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How do I Boost Humoral Immunity?

D.J. George
D.J. George

One of the two ways the body seeks to protect itself from illness is called humoral immunity. In combination with cellular immunity, humoral immunity works to keep you strong and disease-free. Your diet, exercise regimen and sleep schedule all play a part in your level of humoral immunity. You can boost humoral activity by having a well-balanced diet, exercising, getting sufficient rest, reducing stress and possibly taking vitamins, if necessary.

The moment your body realizes that there is a toxin, virus or particular microorganism threatening its well-being, the humoral immunity response kicks in. The B cells in your body begin to reproduce and to secrete large quantities of antibodies in an effort to fight off intruders. There are several steps you can take to keep your humoral immunity response strong.

Humoral immunity is one of two ways that the body seeks to protect itself from illness.
Humoral immunity is one of two ways that the body seeks to protect itself from illness.

Make a well-balanced diet a part of your everyday life. Eating healthy foods will provide your body with what it needs to be at its best. You can introduce yourself to foods you've never tried or decided that you didn't like when you were young, and you might be surprised to find out what you now enjoy eating.

Get plenty of rest if you want a powerful humoral immunity response. Many people in modern society seem to take pride in how little sleep they can get by with, but the truth is that most people need eight to 10 hours of sleep each night. Your body rejuvenates while you sleep, and getting enough sleep can cut down on your stress level and boost your humoral immunity.

Taking time to yourself to meditate can help to relieve stress from the body and mind, thus relieving stress from the immune system.
Taking time to yourself to meditate can help to relieve stress from the body and mind, thus relieving stress from the immune system.

Find ways to banish stress from your life. Studies show that the immune system is weakened by stress and depression. You might take time for yourself, meditate, read material in which you find comfort, spend time with friends or generally give yourself a break. The less stressed your body and mind are, the less stressed your immune system is likely to be.

A person's sleep schedule plays a role in their humoral immunity.
A person's sleep schedule plays a role in their humoral immunity.

Find an exercise that you enjoy and stick with it. It doesn't matter whether you walk, run, skate, bicycle or participate in another form of exercise — all exercise is good for you. Not only will it strengthen your body, it also will help flush impurities from your body and is a great way to reduce stress.

Talk to your doctor about vitamins and which ones you should be taking at your stage in life. Vitamins can help ensure that you're giving your humoral immunity all of the help it needs. Be prepared for your doctor to ask plenty of questions regarding your diet and lifestyle in order to make sure that you're on track.

Discussion Comments

candyquilt

@ysmina-- I think you should speak to your doctor about this. I'm not a doctor.

Sometimes, the immune system can malfunction or not respond appropriately. There are immune system disorders that cause these issues. Most of us who suffer from frequent infections, allergies, etc. do so because of a poor diet, sanitary lifestyle and stress however.

You might want to supplement with a multivitamin. If you usually get sick in winter, consider supplementing with fish oil capsules in winter. I've noticed that when I take fish oil, I don't get sick. I think it helps boost humoral immunity.

fify

@ysmina-- Ah, we learned this in class recently. If I remember right, cellular immunity is when a microorganism invades a cell and the helper T cells identify and destroy that cell. This prevents the microorganisms from multiplying and causing an infection. I think that humoral immunity is a more general response and different immune system cells are involved. But both systems work together to keep the body free of illness.

ysmina

What is the difference between cellular immunity and humoral immunity?

I already eat healthy, exercise and try to avoid stress. But I still get sick frequently. Why might this be?

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    • Humoral immunity is one of two ways that the body seeks to protect itself from illness.
      By: robyelo357
      Humoral immunity is one of two ways that the body seeks to protect itself from illness.
    • Taking time to yourself to meditate can help to relieve stress from the body and mind, thus relieving stress from the immune system.
      By: msw
      Taking time to yourself to meditate can help to relieve stress from the body and mind, thus relieving stress from the immune system.
    • A person's sleep schedule plays a role in their humoral immunity.
      By: vgstudio
      A person's sleep schedule plays a role in their humoral immunity.
    • Eating a well-balanced diet that's rich in nutrients can help boost humoral immunity.
      By: marrakeshh
      Eating a well-balanced diet that's rich in nutrients can help boost humoral immunity.
    • Regular cardiovascular exercise may help boost the body's humoral immunity.
      By: Antonioguillem
      Regular cardiovascular exercise may help boost the body's humoral immunity.
    • The immune system can be weakened by stress and depression.
      By: Kaspars Grinvalds
      The immune system can be weakened by stress and depression.