To prevent colds in winter, boost your immunity first! Nutritionists urge: Avoid these 5 things to stay away from colds

The temperature drops significantly in winter, and it’s cool at home without even turning on the electric fan. Moreover, there is a big temperature difference between morning and night, so you can catch a cold if you are not careful. Nutritionist Huang Xiaotong pointed out that if you want to prevent colds, it is important to improve your immunity. Don’t ignore the following 5 things. Only by avoiding landmines wisely can you enhance your resistance. No matter how cold the weather is, you don’t have to worry about catching a cold!

The immune system is the body's defense mechanism

The main function is to fight infection, and the strength of your immune system depends on your own care. Many bad living habits can reduce our immunity, leading to colds or even other more serious diseases. The weather in autumn is changeable, with sudden changes from hot to cold. Instead of waiting until you catch a cold and then taking a leave to rest, which will affect your work progress, it is better to take protective measures in your daily life.

Enhance your immunity by yourself, avoid these 5 things in your daily life

Medical Daily in the United States pointed out that obesity, drinking and stress can easily reduce immune function, and lack of sleep and eating indiscriminately are also the culprits for the decline in immunity. To stay away from colds, start by avoiding the following 5 things!

1. Obesity

Are fat people more likely to get sick? Yes. Nutritionist Huang Xiaotong pointed out that because obese people have abnormal fat metabolism, fat cells will release inflammatory factors and activate inflammatory substances, accelerating the body's inflammatory response, causing the obese people's immune system to be in an inflamed state for a long time, leading to abnormal white blood cell function and thus reducing immunity. Obese people are advised to lose weight through healthy diet and moderate exercise, which not only improves their appearance but also helps them stay healthy.

Are fat people more likely to get sick? Yes. Nutritionist Huang Xiaotong pointed out that because obese people have abnormal fat metabolism, fat cells will release inflammatory factors and activate inflammatory substances, accelerating the body's inflammatory response.

2. Excessive drinking

It is inevitable for office workers to have some social occasions, or to relax with friends after get off work for a drink, but excessive alcohol not only harms the stomach and liver. Nutritionist Huang Xiaotong reminds us that alcohol also inhibits the transmission of messages between immune cells, making it impossible to notify inflammatory cells to secrete hormones, thereby reducing the immune system's response to invading pathogens, making us more vulnerable to bacteria and viruses.

In addition, every gram of alcohol contains about 7 calories, second only to fat. Drinking one or two bottles of beer a day will not only affect your health but also increase your weight in the long run.

3. Too much stress

The National Cancer Institute points out that long-term stress can affect the health of the immune system, while experts at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center say that long-term stress can promote the secretion of cortisol in the brain and weaken the function of T cells to fight infection. Therefore, if you want to have good immunity, it is also important to relieve stress moderately.

4. Lack of sleep

Stop staying up late and sleeping late! Lack of sleep is definitely a major culprit for poor immunity. Lack of sleep can easily reduce the body's ability to fight germs. Researchers at the University of Chicago found that people who only slept four hours a night for a week secreted only half the amount of antibodies to fight colds than those who slept 7 to 8 hours a day!

Stop staying up late and sleeping late! Lack of sleep is definitely a major culprit for poor immunity.

5. Improper diet

Beverages, sweets, and junk food are foods that many people come into contact with every day. Excessive intake of refined sugars and processed foods containing various artificial additives can easily damage the immune system. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that consuming 100 grams of carbohydrates (including fructose, glucose, sucrose, honey, and orange juice) will weaken the ability of white blood cells to kill bacteria.

We would like to remind everyone that only by consuming a balanced natural diet and eating less beverages and cakes containing large amounts of refined sugar can you enhance your immunity!