Autumn brings coughs and colds. Support your immune system with these 10 simple and evidence-based habits.

1. Eat a varied diet including nutritious foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals including citrus fruits, spinach, red pepper and ginger to help support your immune system¹.
2. Fermented foods containing probiotic bacteria and fungi can enhance the immune system and improve gastrointestinal health².
3. Ensure you get enough vitamin D, especially as sunlight decreases. It’s hard to get enough vitamin D through your diet alone, so you may want to ask a healthcare professional for a blood test and consider taking a vitamin D supplement³.
4. Get plenty of sleep. During sleep your immune system makes proteins that help fight infection or inflammation. Not getting enough sleep may lower how many of these proteins you have⁴.
5. Get some regular, physical activity. Regular physical activity plays a role in keeping you healthy and preventing illnesses. That’s because exercise contributes to your overall health, which may help support your immune system’s functions⁵!
6. Avoid smoking. Smoking causes constant inflammation and weakens your immune system⁶.
7. Prioritise stress management. If you are stressed often, this can affect your immune system. For example, it can increase inflammation in your body. This can disrupt how well your immune system works. As a result, this can make you more likely to get ill⁷.
8. Follow vaccination guidance, including flu and COVID-19 vaccines, to reduce infection risk⁸.
9. Practice good hygiene. Handwashing and covering coughs stop germs spreading⁹.
10. Let in fresh air. Ventilation reduces pathogen concentration indoors¹⁰. Fresh air also contains organic compounds called phytoncides from plants that seem to boost immune function¹¹.

Staying healthy this autumn is about habits with impact, not one-off fixes, build them into your routine for best results.

References

1. https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/foods-that-boost-the-immune-system
2. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9915096/
3. https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/benefits-vitamin-d
4. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/insomnia/expert-answers/lack-of-sleep/faq-20057757
5. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/does-exercise-boost-immune-system
6. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/17488-smoking
7. https://www.bupa.co.uk/newsroom/ourviews/look-after-immune-system
8. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/seasonal-health/keep-warm-keep-well
9. https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2023/01/05/back-to-school-5-things-to-do-to-help-manage-winter-illness
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK143278/
11. https://www.webmd.com/balance/ss/slideshow-health-benefits-nature