Strengthening your immune defenses means acting on your lifestyle (changing your diet, preserving your sleep, practicing physical activity, etc.). You can also use some natural products. Vitamins, trace elements, essential oils: Santé Magazine takes stock of how to immunize and prepare for the arrival of cold, winter and the diseases that go with it.
Immunity refers to the body’s ability to defend itself against substances that threaten its proper functioning or survival. These threats can be microbes such as viruses, bacteria, fungi or parasites, cells that have become cancerous, or even a foreign body such as a splinter, for example.
The singularity of winter
In In this context, the cold seasons which coincide with a stronger circulation of viruses are generally unwelcome by the body. “In terms of food, the unconscious need to build up reserves through a fatty diet can lead to intestinal inflammation,” explains Dr. Teulières, general practitioner and immunologist. If immunity is at half past as winter approaches, it is therefore not without reason. In some people, the production of serotonin decreases between autumn and winter, and causes the onset of depressive syndrome, fatigue and stress. However, this hormone is secreted not only by neurons, but also by cells of the immune system, and more than 95% percent of serotonin is not produced by the brain but by the intestine. It is not uncommon to have sugar cravings, especially at the end of the day and in the evening, when the days are shorter and the light is reduced. This is completely normal: the body tries to compensate for the drop in serotonin in the brain. So boosting your serotonin production means fighting against stress, and therefore boosting your immune defenses
