10 daily habits that harm your immune system.
The immune system is the most important defense mechanism of your body. It particularly provides a vital role in the body and protects the body from any microorganism that can lead to diseases and infections. A strong immune system will help you easily fight against viruses, colds, and other diseases attacking your body. A weak immune system, besides, can make you more likely to sinus infections, frequent colds, slow wound healing and recurring infections, as well as causing fatigue, anemia, and lethargy. Therefore, you need to adopt healthy habits and leave the bad ones to promote a strong immunity. In this article, we will list 10 daily habits that harm your immune system. Keep reading!
Forget To Drink Water
Frankly speaking, proper hydration is vital for a strong immune system. As we know, the human body is mainly made of water. It’ll affect your immunity if you do not drink enough water daily. It’s suggested to drink about 1.5 liters of water every day. But it varies from your activities per day and geographical conditions.
Being Around Secondhand Smoke
As you know, smoking harms our health. Also, exposure to secondhand smoke is bad for our health and immunity. Basically, secondhand smoke is toxic and suppresses immune cells, thus wreaking havoc on your immune system. In addition, exposure to secondhand smoke may make you more vulnerable to respiratory infections, allergies, asthma and even lung cancer. Therefore, it’s best to avoid secondhand smoke.
Drink Alcoholic Beverages Daily
Drinking alcoholic beverages every day can harm your immunity. Overconsumption of alcohol will impede the white & red blood cells production. As a result, this will weaken your immunity over time. Besides, alcoholic drinks have many negative health effects because alcohol prevents the ability of the body to absorb essential nutrients, leading to deficiencies.
Eat Junk Food
Junk food is generally high in fat. One of the main causes of obesity is eating excess fat. Basically, your immune system can be affected by a diet high in saturated fat. Saturated fats trigger the immunity to begin attacking healthy cells. According to a 2014 study, an overconsumption of saturated fat has a negative effect on the immune system. It can lead to reduced control of infections, increased inflammation, increased rates of cancer, as well as increased risk for allergic & auto-inflammatory diseases.
Don’t Use Sunscreen
Basically, exposure to the sun will help the body produce vitamin D, thus strengthening your immune system. But, overexposure to the sun without sunscreen protection can harm your immunity. In fact, the sun exposure without protection can aggravate annoying problems such as yeast infections or herpes. This happens because ultraviolet light leads to immunological changes in your body. So always wear a sunscreen when stepping out in the sun. Remember using the sunscreen even during the winter or rainy months.
Consume Too Much Caffeine
Your immunity will be affected if you consume too much coffee & other caffeinated beverages. Excessive caffeine increases the level of stress in the body, thus stimulating your nervous system.
A high level of stress causes the release of cortisol, a stress hormone, which suppresses the immunity and makes you more vulnerable to infections as well as other health problems. Besides, elevated cortisol is also associated with health issues such as the heart, high cholesterol, and blood sugar. Coffee provides us with many benefits when taken in moderation. Thus, you should drink 1-2 cups of coffee per day.
Being A Night Owl
Your immunity may be weak if you work nights, do projects or watch television late into the night. Poor sleep habits will reduce the function of the immunity. Besides, sleep deprivation also decreases the protective cytokines production. While you sleep, your immunity releases various types of cytokines, which aid in protecting your body against diseases and infections. Avoid scrimping on sleep and get seven to eight hours of quality sleep every day.
Use Public Objects
Restaurant menus, restroom door handles, condiment dispensers, grocery carts, soap dispensers, airplane bathrooms, communal pens, and so on, are some of the dirtiest public items and places. They can be intermediaries, transmitting bacteria and viruses from person to person. Therefore, stay away from touching the public objects to cut the risk of spreading cold and flu germs. When going out, you should carry your own pen, water bottle, tissue papers and other important things.
Neglect Personal Hygiene
Your immunity will surely suffer if you forget your personal hygiene. Unhygienic habits will increase the chance of being exposed to many harmful germs, making you prone to more diseases and infections. Practice good hygiene by washing your hands after using the bathroom and before eating, brushing your teeth twice every day, taking a shower daily, keeping your nails clean, wearing clean clothes, etc.
Overdose On Sugar
You can have a weak immune system if you often drink or eat something sweet. Refined sugar can kill the ability of your body to combat germs. To keep your immunity healthy, you should opt for fruits such as oranges, apples, kiwis, mangos, watermelon, strawberries etc. The vitamin C present in these fruits will help your immunity work properly.
So, these were several daily habits that we do unconsciously or consciously follow. Thus, we must stop following it immediately to protect our immune system.
Author BIO
This guest post is by Emily Pham, a blogger with many years of experience in searching the best natural home remedies for beauty and health issues