Probiotics are healthy bacteria that resolve two crucial factors:

1) Boost Immunity: They help in production of antibodies and other substances that fight infections.

2) Digestion: They help in digestive disordes, gastro as well as other stomach related problems.
Yogurts, Probiotics fortified drinks and foods are the common sources.

What are Probiotics?

Ayurveda is a holistic method of treatment which focuses on treating the cause of the disease rather than the symptoms. There are ayurvedic remedies, which boost the immune system that keeps the body healthy. A well-functioning immune system is essential for your body to be in optimal health.

The various ayurvedic tips that help in boosting your immune system:
1. Use spices in your food: various spices such as cumin not only add flavor, but also have certain properties which help in boosting immune system. They aid in the digestive process and allow the nutrients in the food to be absorbed more readily.
2. Choose wisely: you must eat natural foods as much as possible for a healthy immune system. Eating processed foods creates various problems in the body which reduces your immune strength. Eating natural foods also provide your body with the necessary nutrients and vitamins, which are beneficial for the body.
3. Limit alcohol intake: you should restrict alcohol consumption as it impairs the functioning of white blood cells in the body. It also impairs the oxygen delivery mechanism of the body.
4. Exercise on a regular basis: you should exercise on a regular basis to keep your body healthy. Exercises such as running improves your cardiovascular endurance and increases stamina levels in the body.
5. Sleep: you should get 6 to 8 hours of sleep to help your body recover and regenerate. Lack of sleep can impair the functioning of the immune system and makes you prone to various disorders.
6. Herbs: various herbs such as ginger, garlic and amla help to boost your immune system as they contain various medicinal properties. They increase the white blood cells in the body which enhance the immune system.
7. Meditation: meditation has been linked with lower stress levels; implying that it has a beneficial effect on your body.
8. Pranayama: you should practice pranayama as it helps in strengthening the body and calming the mind. It reduces stress in the body thus enhancing your overall well-being.




Health & Immune Development With Ayurveda

The immune systems in your body are always at work trying to fend of many of the attacks that happen on it every day. Although it is able to protect the body most of the time, sometimes it fails in doing so. While medicines can help to restore the balance, it is advisable to include certain food items in your diet, which boost the immune system naturally. Let's take a look at six vegetables which can help your immune system in getting supercharged:

Ginger - This food item is very good in regulating mobility within the gut and regulating bowel movement and is also known to relieve nausea, cramping and bloating. Ginger is also known to have many anti-inflammatory properties as well as being an antioxidant and antimicrobial. All of this makes ginger very good for the immune system.

Wheatgrass - One of the most densely packed green nutritional food ingredients when consumed in the form of a juice, it helps the liver by increasing its ability to flush out toxins. This results in an improved immune system. Wheatgrass is also rich in B complex vitamins, beta carotene, chlorophyll, magnesium, potassium and many other vital nutrients.

Garlic - This vegetable has been used for centuries in home remedies such as to lower blood pressure, prevent blood clots and many others. Garlic is also known to boost healthy cholesterol. Inclusion of garlic in your diet will not only boost your immune system but it also contains 'allicin', which is known to improve the health of your heart.

Papaya - An extremely good food for digestion as well as digestion problems, the extracted enzyme from this plant known as papain, is used in many medications. Papaya is full of beta-carotene that is very well known to be good for the health of tissue, skin and the eyes as well as boosting the immune system through the production of vitamin A within the body.

Carrots - This is one vegetable which has been encouraged to be included in diets as it contains copious amounts of beta carotene and is extremely good for the eyes as well as boosting the immune system.

Turmeric - Possibly the most talked about ingredient on this list in the last few years, it is known to have almost an unending list of health benefits. Turmeric has detoxifying properties as well as being anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and is great for digestion along with boosting the immune system.It is a rich source of minerals, such as Zinc, Iron, B group vitamins and Manganese, turmeric is also known to have cancer preventive properties.

Top 6 Vegetables that Supercharge your Immune System

Vaccines are not just for kids; the human body can be vulnerable to viruses during any time period of life. It is important for an adult to get vaccinated regularly, else there are always chances that some virus or infection may attack you in a severe way.

Let's look at some of the vaccines adults should get for a healthy and ensured life:Pneumococcal Vaccine -

This vaccine protects the human body from diseases like Pneumonia and Meningitis.

Who should get this vaccine?

Adults who smoke regularly are vulnerable to Pneumonia and should get this vaccine.
Elderly people over the age of 60 are also vulnerable to pneumonia and should get this vaccine shot as soon as possible.
How many vaccine shots should I get?

PCV 13 and PPSV23 is prescribed to the elderly over the age of 60. PCV13 is to be taken at first and PPSV23 to be taken one year after the first shot.

Hepatitis Vaccine -

Strains of Hepatitis Viruses like A, B and C attack the Liver and can cause Liver failure in adults. There are vaccines to prevent the human body from Type A and Type B. However, there s no vaccine for hepatitis C yet.

Who can get it?

Hepatitis B vaccine can be administered to people of all age groups, be it children or adults.
Hepatitis A vaccine is mostly prescribed to people working in the healthcare sector or going abroad to a tropical country.
When to get it?

Hepatitis vaccine can be taken during any time of the year.

Vaccine options for Flu:

Inactivated Influenza Vaccine (IIV)
Recombinant Influenza Vaccine (RIV)
Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine (LAIV)
Vaccine options for Typhoid:

Inactivated (killed) vaccine
Live, Attenuated (Weakened) Vaccine
Vaccine options for Pneumococcal:

Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV13 or Prevnar 13)
Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPSV23 or Pneumovax23)
Vaccine option for Hepatitis A:

Inactivated (Killed) Vaccine
Vaccine for Hepatitis B:

It is made from the parts of Hepatitis B virus but it cannot cause Hepatitis B infection.
Human body is vulnerable throughout its life. Deadly viruses can attack our body anytime, and we must stay prepared and ahead of them. The vaccines mentioned above would help in avoiding some of the common but dangerous diseases.

