatments to see which is most effective. We also looked for studies involving large groups of people. And we interviewed experts in immunology and specific diseases.

Omega-3 fatty acids get a thumbs up for the way they temper harmful inflammation. So does turmeric’s yellow ingredient, curcumin. Learn more about these supplements. Regular use of the former can reduce the risk of heart attack, and the latter can ease symptoms of osteoarthritis. Vitamin D, however, is not the cure-all it was once touted to be. It turns out that most people make enough on their own because our skin uses the energy of sunlight to make the vitamin. In addition, it is in fortified milk and in fish such as salmon.

But vitamin D appears to reduce the chances of developing some autoimmune diseases such as lupus and psoriasis. And sunlight itself can be a good remedy for autoimmune disease, balancing your immune response to reduce symptoms of multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes, as our story explains.

Filled with a cold or allergies? It is usually due to tissue swelling caused by your immune reaction. Your best course may be the over-the-counter decongestant pseudoephedrine. And nasal saline sprays work very well. For food allergies, read about new drugs and immune system treatment protocols that have dramatically helped children with life-threatening reactions to peanuts. Pet allergies can be alleviated by an approach called hyposensitization.

To treat diseases such as cancer, doctors have exploited the precision targeting of immune system antibodies to direct chemotherapy directly to cancer cells, as we describe here. But drugs are not the only treatment. Regular exercise, as simple as several hours of brisk walking a week, leads to longer survival for some cancer patients and more immune cells attacking their tumors.

Puzzles about immunity persist, such as why stimulation of a major nerve called the vagus appears to enhance protective effects and why women get more autoimmune diseases than men. But scientists are trying to turn information gathered while investigating these mysteries into remedies. So more immune system boosts may be coming your way soon.

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