Happiness is having a good sleep
Showing posts with label Sleep Matters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sleep Matters. Show all posts
Monday, March 21, 2016
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Melatonin and Sleeping
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/melatonin-dosage-and-risks_us_56deff8ce4b03a40567a1e1e
Melatonin is not an insomnia cure,” Grandner emphasized. “The main reasons regular people find it hard to sleep — tossing and turning, ruminating in bed — will not be affected by melatonin.” He suggested that the vast majority of people who struggle to fall asleep would be better served by establishing a consistent routine, practicing good sleep hygiene in the bedroom and getting lots of daytime light exposure.
And for those who do continue to use melatonin, he said to be mindful of the dosage. “A little nudge is as effective as a big push,” he said.
Note: Michael Grandner, a sleep researcher at the University of Arizona.
Sent from my ASUS
Thursday, August 6, 2015
How to fall asleep in one minute
How to fall asleep in one minute | smh.com.au - http://m.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life/how-to-fall-asleep-in-one-minute-20150528-ghc72j
The following text is repeated here for your convenience.
==================
Breathe easy: Soothe yourself to sleep.
By Sarah Berry
Falling asleep is as simple as 4-7-8. Or something like that. But, tell that to someone who is exhausted and stressed and cannot sleep.
Being stressed and sleepless is becoming more and more common. A quarter of Australians report feeling moderately to severely stressed.
One survey found 51 per cent of those who suffer insomnia blame stress for their lack of sleep. A lack of sleep exacerbates stress, and so the merry dance continues.
Advertisement
Stress affects sleep because it switches on our body's fight or flight response. Our heart starts racing, our blood pressure rises, our muscles tense and our breath quickens in anticipation.
The mechanism is healthy when we need a hit of energy to get us through real or perceived danger, such as a deadline, exam or shitty day.
It is less helpful when we are trying to wind down for the day.
However, a simple breathing technique can switch off the stress response and settle us into sleep. Harvard-educated doctor and best-selling author Dr Andrew Weil explains.
"Breathing strongly influences physiology and thought processes, including moods," Weil says. "By simply focusing your attention on your breathing, and without doing anything to change it, you can move in the direction of relaxation."
By souping-up the experience further benefits can be achieved.
The 4-7-8 breath technique is utilised by yoga and meditation teachers (there are various other pranayama or breath works used in yoga to charge the oxygen in our bodies and extend our breath beyond the 10 per cent of capacity we typically breathe to).
The technique is also championed by Dr Weil.
"This exercise is a natural tranquiliser for the nervous system," Dr Weil says. "Unlike tranquilising drugs, which are often effective when you first take them but then lose their power over time, this exercise is subtle when you first try it but gains in power with repetition and practice. Do it at least twice a day. You cannot do it too frequently."
Simply breathe in for four seconds, hold the breath for seven seconds and exhale completely to a count of eight. It only takes a few seconds and Weil suggests repeating the technique up to four times.
Some users have said the technique helps them fall asleep within one minute.
It can help users relax and fall asleep, but breathing deeply and the knock-on effect this has on our nervous system offers plenty of other benefits too.
"The ability to breathe so deeply and powerfully is not limited to a select few. This skill is inborn but often lies dormant," Harvard medical school points out. "Reawakening it allows you to tap one of your body's strongest self-healing mechanisms."
It improves our immune system, blood pressure, overall physical health and even helps us burn fat more effectively.
And of equal importance, it is a completely free technique that we can all use to change our response to stress.
"Once you develop this technique by practicing it every day, it will be a very useful tool that you will always have with you," Dr Weil says. "Use it whenever anything upsetting happens - before you react.
"Use it whenever you are aware of internal tension. Use it to help you fall asleep. This exercise cannot be recommended too highly. Everyone can benefit from it."
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Breathe easy: Soothe yourself to sleep.
Breathe easy: Soothe yourself to sleep.
By Sarah Berry
Falling asleep is as simple as 4-7-8. Or something like that. But, tell that to someone who is exhausted and stressed and cannot sleep.
