What You Really Need to Do to Boost Your Immunity
What You Really Need to Do to Boost Your Immunity Your body’s immune system—a collaboration among organs, cells, and proteins—fights off germs to protect you from getting sick. The immune system changes through the lifespan as people are exposed to bacteria, viruses, and other microbes. These exposures, and exposures via vaccines, teach the immune system to recognize the germs later in life and eliminate them. “It’s important to know that these products—and activities like cold-water plunges—have not been shown to enhance immunity or increase your protection against infection,” says pediatric immunologist Joshua Milner, MD, professor of pediatrics at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. “A lifestyle that includes eating healthy foods, physical activity, reducing stress, and getting enough sleep is known to keep your immune system in the best shape,” adds Milner, who is a leader in the discovery of rare immune deficiency disorders of children....