12 ways to boost your immunity
Are you ready for winter? Braced for a dip in mood and a deluge of leaves on sodden streets that can make leaving the house for work, let alone that morning run, feel daunting?
The health secretary, Wes Streeting, recently said the NHS would hold “war game” exercises to prepare for the surge in seasonal illnesses, in the hope of avoiding yet another year of chaos in which staff at the beleaguered health service cannot cope with demand. “We’re doing everything we can to stop history repeating itself,” he said.
While we might be wise not to hold our breath, there is plenty we can do ourselves to strengthen our immunity and protect ourselves from the health challenges winter presents.
As the weather cools and daylight hours diminish, the lure of the couch grows stronger. But “exercise is definitely helpful to your immune system”, says Daniel Davis, professor of immunology at Imperial College London. Both cardiovascular and weight training increase the number of neutrophils, white blood cells important to help fight infection. These, Davis explains, send out “a web-like structure made of DNA and proteins that can capture bacteria and lead to their destruction”.
When we exercise to extremes, however, our sleep and stress levels are also often affected, which “could dampen immunity”, he says. “There’s some evidence, for example, that Olympic athletes might be more susceptible to certain types of respiratory infections after very strenuous exercise.” There’s no “threshold” as to how much activity will help to keep illness at bay, he adds, but balance appears key. The NHS suggests 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week.
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Confronting the elements boosts physical and mental health
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2. And don’t give up on outdoor exercise
Braving the elements “can improve mental and physical resilience”, says the personal trainer Kate Rowe-Ham, author of Owning Your Menopause. “I love a rainy run.” She recommends joining a running club, which is not only safer than running alone but provides accountability, and adds: “Lots of clubs have a lit track to make running after dark easier.”
However, trainers with good tread are essential for muddy, wet terrain. Last year a systematic review into falling and older adults found that the winter months led to an increase in the incidence of falls.
“Trainers don’t have to be flashy or expensive but protecting your ankles is key,” says Rowe-Ham, who adds that now is a good time to start practising your balance ahead of January icy snaps. “Balance on one leg for 20 seconds every day. Repeat on the other leg. Adding in ankle circles, slowly rotating your elevated foot, improves mobility, which will help you withstand unstable ground.”
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3. Be careful about comfort eating
That packet of biscuits won’t eat itself but it doesn’t mean you have to. The desire to comfort ourselves with stodge, and a lower availability of fresh produce in the shops in autumn and winter, means that “we have a less diverse microbiome and that’s thought to make our immune system more vulnerable”, says the nutritionist Dr Megan Rossi, aka the Gut Health Doctor.
Adding excess weight can also weaken the immune system. A study in the journal Frontiers in Endocrinology this year found that overweight and obese people had more than a 10 per cent higher chance of developing chronic infectious diseases.
Rossi suggests increasing your intake of fibre, which triggers the gut to produce the hormone GLP-1 to regulate appetite without weight loss jabs. She also suggests adding variety to your diet by using frozen food, such as berries and spinach, to keep our microbiome healthy or adding a can of legumes like chickpeas or butter beans to a soup for a lunch that “contain prebiotics that feed your gut microbes”.
A sensible dinner choice would be oily fish such as mackerel that “supports our immune system”, Rossi says. Meanwhile, adding probiotics-rich kefir yoghurt to breakfasts and desserts will improve gut health.
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4. And go easy on the alcohol
As the evenings draw in, the temptation for “wine o’clock” to start earlier might be strong but alcohol makes the gut lining more permeable, which causes inflammation that weakens the immune system. Rossi advises a maximum of one or two drinks, ideally dark beer or red wine. These contain polyphenols that feed the gut lining.
Hygiene is especially crucial in winter
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5. Wash under your nails and disinfect light switches to lower your risk of norovirus
The NHS warned that there were 18 outbreaks of norovirus — the most common form of gastroenteritis — in one month alone last autumn. To minimise your risk of catching it this year, be scrupulous with hygiene.
“Alcohol hand gels don’t work very well against it. Soap and water are much more effective, so aim to wash your hands regularly,” says NHS GP Deepali Misra-Sharp. “Use warm water, and rub all parts of your hands — front, back, between the fingers and under the nails — for at least 20 seconds. Be extra vigilant about keeping kitchen and bathroom surfaces clean.
“Using a household disinfectant or diluted bleach solution is more effective than general surface sprays, as norovirus is quite resilient. Pay particular attention to frequently touched areas such as taps, door handles and light switches.”
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6. Get your flu jab
Spending more time indoors makes it easier for viruses to circulate, while “cold, dry air can make the lining of the nose and throat more vulnerable to infection”, Misra-Sharp explains. She adds that reduced sunlight exposure lowers vitamin D levels, “which can play a role in immune function”. Little wonder cases of flu rocket in winter.
Older adults, people with chronic health conditions, pregnant women and children can have the flu vaccine free on the NHS, yet government figures suggest the majority don’t.