Being stressed and sleepless is becoming more and more common. A quarter of Australians report feeling moderately to severely stressed.
One survey found 51 per cent of those who suffer insomnia blame stress for their lack of sleep. A lack of sleep exacerbates stress, and so the merry dance continues.
Advertisement
Stress affects sleep because it switches on our body's fight or flight response. Our heart starts racing, our blood pressure rises, our muscles tense and our breath quickens in anticipation.
The mechanism is healthy when we need a hit of energy to get us through real or perceived danger, such as a deadline, exam or shitty day.
It is less helpful when we are trying to wind down for the day.
However, a simple breathing technique can switch off the stress response and settle us into sleep. Harvard-educated doctor and best-selling author Dr Andrew Weil explains.
"Breathing strongly influences physiology and thought processes, including moods," Weil says. "By simply focusing your attention on your breathing, and without doing anything to change it, you can move in the direction of relaxation."
By souping-up the experience further benefits can be achieved.
The 4-7-8 breath technique is utilised by yoga and meditation teachers (there are various other pranayama or breath works used in yoga to charge the oxygen in our bodies and extend our breath beyond the 10 per cent of capacity we typically breathe to).
The technique is also championed by Dr Weil.
"This exercise is a natural tranquiliser for the nervous system," Dr Weil says. "Unlike tranquilising drugs, which are often effective when you first take them but then lose their power over time, this exercise is subtle when you first try it but gains in power with repetition and practice. Do it at least twice a day. You cannot do it too frequently."
Simply breathe in for four seconds, hold the breath for seven seconds and exhale completely to a count of eight. It only takes a few seconds and Weil suggests repeating the technique up to four times.
Some users have said the technique helps them fall asleep within one minute.
It can help users relax and fall asleep, but breathing deeply and the knock-on effect this has on our nervous system offers plenty of other benefits too.
"The ability to breathe so deeply and powerfully is not limited to a select few. This skill is inborn but often lies dormant," Harvard medical school points out. "Reawakening it allows you to tap one of your body's strongest self-healing mechanisms."
It improves our immune system, blood pressure, overall physical health and even helps us burn fat more effectively.
And of equal importance, it is a completely free technique that we can all use to change our response to stress.
"Once you develop this technique by practicing it every day, it will be a very useful tool that you will always have with you," Dr Weil says. "Use it whenever anything upsetting happens - before you react.
"Use it whenever you are aware of internal tension. Use it to help you fall asleep. This exercise cannot be recommended too highly. Everyone can benefit from it."
Follow Us on Facebook
Back to top
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Zayn Malik ends his engagement to Perrie Edwards
'I'm disgusted': Ruby Rose in trouble over Floyd Mayweather photo
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Friday, February 13, 2015
Friday, April 1, 2011
12 reasons why sleep heals
Info source: http://health.asiaone.com/Health/Health%2BMatters/Story/A1Story20110321-269238.html
12 reasons why sleep heals
By Rajen M
Sleep is the natural state of rest observed in the animal kingdom. It is seen in all mammals and birds, and in many reptiles, amphibians and fish.
In humans, other mammals, and a substantial majority of other animals, regular sleep is necessary for survival. While sleep is essential for survival, it remains a mystery. Where is consciousness while you sleep?
When you understand the benefits it confers, you will easily appreciate that laughter is not the best medicine - sleep is! Unlike sleep, laughter is only seen in humans and some primates.
In 1913, French Scientist Henri Pieron authored a book entitled Le probleme physiologique du sommeil. It was the first text to examine sleep from a physiological perspective. This work is usually regarded as the beginning of the modern approach to sleep research.
Dr Nathaniel Kleitman, now known as the "Father of American sleep research," began work in Chicago in the 1920s questioning the regulation of sleep and wakefulness and of circadian rhythms. Kleitman's crucial work included studies of sleep characteristics in different populations and the effect of sleep deprivation. In 1953 he and one of his students, Dr Eugene Aserinsky, made the landmark discovery of rapid eye movement (REM) during sleep.
In the past, the benefits of sleep were often ignored. We are just beginning to understand the importance of sleep to overall health and well-being. In fact, when people get less than six or seven hours of sleep each night, their risk for developing diseases begins to increase (read more).
