How To Prime Your Immunity

Taking steps to shore your body’s defences has never been more important. Here’s how to do it, says Peta Bee

Myths abound about how best to enhance your immune system, but which of the messages holds water? We have asked leading experts if there is anything you can do to heighten protection as you continue to train. Here’s what they say:

Take extra Vitamin C

According to government recommendations, adults need 40mg of vitamin C daily to stay healthy and the best source of it in our diets is fruit and vegetables. It’s not difficult to get enough if you eat a varied diet but, given its immune-enhancing benefits, should we be aiming to get more?

“Vitamin C plays a key role in immunity and that a deficiency of it can lead to a higher susceptibility of a cold or virus and while taking extra has not been proven to ward off infections, it might be helpful in reducing the severity and duration of them,” says Dr Jenna Macciochi, a lecturer in immunology at the University of Sussex and contributing editor of scientific journals including the Annals of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, who is also the author of a new book: Immunity – The Science of Staying Well (Thorsons).

“When we are ill, our immune cells need almost double the amount of vitamin C they normally do to fight an infection, so consuming more of it could be beneficial in marginally reducing the length of time you are suffering by around 8% in adults and 14% in children, on average.” This is particularly true for athletes as studies have shown that vitamin C intake has a more potent effect on people who train hard. In Finnish studies on marathon runners, a 1-2g daily dose of vitamin C supplementation almost halved the duration of a cold but had little effect on the sedentary participants.

Don’t stop training if you’re not infected