I’m a Doctor, You Can’t Boost an Immune System—Try These 5 Balancing Tips Instead
Be suspicious of products that claim to “boost” a bodily function. Instead, learn how to balance your immune system with science-backed, doctor-approved methods.
In the last few years, we’ve all started paying more attention to immunity and immune health. But within this conversation, there’s been extensive variability in what those topics actually mean. Many talk specifically about “boosting immunity,” the idea that we can quickly increase the strength of our entire immune system with simple interventions like vitamin C or elderberry. Though it’s great to prioritize immune health, “boosting” is probably not the best, nor the most science-backed framework for immune or general wellness.
How does the immune system work?
The immune system is an incredibly complex and amazingly powerful set of cells and signaling pathways that is present in nearly every organ and every inch of your body. You have immune cells in your skin, your brain, and in your lungs. And importantly, your immune system does a whole lot more than just defend you against microbes. For example, immune cells monitor and remove pre-cancerous cells. Immune signals modulate the function of our brain cells and may change our mood. Immunity may also be a major driver of the aging process itself! This means the state of our immune system matters for a whole lot more than just our resistance to germs—it influences every aspect of our health.
So how can I boost my body’s immunity?
Sorry to burst your bubble, but because of the incredible complexity of immunity, the idea that we can simply “boost” it with a pill, tablet or powder is unrealistic. More importantly, each immune system is unique—Even the immune systems of twins will behave differently and have different needs for optimal health. Though it’s tempting to imagine that we can simply pull a lever and improve immune health with a booster dose of zinc or vitamin C, there’s very little scientific evidence that this actually works or has meaningful benefit.
If I can’t boost my immune system, what should I do instead?
When it comes to immune health for most people, it’s more effective to aim for long-term immune balance, rather than working towards a short-term fix. Prioritizing immune balance means working to build an immune system that is able to defend against dangerous bugs and remove our own damaged cells while not unnecessarily reacting to harmless environmental factors (like pollen allergies) or causing unnecessary damage to our own bodies (as in autoimmune disease).
Why is immune balance better than trying to boost the immune system?
Like a healthy diet, a strategy to enhance immune balance should ideally incorporate two components. First, getting a better sense of your current state of immune balance makes sense whenever possible. If you’re unsure of where to start, try this free quiz to get some insight into your current state—it asks questions about your allergies and any illnesses to get a sense of your immune strength. Next, consider a more holistic plan for optimizing immune balance. That may include changes to the timing of your meals, your nutrient intake (all hail the mighty broccoli!), and lifestyle changes, like spending more time in nature with people you love—yes, mental health affects the immune system more than you think.
5 Ways to Improve the Immune System Through Balance, Not Boosting
If improving immune balance is the goal, what’s the path to making it happen?
1. Rejuvenate Immune Function
Most of us accumulate damage to our immune balance over the course of our lives (this is especially the case in our later years). For many people, this shows up as an immune system that is chronically plagued by low-level inflammation. There’s actually a term for this age-associated immune imbalance. It’s called inflammaging. Recent studies have demonstrated that certain interventions may help to reprogram the immune system towards a more youthful state, rejuvenating its function. This process may occur in several ways, including affecting a process called autophagy, which helps cells clean out their damaged parts. Though several drug trials have shown promise in immune rejuvenation, there’s also science suggesting that certain plant nutrients may play a beneficial role. For example, some research indicates that plant nutrients like quercetin and fisetin (part of a group of molecules called polyphenols) may help rejuvenate an old immune system.1 Other research hints at benefits from exercise and calorie restriction.2, 3
2. Pay Attention to Your Gut
Beyond rejuvenation, a number of other strategies and interventions may help to move immunity towards a state of better overall balance. One overarching theme that may be of particular relevance to those with overly-sensitive immune systems relates to the gut. It’s known that the gut contains about 70% of the immune system, and that our gut cells, microbiome and immune cells engage in constant communication. It’s notable that people experiencing immune imbalance, excessive inflammation, autoimmunity, and allergies tend to have higher rates of GI issues. This may indicate a benefit in prioritizing gut health as a way of improving immune balance by eating more leafy greens, fiber and polyphenol-rich fruits and vegetables, as well as minimizing the intake of ultra-processed foods and foods with added sugars.
3. Practice Sleep Hygiene
It’s been established that sleep helps regulate immunological processes, so your dream-time is a crucial part of maintaining healthy immune balance (and it’s free!).4 Make sure to prioritize adequate sleep each night. For most adults, that’s shooting for 7-9 hours of sleep. And remember that not all sleep is created equal—practice sleep hygiene for the most optimal night of sleep possible. That means maintaining a regular sleep routine, avoiding daytime naps, and not watching TV or playing on your phone in bed.
4. Limit Drinking and Stop Smoking
If you drink, limiting alcohol to moderate or low levels will go a long way to improve immune health. The USDA considers “moderate drinking” to be 2 drinks or less in a day for men and 1 drink or less in a day for women. Additionally, if you haven’t quit yet, it’s high time to stop smoking. Tobacco is known to inhibit immune function, and can increase the risk of developing certain autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis.5
5. Create a Plan to Relieve Stress
Lastly, stress modulation techniques like meditation, breathing exercises, getting into nature or journaling may improve immune balance through their positive effects on hormones that can throw immune health off kilter. If you’re new to meditation, there are many convenient apps that can guide you through the relaxing practice.
Immunity Boosting is a Fad, But Balance is Forever
If you’ve been trying to boost your immune system in the last few years, you are far from alone, and it’s also important to congratulate yourself for taking initiative in improving your health. But just like a fad diet or detox that may initially seem great but not pan out in the long run, we need to appreciate that our state of immune balance can’t be easily hacked by a couple tablets or mouth spray. Instead, if we embrace the incredible complexity and power of our immune systems and take a more thoughtful approach to balancing immunity, we may be able to not just promote better immune health, but instead, generate sustainable whole-body wellness.
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568163720302762
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00223-016-0212-9
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10875-010-9499-x
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3256323/
- https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/50th-anniversary/pdfs/fs_smoking_overall_health_508.pdf