Here is a list of some of them:
1. Your heart will be healthier if you get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. This helps relax the internal systems and dampen any stress of the day before.
2. People working the late shift have a higher risk for breast and colon cancer. Researchers believe this link is caused by differing levels of melatonin in people who are exposed to light at night.
Light exposure reduces the level of melatonin, a hormone that both makes us sleepy and is thought to protect against cancer. Melatonin appears to suppress the growth of tumors. Be sure that your bedroom is dark to help your body produce the melatonin it needs.
3. Stress is also caused by sleep deficiency. It gets worse if the stress is prolonged. The body's functions are put on high alert. This causes an increase in blood pressure and an increase in the production of stress hormones.
4. The stress hormones also, unfortunately, make it harder for you to sleep. You are in a dangerous loop. Stress hormones when they increase disproportionately can also severely disrupt delicate hormonal balances which speed up disease processes and the aging process.
5. Alertness is the result of a good night's sleep. Sleep energises you. Being active increases your chances of another good night's sleep. It is not just you being alert. All your internal systems like your immune systems are also more alert and alive.
6. Memory consolidation occurs during sleep. While your body may be resting, your brain is busy processing your day, making connections between events, sensory input, feelings and memories. Your dreams and deep sleep are an important time for your brain to make memories and links. Getting more quality sleep will help you remember and process things better.
7. Sleep also helps to lose weight. People with less than seven hours of sleep per night are more likely to put on weight. It seems that the lack of sleep impacts the balance of hormones in the body that affect appetite. The hormones ghrelin and leptin, important for the regulation of appetite, have been found to be disrupted by lack of sleep.
8. Napping during the day is not only an effective and refreshing alternative to caffeine, it can also protect your health and make you more productive. A study of 24,000 Greek adults showed that people who napped several times a week had a lower risk for dying from heart disease.
9. People who nap at work have much lower levels of stress. Napping also improves memory, cognitive function and mood. Daytime naps, what is sometimes called "power naps", was the success secret of president Ronald Reagan.
10. Sleep reduces your risk of depression. Sleep affects many of the chemicals in your body, including serotonin. People with a deficiency in serotonin are more likely to suffer from depression. You can help to prevent depression by making sure you are getting the right amount of sleep. Indeed, difficulty in falling asleep and staying asleep is one of the causes of depression.
11. Sleep heals. Everything slows or shuts down. Sleep is a time for your body to repair damage caused by stress, ultraviolet rays and other harmful exposures. It is time to remove toxins accumulated during the day. It is time to "sort out" memories of the day.
12. Your cells produce more protein while you are sleeping. These molecules form the building blocks for cells, allowing them to repair damage. Sleep heals a headache or a common cold.
It is easy to fall asleep and it cost nothing. You have to sleep everyday. It is healthy for you.
This article was first published in New Straits Times under the headline 'Sleep heals'.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Sleep boosts immune system (by Mind Your Body of the Starits Times dated 8 Oct 2009)
The claim: Lack of sleep increases the risk of catching a cold.
The facts: As the cold season approaches, many people stock up on vitamin C and echinacea.
However, heeding the age-old advice about catching up on sleep might be more important.
Studies have demonstrated that poor sleep and susceptibility to colds go hand in hand and scientists think it could be a reflection of the role sleep plays in maintaining the body's defences.
In a recent study published in The Archives Of Internal Medicine, scientists followed 153 men and women for two weeks, keeping track of their quality and duration of sleep.
Then, during a five-day period, they quarantined the subjects and exposed them to cold viruses. Those who slept an average of fewer than seven hours a night were three times as likely to get sick as those who averaged at least eight hours of sleep.
Sleep and immunity, it seems, are tightly linked. Studies have found that mammals which require the most sleep also produce greater levels of disease-fighting white blood cells - but not red blood cells, even though both are produced in the bone marrow and stem from the same precursor.
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology have shown that species which sleep more have greater resistance against pathogens.
The scientists said: 'Species that have evolved longer sleep durations appear to be able to increase investment in their immune systems and be better protected.'
