How to Increase Immune System Function

The body's immune system defends it against infection. Specifically, white blood cells are the cells of the immune system that protect and defend the body; doctors use a test called a white blood cell count as one method of determining the strength of the immune system. There are both natural and pharmaceutical ways to boost immune function and raise your white blood cell count.

Instructions

Increase immune system function

• 1

  Maintain a healthy diet. According to George Blackburn, MD, of the Harvard School of Medicine, nutrition plays an important role in keeping your immune system functioning properly. A diet full of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and healthful fats can boost your immune system and keep your white blood cells focused on battling invaders, not inflammation. According to David Katz, MD, of the Centers for Disease Control, trans fats and saturated fats cause inflammation in the body, which distracts the immune system from fighting invaders. A multivitamin and yogurt with active bacterial cultures can also help boost your immune system.

• 2

  Get adequate rest and exercise. Researchers with National Institutes of Health have discovered that moderate exercise stimulates the immune system and boosts the body's defenses. Heavy or intense exercise can have the opposite effect, so aim for a 20- to 30-minute walk or bike ride daily, or go to the gym every other day. Similarly, make sure you get enough rest. "The New York Times" reported on research discovered in the early 1990s that linked a lack of sleep to lowered immunity--researchers urge adequate rest to maintain your immune system's function.

• 3

  Manage stress. Doctors at Northwestern Health Sciences University found that stress increases the hormone cortisol in the body, which suppresses the immune system and makes the body susceptible to infectious invaders. Meditation, regular exercise or deep breathing techniques may not only keep you calmer, but healthier.

• 4

  Talk to your doctor about pharmaceutical or interventional ways to raise your white blood cell count and immune function if you have a condition that demonstrably lowers your immunity, such as cancer or HIV. Depending on the type of cells that the body needs, your doctor could give you a drug like interleukin-2 to increase T-cell lymphocytes (which are a type of white blood cell that attacks invaders), filgrastim to increase neutrophils (which are another type of white blood cell), or even suggest a bone marrow transplant (where donor marrow replaces a patient's weakened marrow) in very serious cases.