Keeping your kids healthy throughout the school year is a top priority for many parents.
Exploring ways to bolster your kid’s immune system against sickness involves practical and wise decisions such as a healthy diet, lots of sleep, exercise, and creating a calm atmosphere.
Understanding the Immune System in Children
What Does the Immune System Do?
The immune system is like a guardian for your child’s health, fighting off infections and diseases.
It consists of various cells and proteins that work together to protect the body from harmful invaders.
In the body’s defense arsenal, leukocytes and natural killer cells stand at the forefront, tasked with recognizing and fighting harmful pathogens. (1)
White blood cells act as soldiers patrolling every corner of the body, ready to attack foreign invaders at first sight.
How It Works
The immune response begins when an invader is detected.
White blood cells rush to engulf bacteria or viruses while signaling other parts of the immune system to join in defense.
Natural killer (NK) cells target infected host cells before they can multiply, showcasing their role in early defense – a testament to their importance within our innate immunity framework.
How to Boost Your Child’s Immune System
Encourage Healthy Eating Habits
A balanced diet, rich in nutrients, is the cornerstone of a strong immune system in kids.
Incorporating a variety of vibrant fruits and leafy greens into one’s diet introduces an essential mix of nutrients vital for maintaining wellness.
Citrus fruits, such as oranges and lemons, provide vitamin C, which helps protect cells from damage.
Get creative by making healthy smoothies that still taste good and contain a nutritious punch.
Lean protein sources like chicken or fish support the body’s ability to fight infections by boosting white blood cell production.
Avoid Processed Foods
The dangers of processed foods cannot be overstated.
Excessive saturated fats (or trans fats) can reduce the effectiveness of natural killer cells and can lead to chronic disease.
Encouraging kids to eat foods high in healthy fats instead, like avocados and nuts, not only supports their brain development but also enhances their immune response.
Avoid added sugars because sugar can suppress immune function temporarily after consumption. (2)
The Importance of Sleep and Exercise
Promoting Good Sleep in Children
It’s essential for your kid’s immune defense that they consistently get the right amount of shut-eye.
Kids who maintain healthy sleep habits are better equipped to fight off infections.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), these are the recommended hours of sleep:
- 14 – 17 hours for newborns
- 12 – 15 hours for infants
- 11 – 14 hours for toddlers
- 10 – 13 hours for preschoolers
- 9 – 11 hours for school-aged children
- 8 – 10 hours for teenagers
7 to 9 hours of sleep may be the sweet spot for young adults.
To encourage healthy sleep patterns, establish a regular bedtime routine free from screens at least an hour before bed.
Dimming the lights and embracing calmness cues our systems; it’s the moment to ease into restfulness.
Keeping the bedroom dark, cool, and quiet can also improve sleep quality significantly.
Just as adults benefit from exercise for sounder rest, so do children.
Incorporating Daily Physical Activity
Daily physical activity not only boosts mood but also immunity by promoting good circulation.
A healthy flow of circulation allows cells and substances of the immune system to move freely through the body and do their job efficiently.
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that children engage in at least one hour of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day. (3)
This could include anything from brisk walking or biking to more structured sports activities or playtime outside.
Consider getting your children into local football clubs, cricket, running clubs, or gymnastics, as these are exciting sports to play too.
Stress Management Techniques for Kids
Kids today face more stress than ever, impacting their health and immunity. Mastering the art of easing stress in youngsters hinges on grasping robust strategies for its mitigation.
Play and Relaxation Activities
One of the best ways for children to manage stress is through play.
Encouraging them to take part in their favorite games or toys can significantly diminish their stress.
Whether it’s a sport, drawing, or playing with toys, fun activities offer an outlet for pent-up energy and emotions.
In addition to playtime, relaxation techniques like deep breathing exercises or yoga designed for kids can also help them calm down.
Teaching your child simple breathing exercises that they can do anytime they feel overwhelmed offers them a tool they can use independently.
In addition to bedtime stories, consider calming apps that offer basic meditation, calming breathing tips, and sleep stories.
Hygiene Practices to Prevent Illness
Whether it’s flu season or not, having effective hand hygiene practices can be a game-changer in keeping your children healthy.
Washing hands thoroughly with soap and water has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of transmitting various germs that cause illness.
Flu Season Precautions
During flu season, it’s crucial for kids to learn the importance of regular hand washing. This simple yet powerful habit acts as a primary defense against the spread of flu viruses.
Encouraging children to wash their hands before meals, after using the restroom, and when they come home from school or play can drastically lower their chances of getting sick.
The Role of Beta Glucan in Immune Health (adults & children)
Origins of Beta Glucan
Naturally occurring in the cellular casing of grains, microbes, molds, brewer’s yeast, and water plants, beta glucan serves as a digestible fiber.
This soluble fiber can enhance every immune cell in the body, which causes the immune system to perform at its best possible level.
A stronger immune system makes you less likely to get sick.
Its discovery has led to significant advancements in understanding immune health.
Beta glucan improves the responses of natural killer cells and white blood cells, which are both key players in our immune system’s fight against pathogens and fighting off illness.
It is essential to note that the human body has a limited ability to break down and consume the full potential of beta glucan in its natural form; therefore, beta glucan is available as a supplement or gummy to be taken daily.
Benefits of Beta Glucan for Children’s Immunity
By serving as powerful immunomodulators, beta glucans significantly elevate the immune defense in kids.
They help these young bodies build strong defenses against common illnesses, which are particularly important during the school year when exposed to germs.
Its benefits for kids go further:
- Beta glucans boost immune defense in children.
- It helps build resistance against common illnesses, especially during school time.
- Stimulates white blood cells like macrophages and natural killer cells.
- Strengthens the immune system for overall health and well-being.
The poisonous and disease-causing substances that permeate our environment are constantly attacking us and our children.
Being ill shouldn’t be the norm for your family; as parents, you already have the primary duty of raising your kids.
Let’s all work smart to help improve our kid’s immunity by eating well, exercising frequently, getting enough rest, maintaining a healthy diet, and using a trusted form of beta glucan.
Conclusion
Starting today, you can increase the strength of your child’s immune system.
Encourage a lot of outdoor play, fun, and healthy eating.
Try to build a solid routine to allow these principles to help strengthen your kid’s immunity.
Your children are the best part of your life, hands down!
Conclusion
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7127478
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9471313
- https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/physicalactivity/guidelines.htm#:~:text=Children%20and%20adolescents%20ages%206%20through%2017%20years%20should%20do,to%2Dvigorous%20physical%20activity%20daily.
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