The bottom line: Research suggests that poor sleep can increase susceptibility to colds.
The New York Times
Info Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/Mind%2BYour%2BBody/Health%2BHelp/Story/STIStory_439371.html
My comments: Based on my personal experience, to have good health, calorie restriction with a healthy diet and sleep are the most important.
The facts: As the cold season approaches, many people stock up on vitamin C and echinacea.
However, heeding the age-old advice about catching up on sleep might be more important.
Studies have demonstrated that poor sleep and susceptibility to colds go hand in hand and scientists think it could be a reflection of the role sleep plays in maintaining the body's defences.
In a recent study published in The Archives Of Internal Medicine, scientists followed 153 men and women for two weeks, keeping track of their quality and duration of sleep.
Then, during a five-day period, they quarantined the subjects and exposed them to cold viruses. Those who slept an average of fewer than seven hours a night were three times as likely to get sick as those who averaged at least eight hours of sleep.
Sleep and immunity, it seems, are tightly linked. Studies have found that mammals which require the most sleep also produce greater levels of disease-fighting white blood cells - but not red blood cells, even though both are produced in the bone marrow and stem from the same precursor.
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology have shown that species which sleep more have greater resistance against pathogens.
The scientists said: 'Species that have evolved longer sleep durations appear to be able to increase investment in their immune systems and be better protected.'
The bottom line: Research suggests that poor sleep can increase susceptibility to colds.
The New York Times
Info Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/Mind%2BYour%2BBody/Health%2BHelp/Story/STIStory_439371.html
My comments: Based on my personal experience, to have good health, calorie restriction with a healthy diet and sleep are the most important.
Friday, September 4, 2009
One little known fact about sleep disorders and neurology is...
That getting enough sleep regularly is essential for optimal brain function and emotional and physical health.
People will not sacrifice sleep as much as they do if they knew that chronic lack of good quality sleep prevents us from achieving our personal best at work and school, increases our risk of depression, obesity and heart disease, and shortens our lifespan.
--- said Dr Lim Li Ling in the article " Sleep Doctor" by Ng Jing Ying in Mind Your Body of the Straits Times dated 3 September 2009, Thur.
People will not sacrifice sleep as much as they do if they knew that chronic lack of good quality sleep prevents us from achieving our personal best at work and school, increases our risk of depression, obesity and heart disease, and shortens our lifespan.
--- said Dr Lim Li Ling in the article " Sleep Doctor" by Ng Jing Ying in Mind Your Body of the Straits Times dated 3 September 2009, Thur.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
How can I give my immune system a boost?
HL123 ways to boost human immune system
1. Have a healthy and balanced diet.
2. Have Sufficient Sleep.
3. Take Dietary/Health Supplements.
4. Have a Healthy Mind.
5. Do physical exercise at latest 30 minutes a day.
Note: Items (1) to (4) are the most important things to do to make your immune system stronger, if you do not have time to do exercise. Why? I have come to this conclusion based on my personal experiences.
1. Have a healthy and balanced diet.
2. Have Sufficient Sleep.
3. Take Dietary/Health Supplements.
4. Have a Healthy Mind.
5. Do physical exercise at latest 30 minutes a day.
Note: Items (1) to (4) are the most important things to do to make your immune system stronger, if you do not have time to do exercise. Why? I have come to this conclusion based on my personal experiences.
Defensive action (to boost your body immune system) by POON CHIAN HUI
A balanced diet, sufficient sleep, regular exercise and health supplements keep your immune system strong. POON CHIAN HUI reports in the Mind Your Body of the Straits Times dated 20 May 2009, Wednesday.
Keeping your body's natural defences in tip-top shape can go some way to shield you from viruses like Influenza A (H1N1).
Experts have said that a vaccine for this flu strain could take around six months to develop.
In the meantime, a robust immune system is needed to battle infection, said Dr Asok Kurup, a senior consultant at the department of infectious diseases at Singapore General Hospital.
'A good immune system will fight all types of infection, including all sorts of flu strains,' he said.
