2932: How to Stay Healthy During Cold & Flu Season - How to Boost Your Immune System

[00:00:00] Have you ever noticed how a calm mind can really set the stage for a good night's sleep? That's the idea behind our new podcast, Good Sleep. Greg, our host from Optimal Relationships Daily, is here to help ease you into a peaceful night's rest with some positive affirmations. And these affirmations aren't just comforting, they can help ease anxiety and nurture positive thoughts, setting you up for true good sleep.

[00:00:24] So, press play on Good Sleep Tonight, because a good tomorrow starts with a good night's sleep. Just search for Good Sleep in your podcast app, and be sure to pick the one from Optimal Living Daily. It's another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily, and I'm Dr. Neal Malik. Hey there, happy Friday, and welcome to another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily, where I answer your health questions related to fitness, diet and nutrition, and lots more.

[00:00:53] You send in the questions, and I answer them for you. And now we're giving away an Optimal Living Daily workbook to you, free of charge, if you send in a relevant question. So, be sure to send one in before we run out. Now, we can only do this if your address is in the US for now, but we're happy to send a digital version if you're outside of the US. You can email a relevant health-related question to health at oldpodcast.com.

[00:01:21] Now, once a month, usually during the first Q&A episode of the month, I mention a bit about my background and credentials so you can better understand where my perspectives come from. And given this is the first Q&A of the month, it's time. Now, I've always been obsessed with Batman, but I wasn't always interested in nutrition, exercise, health, or wellness. But being diagnosed with a chronic disease at the age of 19 definitely changed my life's purpose.

[00:01:48] It was then I decided to focus my attention on helping others. So, no one else had to experience a chronic disease diagnosis like I did. But in order to do that, I wanted to have some credibility. Now, this isn't meant to be a humble brag, but instead gain your trust. I received both my master's and doctoral degrees in public health. And to really cover all of my bases, I also became a registered dietitian nutritionist, a certified health education specialist, and a certified exercise physiologist

[00:02:18] through the American College of Sports Medicine. I've been teaching in higher education for a long time now, and I'm currently faculty within the California State University system. I've published peer-reviewed studies, presented at national and international conferences, and have been interviewed by over 70 different media outlets for my expertise on basically all the things I talk about on this podcast. So, I share all this with you so that you know when I provide my commentary after each episode

[00:02:46] and I answer the questions you send in, I hope you feel as though it's coming from a place of truth. My only intention is to help you feel your best. Alright, and with that, let's finally get to today's question as we optimize your life. Today's question came via email. Morgan writes, Hi Dr. Neil, I've been listening to OHD for several years, and I've really enjoyed listening and learning from you every day.

[00:03:15] My question overall is about staying healthy during cold and flu season. I got pneumonia last winter, and I live in Minnesota. Since my recovery, which unfortunately took a number of weeks, I've been really working on staying on top of my health, going for daily walks with my dog, working out, eating healthy, especially getting in more vegetables, and attempting to drink more water. Is there more I can be doing to boost my immune system to help me avoid getting the winter sicknesses that go around every year? Thanks.

[00:03:45] Thanks. Thank you for taking the time to send in your question, Morgan. And thank you for being a long time and regular listener of the show. I very much appreciate you. And it actually sounds like you're doing a lot of the things I would recommend to help keep your immune system healthy. Do you remember at the height of the COVID pandemic, people were swearing that a supplement that they just happened to be using was helping them stay healthy? Well, we don't hear about those same supplements much anymore, do we?

[00:04:14] But either way, when it comes to talking about immune health, vitamins and minerals are a great place to start. But actually, let's start at the very beginning of this story, the immune system. The immune system is the body's defense against things that may harm us. And when we say immune boosting or boosting the immune system, we're talking about making our body's defense system better at fighting off these harmful substances. Now, when it comes to our diets,

[00:04:42] we need a number of different nutrients to help make sure our immune system is working at its best. Pretty much all of the vitamins and minerals have some role in keeping the immune system working at its best, but some are more involved than others. These would be vitamins A, C, and D, for example. When it comes to minerals, zinc is a key player. And we need to make sure we get in some of those healthy fats. But for most of us in this country, omega-3 fats may be an issue for some.

