Do you consider a runny nose, a scratchy throat, and a week of fatigue just "part of the package" when winter arrives? We often normalize getting sick as the temperature drops, assuming there is nothing we can do about the "seasonal flu." But medical science suggests that falling ill isn't a mandatory consequence of cold weather—it is a sign of a defense system that needs reinforcement.
While the cold doesn't "give" you the flu, the environment certainly helps viruses thrive. According to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), patient visits for influenza-like illnesses (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) spike by 30% to 50% across India during the winter as compared to summer months.
Dry air, pollution, and being indoors in close quarters with many people create a "viral playground". Shift from a reactive to proactive mindset, taking steps to strengthen your body now instead of waiting until you're sick and having to take medication. This will significantly reduce your chances of becoming ill.
Key Takeaways
- Vulnerability to Protection From Cold Weather: The cold conditions of winter promote physiological characteristics (example: dry nasal passages) conducive for the entry of viruses into the body.
- Gut Health: 70% of the body immune system resides in the stomach, according to studies published in Clinical & Experimental Immunology.
- Diet: The immune system is supported by dietary choices made that are higher in Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and Zinc.
- Sleep Habits: Continuous sleep deprivation throughout winter months can suppress the body's immunity.
- Immunisation: Vaccination gives specific immunity from Influenza and Pneumonia - while a nutritious diet will not offer this same protection.
Why Does Immunity Drop in Winter?
The primary reason illness is more prevalent during the winter months has to do with the physiological processes associated with winter. A number of things happen in the body that decrease our ability to fight off infections:
- The mucus in the nose and throat of healthy individuals serves to trap and stop invading viruses, but when exposed to dry winter air, the mucus membranes of the nose and throat can dry out and break down. This allows for the entry of pathogens into the body through the nose and mouth.
- Vitamin D is essential for activating the body's immune response. However, in winter, due to the shortened daylight hours and the need to wear heavy wool clothing, our exposure to UVB rays is greatly reduced. Consequently, we experience a dramatic drop in the levels of Vitamin D in our bodies and therefore a severely weakened immune response.
- When winter temperatures drop, people tend to congregate indoors without the benefit of fresh air due to closed windows. This creates an environment where an infected person can share their virus via the recirculated air, resulting in an increase in the number of people infected with a virus and/or higher infection rates.
Best Foods to Boost Immunity in Winter
You cannot "boost" your immunity in a day, but you can build it over weeks through strategic nutrition. The goal is to reduce inflammation and feed immune cells.
Top Indian Superfoods for Immunity
- Where To Get Your Vitamin C: NINs Report - The National Institute of Nutrition has stated that an Amla (Indian gooseberry) has about 20 times more Vitamin C than an orange - providing a huge boost to your immune system. Another great source of Vitamin C is guavas and capsicum.
- Benefits Of Curcumin and How It Helps You Absorb It: Curcumin from turmeric is a potent inflammatory agent. One of the first studies to demonstrate how adding Piperine to curcumin improves absorption was published in Planta Medica; it finds adding Piperine increases your ability to absorb curcumin by 2000%, meaning that consuming a cup of warm turmeric milk before bedtime would provide the perfect opportunity to support immunity through the winter months.
Probiotics and Gut Health
Gut health is vital to a strong immune system. You should consume probiotic foods (fermented), such as home-produced yogurt (dahi) and idli/dosa fermented batters.
Zinc and Zinc-Rich Foods
Zinc supports the maturation of immune cells. According to WHO, the immune system is weakened when zinc is deficient by a large margin. You should eat nuts (almonds and walnuts), seeds (pumpkin, sesame), and legumes regularly.
Lifestyle Habits That Strengthen the Immune System
The quality of your daily routine will determine your overall immune resilience. Eating healthy foods is not going to save you if your day-to-day lifestyle includes a lot of stress and lack of sleep.
Ensure You Are Getting Quality Sleep
When we sleep deeply, we produce Cytokines, which are proteins that promote our immune system’s ability to fight infections and inflammation. The Mayo Clinic states that if we do not get enough sleep, it decreases our production of protective cytokines. Seven to nine hours of quality sleep per night is adequate.
Engage in Regular Moderate Physical Activity
By participating in moderate exercise on a regular basis (30-45 minutes a day walking briskly), you are promoting blood flow and circulation of immune system cells in your blood. Do not exert yourself so much that you become exhausted and do not take time to recover from this exhaustion, because this will cause a temporary decrease in your immune system.
Control Your Cortisol Levels
If someone is experiencing chronic stress, they will continually have elevated levels of cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that turns your immune system "off." Mindfulness techniques, deep breathing, and spending time with family and friends are all answers to help keep stress levels under control.
Essential Winter Vaccines (Flu & Pneumonia)
While vaccines provide a targeted approach to immunity against specific viruses, diets and lifestyle habits are more generally protected against the winter months in terms of health overall.
Annual Influenza Vaccine
Flu viruses change from year-to-year. Vaccination can substantially reduce the risk of hospitalisation from severe illness due to flu-infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Vaccination is advised for children, seniors, and those with pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes and asthma.
Pneumococcus Vaccine
Secondary bacterial pneumonia frequently evolves from flu infections in winter time, and the pneumococcus vaccine helps provide protection against Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. For adults with pre-existing heart or lung disease, the pneumococcus vaccine may also be useful.
Covid-19 Booster Dose
As we adapt to Covid-19 becoming a regularly recurring seasonal active virus, access to and staying informed about the latest booster dose recommendations are very important for patients in high-risk healthcare groups.
Conclusion
In order to prepare for cold weather in winter, it is important to start building your immune system from the inside out as well! Building immunity is multi-layered and does not happen overnight, so in addition to eating nutritious immune-boosting foods, it is critical to get high quality sleep that restores you, and keep up with your vaccinations on time.
If you are in a high risk category (ie. older adults, diabetic, hypertensive, have had issues with breathing) please make sure that you contact your physician prior to the time when your risk is the highest.
FAQs
1. Do supplements increase your ability to fight off illness?
Supplements can help fill in vitamin or mineral deficiencies but should never replace the need for a balanced and proper diet. Therefore, if you have a confirmed deficiency of any vitamin or mineral (e.g., vitamin D), a supplement prescribed by your doctor will assist in increasing your immunity; however, taking large doses of a complete multivitamin without having a deficiency will not significantly enhance your immune system.
2. When should I be vaccinated for flu in India?
The Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) and the adult immunization guidelines say flu cases usually peak after the monsoon season and during the peak of winter time, which is between January to March of each year. Therefore, it is best to receive your flu vaccination in October/November as it takes two weeks for antibodies to develop.
3. Are commercial immunity-boosting beverages effective?
We would suggest that you proceed with caution when purchasing products marketed as "immunity-boosters." Most of these products are not regulated and could have unhealthy levels of sugar. A better and more effective source of building your immune system is consuming whole foods such as ginger, garlic, turmeric, and citrus fruit.
