Live a Healthier Life: Natural Habits and Herbs for Everyday Infection Prevention

Healthy infection prevention personnel

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Live a Healthier Life: Natural Habits and Herbs for Everyday Infection Prevention

Everyday infections are a risk to public health and no less than a financial burden. However, nature has its way of protecting us against these infections through a healthy immune system.

Our defense system works day and night to fight harmful bacteria and viruses. Despite an efficient immune system, infection-causing organisms can sometimes dodge it.

Because of prolonged exposure, healthcare professionals, especially infection preventionists, are at a higher risk of developing these infections.

Infection preventionists need some essential lifestyle habits and natural herbs to effectively boost their immune systems.

5 Habits That Boost the Natural Immune System

Get Your Vaccine Shots

Infection preventionists and health care workers (HCWs) are most likely aware of the importance of vaccination for their immune health.

Timely vaccination is important for fighting infectious diseases, as it prepares the immune system to fight infection-causing organisms.

From inactivated to live-attenuated vaccines, these vaccines are given to individuals regularly.

Being a healthcare worker or infection preventionist, you might need the following vaccines:

• Flu vaccine (influenza)
• COVID-19 vaccine
• Hepatitis B vaccine
• Chickenpox vaccine (varicella)
• MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine
• Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough)/ Td (tetanus and diphtheria) vaccine
• Meningococcal vaccine (for people who are at high occupational risk)

Other than these, you might also need the HPV vaccine (human papillomavirus) and Shingles vaccine.

Be Nutrients Wise

Food is the ultimate medicine.

Adding certain nutrients to your diet can boost your immune function. These nutrients play a crucial role in the formation and maturation of immune cells.

To keep your immune system healthy, we recommend making sure that your diet contains the following nutrients:

• Vitamin C (citrus fruit, red bell pepper, cruciferous vegetables, strawberries, papaya, etc.)
• Vitamin D (Fatty fish, sardines, cod liver oil, egg yolk, mushrooms, trout, etc.)
• Selenium (Brazil nuts, fish, ham, turkey, etc.)
• Zinc (Soyfood, oyster, crab, beef, beans, lentils, tofu, etc.)
• Iron or amino acids rich foods (dark leafy greens, organ meat, red meat, white meat, soy, lentils, beans, apple, beetroot, nuts and seeds, etc.)

Adequate Sleep

Getting enough sleep is essential for your immune system as it can help your body heal.

So, here are the tips on how you can improve your sleep hygiene while being in healthcare:

• Limit your screen exposure before bedtime
• Avoid consumption of coffee or high-energy drinks before bedtime
• Create a peaceful and relaxing environment
• Don’t consume heavy meals before sleeping
• Try not to sleep during the daytime so you can fall asleep during the night
• Set a sleep schedule and stick to it

Watch Your Weight

Obesity can impair your normal immune function. It causes tissue stress and affects the immune system pathways at molecular levels.

Healthcare professionals know that they need to watch their body weight. But their hectic routines make it hard.

Here are the tips that might help you to control your body weight while working:

• Practice mindful eating
• Pack and eat healthy snacks
• Begin your day with black coffee
• Replace refined carbs with complex carbs
• Use stairs instead of elevators whenever possible
• Take time out for a workout
• Replace unhealthy fats in your diet with fiber and protein
• Avoid sugary drinks and take 8-10 glasses of water a day

Keep Stress Away

Controlling your stress level is another habit that can drastically improve your immune system. Though you can’t do much about your stress triggers, you can still control your stress response.

Stress can alter your appetite, disrupting your sleep pattern, compromising your metabolic health, etc.

So for infection preventionists, some tips that might help include:

• Taking a walk for 30 mins
• Practicing yoga and meditation
• Following a workout routine
• Surrounding yourself with positive people
• Talking about your day with a close confidant

5 Herbs to Boost Natural Immune System

Other than everyday habits, natural supplements can also boost your immune function.

Here are the top 5 herbs known for their immune-boosting effects:

Kratom

Kratom is fast gaining popularity among the masses. According to themarket stats, the current market size of the kratom market in the U.S. is 1.6 billion USD and is expected to hit 4.8 billion USD by 2029.

A recent study published by Molecules has shed light on kratom’s antibacterial properties. These properties can help protect your brain from bacterial infection, such as LPS (lipopolysaccharides) present in the outer bacterial membrane, and can trigger an immune system.

There are different kratom variants available in the market, and you can consume it according to your preferred mode of consumption. Kratom powder, capsules, and extracts are some quick consumption methods suitable for people with hectic schedules.

Moringa

The Moringa plant is known as the miracle tree because of its many benefits. It’s a potent immune booster that supports our body's natural defense system and prevents infections. Many studies have shown improved growth and immune performance.

You can use moringa powder or on-the-go capsules to boost your immune system. You can also add moringa tea to your diet.

Ginseng

Ginseng plant root is an herbal remedy for boosting energy, reducing stress, controlling cholesterol levels, and other health benefits. Several studies have already been done on its immunity-boosting properties.

The components in ginseng help promote immune cell maturation and initiate the production of immune chemicals.

Red ginseng is mainly used as an immune booster. For the best results, consume raw ginseng root.

Licorice

Licorice is an herb with several beneficial components recognized for its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. The same herb can help prevent everyday infections by strengthening the immune system.

Recent scientific studies show that licorice can increase the immune cell count in experimental models and the weight of the spleen, where immune cell maturation occurs. Other studies have also demonstrated the anti-inflammatory potential of licorice.

You can consume licorice in raw or powder form or use it to prepare herbal tea.

Neem

Neem is a popular herb known for itsimmunomodulatory potential. Several active components in neem, such as flavonoids and polysaccharides, can help enhance the body's immune response. They can stimulate the production of immune cells and promote the overall response of the immune system, thus preventing everyday infections.

There are many ways to add neem to your diet. You can use neem-infused soup or chutneys, add neem powder to smoothies and curries, or consume it with ginger tea.

Bottom Line

A healthy immune system is crucial for preventing life-threatening infections, especially for healthcare professionals and infection preventionists at high occupational risk.

Incorporating the right lifestyle changes and adding natural herbs to your diet is a simple and healthy way to boost your immune health.