FIGHT BACK!

IS IT POSSIBLE TO TURBOCHARGE YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM IN GOOD TIME FOR WINTER? VICKI-MARIE COSSAR REPORTS...

ALREADY starting to panic about flu season? You’re not alone. There has been an intense focus on health and immunity this year thanks to Covid-19 and now everyone’s starting to think about how best to protect themselves for the winter.

‘The immune system is one of the most complex and comprehensive systems in the human body,’ says Mike Wakeman, a clinical pharmacist and ambassador for health food supplement CurraNZ. ‘It’s also one of the most important. It’s the invisible barrier against all sorts of foreign assaults from micro-organisms (fungal infections, bacteria and Covid-19) and allergens (pollens, dust mites and chemicals) that we encounter on a daily basis.’

Our first level of immunity is called the innate immune system and is activated as soon as a disease-causing micro-organism is detected. It can detect invaders such as viruses, bacteria, parasites and toxins and attempt to kill them off, before they can enter the body.

‘Innate immunity is made up of things like skin, the gastrointestinal tract and the respiratory tract. Inside these parts of the body are barriers like mucus, secretion and gastric acid, which try to stop the invaders getting in. The innate system also has immune cells (called macrophages), which are some of the most abundant cells in the human body and specialise in detecting and destroying bacteria and other harmful organisms by engulfing and killing them,’ says Mike. The second level of protection is called the adaptive immune system, which is activated to enhance the innate system.

‘This is mainly cells called lymphocytes,’ explains Mike. ‘They are a type of white blood cell that have the ability to recognise a unique part of a micro-organism, memorise it and produce specific pathogen-neutralising compounds known as immunoglobulins. So when the body encounters this particular antigen [foreign substance] again it can produce more of the immunoglobulins it knows can kill it. This is the basis of how immunisations and flu jabs work.’

Generally, our immune system does an amazing job of defending us but a recent review in the Journal of Sport and Health Science found that ageing, obesity, and inactivity have a negative effect on the immune system.

‘The idea of boosting your immunity sounds like a simple enough process, but it’s not like giving yourself an injection or taking a shot,’ says Mike. ‘You need to think more about optimising your immunity on a daily basis as some vitamins and minerals take longer to generate their effect than others. Vitamin C is water soluble so absorbed straight away, while vitamin D is fatsoluble so is stored in fat cells rather than circulating in the body.

‘Autumn is the best time to think about how to build up immunity for winter and a good quality multivitamin is a cheap way to start optimising your protection.’

A weakened immune system can be helped with simple diet changes. ‘Most of us are deficient in vitamin D which is produced by the body when we’re exposed to sunshine,’ says Mike. ‘We don’t get enough of it during the summer and definitely not in winter. Oily fish, like pilchards, sardines, mackerel and some salmon are a good source of vitamin D and also high in omega-3 fatty acids, which may also help enhance the function of the immune cells.’

Mike is keen to emphasise that lots of what you need to bolster the immune system can be found in food. ‘You should be eating at least five portions of fruit and veg a day,’ he says. ‘Not only do vitamins and minerals optimise the immune system, they have an antiinflammatory effect too, so if the immune system over-responds, these micronutrients can help resolve the inflammation this causes. These vitamins and minerals also help the body produce anti-bacterial compounds that fight infection within the body while compounds known as polyphenols support immunity.’

So, a healthy diet has never been more important. When teamed with a good quality multi-vitamin you should stand a better chance of fighting off the winter nasties.

Pharmacist: Mike Wakeman