Tips to Improve Your Body’s Immune System

Choose friendly fats

Some fats are essential for building cells and for the production of prostaglandins, hormone-like compounds that help to regulate the immune system’s response to infection, such as the way it reacts by making white blood cells that combat invaders. Italian athletes on very low-fat diets were found to be significantly short of these cells. The secret is to choose your fats with care. Opt for unsaturated vegetable fats rather than saturated ones from animal foods, which reduce the ability of white blood cells to zap bacteria. And avoid trans fats, manufactured fats labeled as “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated.”