19 January 2024 , 10:26
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It feels like the entire country right now is suffering with itchy throats and runny noses.
As temperatures plunging below freezing continue to grip the nation, winter is often the worse time of the year for conditions like colds, flu, norovirus, and Covid to spread. The NHS says rates for these ailments spike every Winter - and this one is no exception.
Yesterday, the UK Health Security Agency announced norovirus rates have rocketed 48 per cent higher than the five-season average for the same two week period. Meanwhile, confirmed patients with whooping cough (also known as the 100-day-cough) continues to soar.
If you seem to be catching one illness after the next, it most likely indicates a weak immune system. This makes people more prone to diseases, even if you still religiously use hand sanitiser and avoid those with bugs.
The reality is there are many factors that can affect your immune system, including uncontrollable aspects such as your age and genetics. Of course, lifestyle choices such as what you eat can also contribute to your immunity.
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"I have some perfectly healthy patients who get five to six upper respiratory infections—the common cold, or more rarely, full-blown influenza—a year, and others with the same health profile who hardly ever get sick," Holly Phillips, MD, told Health.
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But, if you are tired of being constantly under the weather, changing your diet could help you out. Foods such as garlic, dark chocolate, ginger, Manuka honey, and echinacea have all been praised by experts for boosting the immune system.
Dr Navin of NowPatient told The Metro ultra-processed foods are also worth avoiding. "If a product has been modified to the extent that it's unrecognisable, it probably isn't good for you," he said. "If the label contains ingredients you can’t pronounce, it’s best to steer clear."
A 2019 study shows how consumption of ultra-processed food (such as ice cream, ham, sausages, crisps, and biscuits) has increased globally in recent years. It found that the nutritional profile of an ultra-processed diet is associated with 'the development of cellular alterations that lead to oxidative stress'. This is a condition that occurs when your antioxidant levels - which can reduce the risk of many diseases - are low.