5 ways to boost your immune system after you turn 50
Aging is an unavoidable fact of life unfortunately, and as you age your body starts to slow down. You have aches and pains that weren’t there before, it takes your muscles a little bit longer to get going in the mornings... and your immune system gradually weakens.
It’s important to keep a strong immune support system when you get into your fifties and hopefully beyond, so here are a few easy ways that you can boost your immune system as you age, allowing you to have a healthy and happy life for as long as possible.
Maintain a healthy diet
There are five micronutrients that you have in your diet that can boost your immune system, and these are:
- Vitamin-B6
- Vitamin-B
- Vitamin E
- Magnesium
- Zinc
These nutrients can be bought as supplements, but by incorporating them into your diet you also get the other health benefits that the foods you ingest have, so you’ll be improving your overall quality of life rather than just your immune system. Some good food sources for these micronutrients are listed below:
- Vitamin-B6: Chicken, bananas, potato skin, pork loin
- Vitamin-C: Tomato, citrus fruits, broccoli, sweet peppers
- Vitamin-E: Sunflower seeds, almonds, peanut butter, sunflower oil
- Magnesium: Whole wheat, nuts, legumes
- Zinc: Oysters, dark turkey meat, beef shank
It may be slightly overwhelming to see all the different types of foods that you can and should eat to really keep your immune system functioning at a high level, but don’t stress! You don’t need a lot of these micronutrients in your diet so you’re not going to have to eat piles upon piles of oysters to get your daily zinc needs!
Stay hydrated
Water is essential to life and we all know that not drinking any water would kill us in a matter of days. Staying hydrated isn’t just important for life, but also for immune function.
The more water that we drink, the more effectively our lymph nodes function. Our lymph nodes produce fluid that runs through our body, picks up bacteria and destroys it. Having highly active lymph nodes doesn’t only reduce your chance of bacterial infections, but it can also reduce your risk of serious diseases like leukemia.
Our kidneys also function better when we stay hydrated. Part of the job of the kidneys is to remove toxins from the body in the form of urine, so drinking more water means that your kidneys can perform their job more effectively.
Consuming more water also means that our brains function better and produce more chemicals like melatonin which can help you sleep. Sleep is important to immune function, but more on that later.
Get some shut eye!
Your sleep cycle and circadian rhythm are important in keeping your immune system in fighting shape.
While you sleep, your immune system releases a type of protein that is called a cytokine. Cytokines have different functions. Some help you sleep, but the ones that we’re interested in help to fight infection and inflammation. Antibodies are also produced in high amounts when you sleep, so if you’re not getting enough sleep then you’re limiting your body’s ability to heal itself.
Ways that you can improve your quality of sleep include:
- Avoid stimulants for 8 hours before bed. This includes things like caffeine and taurine.
- Don’t use screens for an hour before you go to sleep. This may be difficult in the day and age where our phones are almost an extension of ourselves, but it’s important to avoid them right before bed!
- Avoid drinking alcohol at least an hour before bed.
- Try to keep a consistent sleep schedule. This means going to bed and waking up at roughly the same times every day.
Get vaccinated
This tip may seem like a simple one, but you’d be surprised how many people choose to take their chances with the flu or even more serious diseases by not getting vaccinated.
After getting a vaccine you may feel some common side effects such as joint aches, a mild fever or a headache, but you cannot get the disease that you’re being vaccinated for from the vaccination. So, roll up your sleeves and get your shot!
Stress Less
This is far easier said than done. With life being so fast paced even after you reach 50 it can be easy to let the worries build up. Things like work, children, mortgage and even grandchildren are just a few of the many worries that you can have, but it’s important to limit stress to help your immune function.
Although there needs to be more research done about the link between stress and immune function, current research indicates that there is a definite link.
I feel like wanting to boost your immune system is as good an excuse as any to go on a holiday! Meditation is also a great way to reduce stress and is something that can be practiced up to multiple times a day and fit it around your hectic schedule.
People often think that improving their immune function means spending a weeks’ worth of rent on supplement and expensive diet plans, but it can actually be quite a simple process. A great side effect of boosting you immune health is that it generally improves your general health too, allowing you to be active well into your fifties and, hopefully, beyond.