“I strongly recommend vaccines where eligible,” Misra-Sharp says. Those who aren’t eligible can get the jab privately at pharmacies for about £20. “For many the cost is worthwhile, particularly if you live with or care for someone vulnerable, or if time off work would be difficult.”
On the NHS pregnant women and eligible children can have their vaccinations now; eligible adults can have theirs from October 1. Private vaccinations can also be booked now.
Also worth considering is a vaccine for RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), a common virus that infects the lungs and breathing passages, which is usually mild but can cause pneumonia. Last September the NHS launched its RSV vaccination programme for pregnant women and those aged 75 to 79, or who turned 80 after September 1, 2024. In some regions, including Essex and Suffolk, you can get vaccinated at pharmacies as well as your local GP surgery.
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7. That Covid booster is still important too
Lockdowns might feel a lifetime away “but Covid is still circulating and can cause a nasty illness even if you’re generally healthy”, Misra-Sharp says.
You’re eligible for a booster on the NHS if you’re over 75, a resident in a care home for older adults or have a weakened immune system.
Evidence suggests exercising before a vaccination may make it more efficient. “Antibody levels are affected by exercise beforehand,” says Davis, who is the author of Self Defence: A Myth-busting Guide to Immune Health.
In 2023 a systematic review in SAGE Open Medicine found higher levels of cells that produce antibodies were observed in patients who had a vaccination and exercised, rather than simply had a vaccination, and that consistent “moderate-intensity physical activity”, whether directly before a jab or not, potentially improved the vaccination response.
“Try and have a good night’s sleep before you have a vaccine,” Davis adds. A 2023 meta-analysis in the journal Current Biology showed that a lack of sleep “substantially decreases the response to antiviral vaccination”, and that being well rested both before and after a jab can “enhance and prolong” the response.
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8. Don’t obsess about vitamin C — but do take vitamin D
There’s no persuasive evidence that taking a vitamin C supplement will prevent you getting a cold, and while a 2016 review in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine revealed that adults taking 1-2mg of vitamin C daily recovered from a cold 8 per cent quicker, this recovery might have been due to other measures: more rest and sleep, for example, according to Davis, who emphasises that there is, however, “good evidence” that vitamins D and A support immune health.
Eggs and oily fish are good sources of vitamin D; orange vegetables such as carrots and leafy vegetables like spinach are rich in vitamin A. One recent Slovenian study found 63 per cent of participants were vitamin D deficient in winter compared with 6 per cent in summer, so consider a supplement — a major analysis in the BMJ discovered that vitamin D supplementation reduced the risk of acute respiratory infections.
9. Brighten up
Colder weather and fewer daylight hours “have a significant impact on how we think, feel and behave”, says Suzy Reading, chartered psychologist and author of Self-Care for Winter: Seven Steps to Thriving in the Colder Months. A dip in mood can increase the likelihood of illness — research in the journal Frontiers in Psychology found that stress and depression impair the immune system.
Reading suggests deploying our senses for cheer. For example, wear a bright red coat that lifts your spirit, fill your house with lamps and candles, and make sure you have clean windows to maximise natural light.
10. The two bacterial strains that limit cold and flu symptoms
Seventy per cent of our immune system lives in the gut, Rossi says. Two bacterial strains beneficial for limiting cold and flu occurrence and reducing symptoms are LGG (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG) and BB-12 (Bifidobacterium animalis subsp Lactis).
A study in the British Journal of Nutrition revealed that college students who received a combination of both for 12 weeks experienced a 33 per cent reduction in the number of days with upper respiratory tract infection symptoms compared with those who received a placebo. Neither bacteria is commonly in food. Rossi’s company, Smart Strains, sells a supplement with both, as do Optibac (available from Boots) and Bio-Kult (from Holland & Barrett).
11. Keep in touch with yourself (and others)
Reading says that a somatic hold — a gentle, self-applied touch — will release tension and stress. To do it, she says, “Rub your hands together to create heat, then cradle your face in your hands.”
Maintaining your social life may require more effort during darker evenings but it is important — studies have linked social isolation to an altered immune response. “Can you meet friends for brunch? Stay connected via voice notes?” Reading asks.
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12. Switch to a ‘winter’ duvet
During sleep, levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which dampens the immune system, are low, allowing it time to repair. Studies have shown that people with disrupted sleep, such as night shift workers, are more susceptible to infections. And in winter we have “a biological need” to kip more, says the sleep expert Dr Neil Stanley — until the introduction of the lightbulb, we had little choice but to. So if you’re tired at 9pm, go to bed.
A cool room is important for a good night’s sleep because your body temperature has to drop by about 1C to trigger drowsiness. Stanley recommends 16-18C. A cool bed, however, is not necessary — the body loses enough heat through the head and face, so “having a thicker, 15-tog duvet in the winter is perfectly sensible”, he says.
Professor Daniel Davis and Dr Megan Rossi will be speaking at New Scientist Live at Excel London in October
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