It's true that today people live longer than they did 50 years ago. It's also true that the modern world has brought more factors that can impair a person's health by compromising the body’s basic protection — the immune system. All creatures have some sort of innate immunity in their bodies shielding them from outside pathogens to a certain extent [1].

In particular, human immune mechanisms fight against numerous hazards on a daily basis, like pollution and germs. And how much work the immune system will have to do considerably depends on the way a person lives their life. A sedentary lifestyle, nicotine, alcohol, UV radiation and stress can make the immune system weak and endanger overall health. While it may not be possible to abandon some habits, you can minimize their effect and introduce things that can improve your quality of life, like infrared therapy. But first, let’s go over the immune system’s purpose and its significance for human existence.

Know Your Immune System

The immune system is a complex mechanism including organs, cells and proteins serving as protection from various harmful factors attacking the body from the outside and inside. Its main task is to prevent pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites from causing you harm and eliminate them from the body. Immunity is also responsible for removing toxins that have entered the body from the environment and are wreaking havoc on internal functions. Additionally, the immune system can be activated when there is an internal threat to a person's health, such as cancer cells.

When the immune system “switches on,” it means that foreign elements called antigens are attacking the body. Once antigens come in contact with the immune cells, the body starts collecting information about them and preparing its defense. Sometimes the information on harmful pathogens can be stored to help the body make antibodies against them more quickly the next time they attack. This occurrence is called the adaptive immune system and it helps you recover from the second round of the same disease, or protect you from contracting it again.

Besides adaptive, the body also has the innate immune system. This is general protection that fights off all germs and substances that have entered the body mostly through the skin or the digestive system [2]. While it may not be enough to prevent certain pathogens from causing harm, it can slow them down and give therapies a fighting chance to save your health or even your life. Because of this, it’s important to boost your immune system so it can face off against harmful attacks more efficiently and promptly.

Improving Your Immunity

One of the first things that come to mind when talking about an immune system boost is vaccines. They stimulate the production of antibodies to certain infectious invaders so that the body can fight off the infection in the future. Since they are not commonly received for every virus and bacteria out there, they are useful but limited. This is why it may be better to concentrate more on other immune system boosters, like changing your lifestyle.

Stress is often pointed out as one of the greatest troublemakers of the modern way of life. When a person is under constant stress, the body produces more cortisol — a steroid hormone that can make the immune system weak. Regular exercise, meditation, and spending time in nature are good ways to lower stress levels, although professional help, like psychotherapy, can also be useful. These techniques can also improve sleep, as lack of sleep is another byproduct of increased stress. During sleep, the body regenerates and new cells replace old ones, making the body stronger to fight against pathogens and toxins. If a person doesn't get 6–8 hours of sleep every night, they can hinder their immune system and be defenseless against allergies, colds and some other health issues [3].

Your immune system is directly linked to your actions, so certain habits you enjoy may cause it damage. Smoking is harmful to the immune system because one cigarette consists of over 7,000 chemicals, some of them disrupting its protective function and leaving the body open to attacks, like respiratory pathogens. Diet is another important factor that can help you stay healthy, especially if you eat food full of vitamins and minerals, like vegetables and fruits [4]. Of course, avoiding close social interaction during seasonal infections, like the flu, frequent hand washing and maintaining good hygiene in the living space are also helpful ways to boost/protect your immune system.

Role Of Infrared Saunas In Boosting Immunity

Even though the modern age brought more stress into human life, it also introduced various means to deal with said stress, such as in-home infrared saunas. These therapeutic devices allow users to reap all the infrared therapy benefits in the privacy of their homes whenever they find it convenient. This alone is reason enough to avoid anxiety-induced stress due to awkward social encounters inside of saunas available in public spaces, e.g. spas.

Another infrared sauna benefit is its capacity to decrease cortisol levels and prevent its harmful effect on the immune system [5]. Adding an available ergonomic back support and head rest can enhance an infrared session, making the experience more relaxed, which in turn, can be beneficial for your sleep. Since the immune system is considered one of the ways to detoxify the body from harmful pathogens, giving it a helping hand can improve its functioning. Sweating is inevitable when in a far infrared sauna, like JNH Lifestyles’ Joyous Collection, which is popular for its detoxifying characteristics.

When people sweat, toxins, impurities and pathogens are flushed from the skin through pores, preventing them from entering the body [6]. This process is a valuable aid to the immune system by preventing further infiltration of these damaging attackers, giving the body a chance to defend itself from the inside. Moreover, infrared light can enhance the body's natural immune system so it can more efficiently fight off bacteria and heal the wounds faster [7]. So, regular infrared sauna sessions can help you boost your immune system in a comfortable way, and without having to leave your home.

Making Your Health A Priority

Your health should be No. 1 on your list of life priorities. Unfortunately, many remember this when their health is already jeopardized and understrain. To avoid this from happening, you can use some of the many available resources to boost your immune system and support it in the good fight to preserve your health. Infrared therapy is one of those helpful methods that can bring numerous benefits to its users through regular sessions. Have a look at the JNH Lifestyles’ offer and contact our specialists for further consultations about choosing the right personal infrared sauna for you. Don’t keep your immune system waiting to give it a fighting chance against lurking threats.

Resources

[1]Rimer J, et al. (2014). “Do all creatures possess an acquired immune system of some sort?” ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/, National Center for Biotechnology Information, March 2014, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24421210.

[2]Stuart E. Turvey, and David H. Broide. (2009). “Chapter 2: Innate Immunity.” ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, National Center for Biotechnology Information, November 2009, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2832725/.

[3]Luciana Besedovsky, et al. (2011). “Sleep and immune function.” ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, National Center for Biotechnology Information, November 2011, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3256323/.

[4]Caroline E. Childs, et al. (2019). “Diet and Immune Function.” ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, National Center for Biotechnology Information, August 2019, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6723551/.

[5] Ryotokuji K, et al. (2013). “Preliminary results of pinpoint plantar long-wavelength infrared light irradiation on blood glucose, insulin, and stress hormones in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.” ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2013, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24204095.

[6]Genuis, Stephen J, et al. (2010). “Blood, Urine, and Sweat (BUS) Study: Monitoring and Elimination of Bioaccumulated Toxic Elements.” link.springer.com, Springer Nature, Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, November 2010, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00244-010-9611-5.

[7] Seung YoonCeline Lee, et al. (2011). “Enhancement of cutaneous immune response to bacterial infection after low-level light therapy with 1072 nm infrared light: A preliminary study.” www.sciencedirect.com, Science Direct, December 2011, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1011134411001989.