You contain multitudes. Within you there are billions of defenders, ready to protect your health from threats arising both outside and inside your body. This is your immune system, and it consists of an intricate combination of cells and proteins able to spot and destroy cold-causing viruses, infectious bacteria, and even wayward versions of your own cells that are on their way to becoming cancer.
But sometimes, when facing a flu, an allergy, an autoimmune disease such as multiple sclerosis, or a life-threatening tumor, your immune system could use a little help.
It could benefit from an edge, a nudge, some extra resources to keep you healthy. Supplements, surprising treatments, immunity-boosting vaccines and even exercises can help the immune system do its job. The big question is, Which ones work best? Tons of supplements and vitamins that promise to aid immunity line drugstore and supermarket aisles, and friends and family all have their favorite teas and creams they swear will help. Choices can be bewildering.
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This is where science comes in. For the stories in this special edition, we looked for immune boosters backed by randomized controlled trials—the best way to compare treatments to see which one is most effective. We also looked for studies involving large groups of people. And we interviewed experts in immunology and in specific illnesses.
Omega-3 fatty acids get a thumbs-up for the way they tamp down damaging inflammation. So does turmeric’s yellow ingredient, curcumin. Learn more about these supplements. Regular use of the former can reduce the risk of heart attack, and the latter can ease osteoarthritis symptoms. Vitamin D, in contrast, isn’t the cure-all it was once touted as. It turns out most people make enough on their own because our skin uses sunlight’s energy to create the vitamin. Plus, it’s in fortified milk and in fish such as salmon.
But vitamin D does seem to reduce the chances of developing some autoimmune diseases such as lupus and psoriasis. And sunlight itself may be a good remedy for autoimmune disease, balancing your immune response to reduce symptoms of multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes, as our story explains.
Stuffed up by a cold or an allergy? That’s usually because of tissue swelling caused by your immune reaction. Your best course might be the over-the-counter decongestant pseudoephedrine. And nasal saline sprays work really well. For food allergies, read about new drugs and treatment protocols for the immune system that have dramatically helped children with life-threatening reactions to peanuts. Pet allergies can be relieved by an approach called hyposensitization.
To treat illnesses such as cancer, doctors have harnessed the precision targeting of immune system antibodies to guide chemotherapy directly to cancer cells, as we describe here. But drugs aren’t the only treatment. Regular exercise, as straightforward as several hours of brisk walking a week, leads to longer survival for some cancer patients and to more immune cells attacking their tumors.
Puzzles about immunity persist, such as why stimulating one major nerve called the vagus seems to enhance protective effects and why women get more autoimmune illnesses than men. But scientists are trying to turn information gathered while probing these mysteries into remedies. So more immune system boosts may be coming your way soon.