[00:05:12] But I'm really going to focus on some of the major lifestyle behaviors when it comes to immune boosting. Now, when we look at studies examining whether taking a vitamin A, C, or D, or even a zinc supplement will help prevent the flu or common cold, most studies found that supplementing with them doesn't seem to help prevent us from getting sick. The one major exception to this, though, is if someone is deficient. So, if someone's not getting enough vitamin A, C, D, or zinc

[00:05:41] in their diets, or in the case of vitamin D, maybe not getting enough sunlight, then yes, their immune system may suffer. And this is because, again, their body is deficient in key nutrients that help with supporting immune health. But what if someone is getting enough of these nutrients each day? Then taking extra probably won't boost the immune system. So, are there other ways to boost the immune system? Absolutely. And again, Morgan, you're performing a lot of these behaviors

[00:06:10] I would recommend already. For example, when we're talking about lifestyle habits, we know that exercise makes our immune system stronger. Now, there may be a point where too much exercise actually makes the immune system weaker. But most of us don't exercise to that point. Think basically like marathon runners and triathletes. But, in general, exercise makes our immune cells more active and ready to fight off dangerous microbes. And so, if we think about it then,

[00:06:39] exercise actually meets the definition of immune boosting perfectly. Another example of a lifestyle habit that may help, eating enough dietary fiber. For those assigned to female gender at birth, the recommendation is to get about 25 grams of dietary fiber from whole foods each day. For those assigned to male gender at birth, the recommendation is 35 grams of dietary fiber each day. This is because dietary fiber helps promote the health of our gut microbiome.

[00:07:08] Now, what does that have to do with the immune system? Well, it's estimated that about 70% of our immune cells can be found in the gut. So, a healthy gut may mean a healthy immune system. And reducing our intake of highly processed foods may also support the health of our gut microbiome. And this, in turn, may serve as another immune booster. Now, one trick to consuming enough fiber each day, beyond just consuming fruits and vegetables, is to buy whole grain carbohydrates.

[00:07:38] So, look at the product's packaging. If it has three or more grams of dietary fiber per serving, it's a good option. And, of course, that's because fruits and vegetables are good sources of fiber, but also, they're good sources of vitamin C and vitamin A. And as we discussed, both are powerful immune system boosters. Now, let's not forget about getting enough sleep. Aim for a minimum of seven hours of uninterrupted sleep each night, and that can help the immune system function at its best.

[00:08:08] In fact, some studies have found that the immune system may be 70% less effective after a bad night's sleep. And next, like I said before, make sure we get enough of those micronutrients. So, vitamin A, C, zinc, and vitamin D are important. But when it comes to vitamin D, sunlight is a great option. And that's because most foods really aren't that high in vitamin D. So, exposing the skin to a bit of sunlight each day will trigger the body to create vitamin D.

[00:08:37] Now, Morgan, since you live in Minnesota, getting enough sunlight can be an issue in the fall and winter months. Now, there are a number of reasons we all tend to get sick in the fall and winter, but making sure we're getting enough vitamin D may be partly to blame. So, please discuss with your doctor whether taking a vitamin D supplement is something they would recommend. Oh, and I haven't mentioned zinc yet. When it comes to zinc, most animal products, including dairy products, are good sources. So, again, most of us aren't deficient in zinc.

[00:09:08] So, what's the bottom line? Well, the bottom line is this. A balanced diet full of whole, unprocessed foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains will provide the body with dietary fiber, which helps the gut microbiome, which keeps the immune system working at its best. And, those will provide us with important vitamins and minerals like A and C that keep our immune cells functioning optimally too. That, along with regular exercise, 7 hours of sleep a night, and possibly

[00:09:37] a vitamin D supplement may be the trick to keep you healthy during those winter months. Oikos presents 15 Seconds of Strength. Here we go. Steve's got a trunk full of groceries and no one to help him. Oh, that's tough, Jim. Looks like a five-trip load at least. He grabs the first bag, the second. Bob, it looks like he's trying to do it on one trip. He shimmies the door open, steps over the dog, oh, and he stumbles. Oh, right into the kitchen without missing a beat. Jim, now that's a man

[00:10:06] who eats his protein-packed Oikos. With 15 grams of complete protein in each cup, Oikos Triple Zero can help build strength for every day. Oikos, stronger makes everything better. Thank you again for taking the time to send in your question, Morgan, and for being a regular listener. Now, if you want to get your hands on our Optimal Living Daily Workbook and have your question answered right here on the show, send one in. You can email one to health at oldpodcast.com. Now, if you want to send in an audio

[00:10:35] question, come by oldpodcast.com slash ask and there you can record your question straight from your computer or you can do it the old-fashioned way and call in your question. The number is country code 1-61-ILOVE-OHD. That's 1-614-568-3643. All right, that'll do it for another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily. Thank you so much for listening every day and all the way through.

[00:11:05] I hope you have a great start to your weekend and I'll see you back here tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.