Adult Immunisation - Vaccines That Are Of Great Help!

Handling an Auto Immune Disease

What are Autoimmune Disorders?
It is a disorder of the immune system where the immune system can get ‘hyperactive’ or on the other end of the spectrum can become exceptional slow in its response to germs and bacterium, leaving the individual vulnerable to a host of infections and diseases.
When in ‘Hyper mode’ the body’s immune system starts producing antibodies (White Blood Cells) attacking and damaging the body’s own tissues (Red Blood Cells) beyond repair. Treatment of the Auto-Immune diseases generally focuses on reducing the activity levels of the immune system so as to let the Red Blood Cells multiply and heal the body to an extent.
Not all Auto Immune diseases are life threatening or terminal in nature. Some are even classified as “commonly occurring” disorders in the larger population. Examples of these would be –
1) Psoriasis – A Skin disorder where overactive immune system blood cells called T-cells collect in the skin. The immune system activity stimulates skin cells to replicate rapidly, producing layers of silvery scaly plaques on the skin. These often look like ‘Dandruff’ and can be seen all over the individual’s body, accompanied by severe itching and skin irritability. Psoriasis is often triggered due to stress and hormonal imbalances along with other environmental factors such as poor hygiene, inadequate diet, lack of sleep etc. Along with oral medication, lifestyle changes such as reducing stress at work or home, making sure one gets at least 8 hours of restful sleep per night and regular head and body massages are known to help reduce the severity of the problem to a great extent.

2) Rheumatoid Arthritis – The hyper immune system produces antibodies that attach themselves to the joint linings and then start to eat away at the cartilage and tissues causing swelling or inflammation and a sharp stabbing continuous pain. Oral medication along with gentle cardio (slow walking) and stretching exercise routines such as Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates are known to have countered the ill-effects of this movement restricting disorder, to a large extent.


3) Aggravated Thyroid – An aggravated thyroid is a result of the excessive antibodies produced by an overactive immune system which attack the thyroid gland and slowly destroy the cells that produce the all-important thyroid hormone. Prolonged negligence or when left undetected for long, it often leads to Grave’s Disease (linked to hyperthyroidism) or Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (linked to hypothyroidism.) The former can lead to weight-loss, bulging eyes, rapid heart-rate, and chronic fatigue while the later often causes sudden weight gain, depressed state of mind, dry skin and severe constipation.  A good way to avoid diseases of the thyroid would be to maintain a healthy active lifestyle and a stable healthy body weight. It is also recommended that one goes in for regular preventive health check-ups for early detection of any thyroid related disorders.

A little can go a long way in limiting ill effects of autoimmune disorders.


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How To Live With or Handle Auto Immune Disease

The human body is a marvellous creation and functions in a highly synchronised and balanced way. Disease results when this balance is disturbed either due to infections, inflammations, trauma, autoimmune diseases, tumours. Whatever the reason, with any of these, the body has a strong immune system, which reacts to these changes and tries to ensure that balance is restored as quickly as possible and with minimal effect on overall bodily function.

While most of us have a natural tendency to do so, some have it weaker. This makes them more prone to infections and they take more time to repair and restore health. However, there are a number of supplements which can help to strengthen the immunity. These can be used with the consultation of a professional, and this can help improve overall health.

Homeopathy obviously fits into the class of therapeutic methods that augment the body's own defenses. A microdose of a substance heals the symptoms in large dose. Homeopathic medicines are both considerably smaller and safer in dose and more individualized to the person they are being used to treat.

Although homeopathic medicines are thought to stimulate the body's own defenses, how they do so remains a mystery. Homeopathic medicine do not simply stimulate the body's immune system to treat ill people, for they can also calm it when this is necessary for the healing of the individual.

People with auto-immune ailments suffer because their body's immune system is over-active and it attacks the person's own cells, not just bacteria, viruses, or foreign substances. Homeopathy believes that  like cures like.  So in treating a disease, what it does is use small amounts of the substance that is known to induce the disease. This way, similar symptoms are induced and the disease is treated. Some of the most common homeopathic medicines are-

Allium Cepa: With winter setting in, more and more people are prone to developing a runny nose, nasal congestion, and teary eyes. So, with winter still around the corner, using allium cepa (small onion) helps build immunity by easing these symptoms. Keeping 3 to 5 pellets of this compound under the tongue can help control nasal congestion.

Oscillococcinum: Popularly known as Oscillo, this contains very small amounts of duck liver and heart. When used on the first couple of days with the onset of flu-like symptoms, this helps the body aches and fatigue disappear. It is proven to be safe, effective, and helps prevent further attacks of similar symptoms.

Gelsemium: Obtained from the vine Gelsemium sempervirens, this is useful to build immunity towards cold and flu symptoms. Keeping it under the tongue also helps relieve symptoms if they are already present and controls further attacks of flu-like symptoms.

Silica: This is responsible for stimulating the production of macrophages. These are a type of cells, which are essential for eating up bacteria and foreign bodies. It, therefore, helps improve immunity and fight infections.

Arsenicum Album (white arsenic): This is used in a variety of conditions ranging from anxiety to poisoning to digestive disorders.

While some people refer to most homeopathic medicines as immune stimulating, they are in fact immunomodulatory. Whether a person has an autoimmune disease or repeated infections, homeopathy can be used. A detailed discussion with a specialized homeopath would be the first step to identify what is the right compound to use.

5 Best Homeopathic Medicine for Strengthen Immune System

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