To grasp how important the immune system is, Dr Kurup said that one must understand that pathogens are everywhere. This can clearly be seen in the case of a decomposing body where pathogens consume the flesh from outside in and inside out.
Hence, the immune system goes well beyond the common image of white blood cells clamping down on foreign cells; it is, in fact, a complex, multi-layered defence mechanism.
Physical barriers are the first line of defence. The skin keeps germs out of our bodies. Hair in the nose and the respiratory tract dispels dust and foreign particles. Mucus lining the digestive tract and other areas like the vagina prevents bacteria and viruses from settling in and entering the bloodstream.
If this first barrier is breached, a second group of protectors goes into action. A variety of white blood cells search for and destroy the foreign invaders by swallowing and breaking them down.
This immediate response is called the innate immune system function.
If pathogens manage to escape annihilation and start to reproduce in our bodies, the adaptive immune system kicks in.
Unlike the innate system, the adaptive system can recognise and remember foreign cells, thus enabling the body to develop resistance to diseases.
'Cells in the adaptive immune system have an immunological memory,' said Dr Kurup. 'Antibodies are also produced, so that a second infection will be prevented when the same bacteria or virus comes along.'
This is how vaccination works: a dead virus (in some vaccines, the virus can be alive, but weakened so as not to cause disease) is injected into the bloodstream to stimulate this response in the future.
However, this adaptive immune system is not 100 per cent foolproof. Even if we have been vaccinated or have had a particular type of infection before, we may get infected by the same bacteria or virus again.
Hence, we need to keep ourselves in the pink of health in order to give our immune system more bite.
Dr Kurup said: 'We should do the utmost to keep ourselves healthy, which ensures a strong immune system. Someone with a weak immune system may not be able to mount some of the responses needed to fight infections.'
A balanced diet
At the centre of a healthy immune system is a balanced diet.
"A balanced diet that includes a wide variety of foods will ensure an adequate intake of nutrients that may enhance the immune system,? said Ms Ong Fangyi, a dietitian at National University Hospital.
For starters, it pays to have adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables.
A recent study in the American Dietetic Society found that people who eat salads have higher levels of vitamins C, E, B6 and folic acid in their bloodstream - all contributing to a healthy immune system.
Fruits and vegetables also contain antioxidants, which get rid of unstable molecules called free radicals that can damage cells that drive the immune system.
One should eat different coloured fruits and vegetables to get a variety of antioxidants, said Ms Ong.
Also, add fermented milk products to the list - they contain beneficial bacteria that may help to promote a healthy immune system. Yogurt, for instance, contains live cultures.
Water is also important as it aids efficient removal of toxins from the body, Ms Ong added.
Regular exercise
Exercising regularly can strengthen immunity.
It helps to boost the production and circulation of immune cells, which are the frontline soldiers against bacteria and viruses, said Dr Ben Tan, head and senior consultant sports physician at Changi Sports Medicine Centre.
However, going overboard will drag your immune system down.
"Excessive exercise stresses the body and taxes the immune system," said Dr Tan. "Cortisol - a stress hormone that is released following prolonged, high-intensity exercise - suppresses the immune system."
Plus, the immune system will be made to channel its resources to repairing tissue damaged from excessive exercise at the expense of its defence function, he added.
The key here is to do regular, not sporadic, exercise. This is because the benefits which the immune system gains are not permanent, said Dr Tan.
"The immune system is enhanced immediately after exercise, but returns to its baseline within a few hours," he said. "Regular exercise, therefore, prolongs the positive changes."
Enough sleep
One must try to get enough sleep, said sleep specialist Kenny Pang, a ear, nose and throat consultant at Pacific Sleep Centre.
Sleep is essential for the body to recharge and repair tissues. It also reduces production of stress hormones, which otherwise will weaken the immune system.
Lack of sleep has been shown to weaken not only the immune system in general, but also the effects of flu vaccines.
A 2002 study on healthy young adults published in the Journal Of The American Medical Association, found that sleep-deprived individuals had less than half of the flu antibodies 10 days after the jab, compared to those who had sufficient rest.
