JOHN APPLETON

Since man first walked on the earth, the human immune system has always been our key first responder that is always primed and ready to protect us from disease. Sadly, the importance of this seems to have been overlooked in recent times.

As we age, our immune function can become more dysfunctional making us more prone to infection and the impact of an infection can be more severe. There are however, a number of things we can do to ensure that we are as well ‘prepared’ as we can be, particularly in winter.

The easiest is exercise, but for many people sitting in front of the TV is a lot more appealing than a power walk. They say that it takes 21 days to change a habit so, give it a go. Cut loose from the comfort of the arm-chair regardless of the weather and get the legs moving. Brisk walking while breathing through the nose increases overall oxygenation of the body. It works the lymphatic system which gets rid of ‘waste’, improves muscle tone and helps to retain strong bones. In addition, regular exercise significantly reduces stress which is known to suppress immune function.

Get adequate sleep. Research shows that individuals sleeping six hours or less a night were more than four times more likely to catch a cold compared to those who were logging more than seven hours of sleep. With every hour of sleep lost, the risk of catching a cold continued to rise.

Linus Pauling, a double Nobel Prize winner said, “optimal nutrition is the medicine of tomorrow”. He was right and there are very few of us who could not benefit from improved nutritional status. There is so much we can do, including reducing the amount of sugar we consume, making vegetables a much more important part of every meal, and drinking plenty of pure, preferably filtered, water to ensure that we remain hydrated throughout the day.

I do my very best to ensure that my immune system is up to speed at all times. It’s almost impossible to avoid exposure to viruses, bacteria and toxins, but it’s how my body reacts to infection that is of the utmost importance.

During these ‘difficult’ times, I have embraced a number of key nutrients that are known to have a key role in building immune defences. My top three are vitamin C, vitamin D and zinc. For me, vitamin C is a must have every day. Most of us are aware of just how important vitamin C is for all humans. Unlike most animals, we don’t

make our own vitamin C so we must obtain it from dietary sources or via supplementation.

Vitamin D is known to have a very important role in our immune system. During the summer months we should be able to maintain adequate vitamin D levels via exposure to the sun. However, many New Zealanders cover themselves in ‘block’ and thus, unless they are supplementing with vitamin D, they may never achieve an optimal level of vitamin D. During the winter months it’s easy for our vitamin D status to fall well short, which is not helpful. I take vitamin D via a supplement every day to ensure that I am covered.

Zinc is a mineral that is deficient in New Zealand soils and it’s difficult to get it in our diet. Zinc is known to support immune function, and research shows that zinc helps control infections by gently tapping the brakes on the immune response in a way that prevents out-ofcontrol inflammation that can be damaging and even deadly. I take a well absorbed form of zinc known as Zinc Picolinate.

During these very challenging times, looking after ourselves, family and friends is more important than ever. Your local pharmacist or health store is a one-stop-shop for everything to do with supporting immune function. (JOHN APPLETON)  PN

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