Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Health: 5 ways to bolster your immune system before cold and flu season

A woman chopping healthy fruit and veg, a leading tip of how to boost immune system
Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet is a good way to protect yourself from illness.

Autumn can be a challenging time for our immune systems, with countless bugs doing the rounds and cooler temperatures meaning we’re indoors more, making it easier for germs to spread. The question of how to boost your immune system has never been more prevalent.

Busy schedules can also increase stress, which doesn’t help matters, and can quickly zap us of the energy we need to get through the day, without having to rely on a steady stream of pumpkin spice lattes.

“Every day, we each inhale more than 100 million different bacteria,” says Euan MacLennan, medical herbalist and herbal director at Pukka Herbs.

“To stop the infectious invaders, we have about 30 million unique antibodies, each programmed to recognise a single known bacterium, plus millions more ‘naïve’ antibodies waiting to attack previously unknown bacteria.

“Whilst our immune system is designed to fight off viruses, sometimes it can be helpful to support it against new challenges,” MacLennan adds.

Keen to sail into the cold season, without spending the entire time coughing into your jumper sleeve and blowing your nose?

Remember, the best way to halt the spread of bugs is to stay on top of things like regular hand-washing and minimise contact with others if you, or they, are unwell, but a healthy lifestyle can help support our immune systems too.

Want to learn how to boost your immune system in time for the winter cold and flu season? Here are some expert-recommended autumn boosters…

Top 5 immune system boosting tips:

1. Get a sweat on

“As well as protecting our heart, exercise is really important for maintaining a strong immune system,” says Emily Rollason, Holland & Barrett’s expert nutritionist, “whether that be a brisk walk to the shops instead of driving, or a swim in the sea, lake or river.

Emily Rollason
Emily Rollason, of Holland & Barrett.

“Research shows that regular exercise increases the circulation of white blood cells – the purpose of which is to kill any sickness – causing pathogens in the body.”

There’s a catch though: if you over-train, you can actually end up weakening your immune system, because you’re not letting your body recover. Generally speaking, it’s quite hard to really over-train, but make sure to schedule regular rest days.

2. Think Mediterranean

It’s not just about taking vitamin C supplements when you feel a cold coming on. Packing your daily diet full of immune-supportive nutrients and herbs, especially those with anti-viral properties, is a great way to give your body a good chance of staying in peak condition.

Dr Jenna Macciochi, a leading immunologist working with Healthspan (healthspan.co.uk), says: “A Mediterranean-style anti-inflammatory diet is a great example of a scientifically supported immune-nourishing diet pattern.

A bowl of healthy immune system-boosting food including avocado, chickpeas and greens
Make sure you put the right nutrients into your body to stay fighting fit.

“Rich in fibre, healthy fats like omega 3s, lean protein and an abundance of colourful plant chemicals, it furnishes all our day-to-day nutrition needs, while also reducing chronic inflammation and guarding against age-related disease.

“Curcumin, a compound found in turmeric, is one of my favourite kitchen staples to stave off unwanted inflammation and age-related disease,” adds Macciochi. “It mops up oxidative stress in the body and supports your own antioxidant systems.”

3. Probiotics for a healthy gut

According to Macciochi, some 70% of the immune system is in close contact with our gut microbiota. “These good bugs help to coach and educate our immune system,” she says.

A varied, fibre and nutrient-rich diet is key for promoting a healthy gut microbiome, but could a top-up help?

Caring for gut health with a daily probiotic containing clinically researched immune-supporting strains could be a simple way to help boost your health: “Probiotics have been clinically shown to reduce incidence, duration and severity of common infections.”

4. Limit the takeaways

When we’re busy and stressed, it can be easy to fall into the habit of ordering takeaway, but MacLennan warns that “fast, processed foods do not support our immune system at all.

Researchers at the University of Bonn in Germany have found that an unhealthy diet can cause the immune system to act as if it is responding to bacterial infections,” he notes.

A woman looking ill on the sofa blowing her nose
Don’t be tempted by junk food when you are feeling under the weather.

5. Sleep and de-stress

As we approach the winter months, we can become deluged with opportunities for socialising and overworking. Macciochi says we need to be aware of the negative impact of stress and alcohol on our health, not least on our immune function.

“In the short term, cortisol (a hormone produced by stress) helps to fight infection, but when its levels are continuously high, it can have a negative effect, suppressing and weakening the immune response towards potential infections, delaying recovery and even increasing risk for chronic inflammatory disease,” she warns.

“Combatting the toll of chronic stress on your body involves creating a toolbox of resources to help, like mindfulness and mediation. Personally, I like to take a magnesium bath after a stressful day.”

A man lying in bed with his hands behind his back
Getting a good night’s sleep is essential to fighting off infections.

Sleep, she says, is a foundation of good immunity too. “Your chance of catching an infection is five-and-a-half times greater if you manage less than six hours’ sleep per night,” says Macciochi.

“Protect your sleep by ensuring a calm wind down each evening, and work on establishing consistent wake and sleep times to give yourself the best chance of a good night’s rest.”