Supplements (Dietary Supplements)
These are useful for people who are unable to have a balanced diet, said Dr Asok Kurup, a senior consultant at the department of infectious diseases at Singapore General Hospital.
Vegetarians, for example, may lack vitamin B12, which occurs naturally only in meat.
Supplements which people commonly take are multivitamins and specific nutrients like vitamin C and folic acid.
Those who opt for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can consider tonic herbs like cordyceps and wild ginseng.
'Cordyceps strengthen kidney and lung functions,' said TCM physician James Koh, owner of Pinnacle Acupuncture And Chinese Physician Clinic. 'In TCM theory, the kidney is the basis of our health as it removes toxins, while the respiratory system is often prone to virus attacks, like the flu.'
Wild ginseng - or pao shen in Mandarin - elevates chi, a natural energy that promotes proper bodily functions, said
Mr Koh, who added that tonics are best taken on a daily basis and not only when one is ill.
A sick person should take herbs like banlangen (Indigowoad root) and honeysuckle flower, which have anti-bacterial effects, he said.
However, it is important to exercise precaution when it comes to taking supplements, said Ms Ong Fangyi, a dietitian at National University Hospital.
'Certain nutrients can depress the immune system when taken in excessive amounts as a supplement,' said Ms Ong, citing zinc as an example. Hence, it is best to seek medical advice first, she added.
As for popular products like chicken essence, they do contain substances that may help in immune system function, she said. However, more studies are needed to verify their effectiveness.
Mr Sam Yap, an entrepreneur and founder of Cherie Hearts International, which has over 40 childcare centres here, believes in the benefits of supplements.
Children enrolled at the centres get a health supplement daily. 'Our kids take one tablespoon of cod liver oil every morning,' said Mr Yap. The measure is also timely as Singapore is currently into one of the two peak periods for the hand-foot-mouth disease.
Keeping your body's natural defences in tip-top shape can go some way to shield you from viruses like Influenza A (H1N1).
Experts have said that a vaccine for this flu strain could take around six months to develop.
In the meantime, a robust immune system is needed to battle infection, said Dr Asok Kurup, a senior consultant at the department of infectious diseases at Singapore General Hospital.
'A good immune system will fight all types of infection, including all sorts of flu strains,' he said.
To grasp how important the immune system is, Dr Kurup said that one must understand that pathogens are everywhere. This can clearly be seen in the case of a decomposing body where pathogens consume the flesh from outside in and inside out.
Hence, the immune system goes well beyond the common image of white blood cells clamping down on foreign cells; it is, in fact, a complex, multi-layered defence mechanism.
Physical barriers are the first line of defence. The skin keeps germs out of our bodies. Hair in the nose and the respiratory tract dispels dust and foreign particles. Mucus lining the digestive tract and other areas like the vagina prevents bacteria and viruses from settling in and entering the bloodstream.
If this first barrier is breached, a second group of protectors goes into action. A variety of white blood cells search for and destroy the foreign invaders by swallowing and breaking them down.
This immediate response is called the innate immune system function.
If pathogens manage to escape annihilation and start to reproduce in our bodies, the adaptive immune system kicks in.
Unlike the innate system, the adaptive system can recognise and remember foreign cells, thus enabling the body to develop resistance to diseases.
'Cells in the adaptive immune system have an immunological memory,' said Dr Kurup. 'Antibodies are also produced, so that a second infection will be prevented when the same bacteria or virus comes along.'
This is how vaccination works: a dead virus (in some vaccines, the virus can be alive, but weakened so as not to cause disease) is injected into the bloodstream to stimulate this response in the future.
However, this adaptive immune system is not 100 per cent foolproof. Even if we have been vaccinated or have had a particular type of infection before, we may get infected by the same bacteria or virus again.
Hence, we need to keep ourselves in the pink of health in order to give our immune system more bite.
Dr Kurup said: 'We should do the utmost to keep ourselves healthy, which ensures a strong immune system. Someone with a weak immune system may not be able to mount some of the responses needed to fight infections.'
A balanced diet
At the centre of a healthy immune system is a balanced diet.
"A balanced diet that includes a wide variety of foods will ensure an adequate intake of nutrients that may enhance the immune system,? said Ms Ong Fangyi, a dietitian at National University Hospital.
For starters, it pays to have adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables.
A recent study in the American Dietetic Society found that people who eat salads have higher levels of vitamins C, E, B6 and folic acid in their bloodstream - all contributing to a healthy immune system.
Fruits and vegetables also contain antioxidants, which get rid of unstable molecules called free radicals that can damage cells that drive the immune system.
One should eat different coloured fruits and vegetables to get a variety of antioxidants, said Ms Ong.
Also, add fermented milk products to the list - they contain beneficial bacteria that may help to promote a healthy immune system. Yogurt, for instance, contains live cultures.
Water is also important as it aids efficient removal of toxins from the body, Ms Ong added.
Regular exercise
Exercising regularly can strengthen immunity.
It helps to boost the production and circulation of immune cells, which are the frontline soldiers against bacteria and viruses, said Dr Ben Tan, head and senior consultant sports physician at Changi Sports Medicine Centre.
However, going overboard will drag your immune system down.
"Excessive exercise stresses the body and taxes the immune system," said Dr Tan. "Cortisol - a stress hormone that is released following prolonged, high-intensity exercise - suppresses the immune system."
Plus, the immune system will be made to channel its resources to repairing tissue damaged from excessive exercise at the expense of its defence function, he added.
The key here is to do regular, not sporadic, exercise. This is because the benefits which the immune system gains are not permanent, said Dr Tan.
"The immune system is enhanced immediately after exercise, but returns to its baseline within a few hours," he said. "Regular exercise, therefore, prolongs the positive changes."
Enough sleep
One must try to get enough sleep, said sleep specialist Kenny Pang, a ear, nose and throat consultant at Pacific Sleep Centre.
Sleep is essential for the body to recharge and repair tissues. It also reduces production of stress hormones, which otherwise will weaken the immune system.
Lack of sleep has been shown to weaken not only the immune system in general, but also the effects of flu vaccines.
A 2002 study on healthy young adults published in the Journal Of The American Medical Association, found that sleep-deprived individuals had less than half of the flu antibodies 10 days after the jab, compared to those who had sufficient rest.
Supplements (Dietary Supplements)
These are useful for people who are unable to have a balanced diet, said Dr Asok Kurup, a senior consultant at the department of infectious diseases at Singapore General Hospital.
Vegetarians, for example, may lack vitamin B12, which occurs naturally only in meat.
Supplements which people commonly take are multivitamins and specific nutrients like vitamin C and folic acid.
Those who opt for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can consider tonic herbs like cordyceps and wild ginseng.
'Cordyceps strengthen kidney and lung functions,' said TCM physician James Koh, owner of Pinnacle Acupuncture And Chinese Physician Clinic. 'In TCM theory, the kidney is the basis of our health as it removes toxins, while the respiratory system is often prone to virus attacks, like the flu.'
Wild ginseng - or pao shen in Mandarin - elevates chi, a natural energy that promotes proper bodily functions, said
Mr Koh, who added that tonics are best taken on a daily basis and not only when one is ill.
A sick person should take herbs like banlangen (Indigowoad root) and honeysuckle flower, which have anti-bacterial effects, he said.
However, it is important to exercise precaution when it comes to taking supplements, said Ms Ong Fangyi, a dietitian at National University Hospital.
'Certain nutrients can depress the immune system when taken in excessive amounts as a supplement,' said Ms Ong, citing zinc as an example. Hence, it is best to seek medical advice first, she added.
As for popular products like chicken essence, they do contain substances that may help in immune system function, she said. However, more studies are needed to verify their effectiveness.
Mr Sam Yap, an entrepreneur and founder of Cherie Hearts International, which has over 40 childcare centres here, believes in the benefits of supplements.
Children enrolled at the centres get a health supplement daily. 'Our kids take one tablespoon of cod liver oil every morning,' said Mr Yap. The measure is also timely as Singapore is currently into one of the two peak periods for the hand-foot-mouth disease.
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