HealthWise: Supporting your Immune System
(Final in a four part series)
Lucinda K. Porter, RN

This series started with basic viral information and moved on to the immune system. Last month’s Healthwise featured prevention through hygiene, habits and immunizations. This final installment covers ways to support the immune system.

Many think that the best ways to boost the immune system is with diet and supplements. We know that poor nutrition may weaken immunity, particularly for the frail elderly. However, there is no solid research that proves that any specific food or dietary supplement will stimulate the immune system.

This is not an invitation to start hanging out at the local fast food restaurant. There are plenty of reasons to be careful of what we eat. If you want to enhance your immune system, the two major ways to do this are exercise and stress reduction.
Good health and a well-functioning immune system go hand-in-hand. The formula is simple – the better you take care of yourself, the more likely you will stay healthy. Here are some suggestions for people living with hepatitis C viral infection (HCV):

 • Incorporate at least 20 to 45 minutes of moderate physical activity into your daily routine.
 • Avoid or reduce stress.
 • Avoid alcohol, tobacco and recreational drugs. If you cannot quit, then cut back or get help.
 • Aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night.
 • Wash your hands – properly and often.
 • Keep current with regular medical screenings.
 • Be immunized against hepatitis A and B. Make sure all vaccinations are up to date.  Get an annual flu shot.
 • Maintain a healthy weight.
 • Eat a low fat, high fiber diet. Include fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. Avoid trans-fatty acids and saturated fats.
 • Cultivate a positive attitude.
 • Pursue pastimes that give you pleasure and make you laugh.
 •  Choose activities that stimulate your brain.
 • Engage your spirit in meaningful ways, such as meditation, a walk in the woods, prayer.
 • Learn to laugh at yourself.
 • Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water every day.
 • Practice safer sex.
 • Join an HCV support group.
 • Maintain friendships and social contacts.
 • Help others. Volunteer your time.
 • Be grateful and appreciative for what you have in your life.

This is the short list. I might add floss your teeth, use sunscreen, wear seatbelts, know how to swim before diving into deep water, etc. You get the point. Taking care of ourselves can be overwhelming. Factor in poor health, poverty, no access to health care, taking care of kids and aging parents and it is a wonder any of us make it past 40, but we do.

We do because humans are resilient. If you are living with HCV, you are a testimony to this resilience. We live with a virus that replicates a trillion copies every day and yet few of us will die from it.

I wish it were easy to follow all these recommendations, but perfection eludes most of us.  For me, developing good health habits is a gradual and ongoing process. It is a journey – not a destination.

As winter approaches, it can be hard to stay motivated. Pick a small goal and try to stick to it for a week. If you meet your goal, try it for another week. Don’t start on a new goal until you have practiced this for at least 2 to 4 weeks. Find someone who shares some of your goals. A “health buddy” can help you stay on track.

Vitamin and mineral deficiencies may weaken your health. Ricketts and scurvy are caused by inadequate amounts of vitamins. Insufficient vitamin D is linked to an increased cancer risk. Vitamin D studies look promising; the current research suggests we should raise the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) for vitamin D.

If you want more information about dietary supplements, check out the Sloan Kettering Cancer Center website (see below). Regular Healthwise readers may be tired of my caveats on this subject, but here they are:

 • Before you take a supplement, discuss this with your medical provider.
 • Do your homework. Research a supplement like you would any medication.
 • Before you take a supplement, check to see if it interacts with any other supplements or medications you take.
 • Know your source. Herbs may be contaminated. Before ingesting anything, ask yourself what you know about what you are about to take.
 • Choose products that are standardized and submitted to voluntary self-regulation.
 • Remember that everything goes through the liver. Dietary supplements should never be used with decompensated cirrhosis.

Some drugs weaken the immune system by suppressing white blood cell activity and production. Steroids are the most common of these. Unsupervised steroid use is risky. People with transplanted organs need immunosuppressants to prevent organ rejection. Immunosuppressants are serious drugs reserved for serious situations.

A word about antibiotics – when they are prescribed, make sure you take them all as directed. If you have a 10-day course of pills, do not stop taking them even if you feel better. If you do, bacteria get stronger and more resistant to future treatment. Antibiotics will not help colds or flu. These are caused by viruses – not bacteria. Antibiotics won’t kill a virus anymore than a gun will stop a house fire. To stop a virus, you need the right weapon.

There are anti-viral medications, but these are for specific circumstances. Interferon is an anti-viral used to treat HCV infection as well as other viruses.  Acyclovir is used for herpes. Anti-virals don’t kill viruses directly. Instead, they help the immune system to do this. 

Don’t wait until the New Year to embrace new health habits – start now. If time is a problem, ask yourself if you have time to get sick. What will happen to your time if you die early because you didn’t have time to exercise?  Today is the perfect day to begin.

Resources
Note: HCSP and the authors do not endorse the products or advertising on any of these websites.
For more information, look at HCSP’s guides and fact sheets at www.hcvadvocate.org  

Aetna Intelihealth
www.intelihealth.com  This is an excellent resource.

Centers for Disease Control www.cdc.gov Health and disease information; vaccine recommendations; information about HCV.

Family Doctor
www.familydoctor.org  Look at the Healthy Living section.

Food Safety
www.foodsafety.gov  1-888-SAFEFOOD (1-888-723-3366).

Harvard School of Public Health www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource
/index.html Offers an alternative food pyramid, nutrition, and healthy lifestyle information. 

Mayo Clinic
www.mayoclinic.com  Check out the Healthy Lifestyle section.

Merck
www.mercksource.com  Although owned by a pharmaceutical company, there is good information  and no advertising.  Free sign-up is required in order to access some of the information.

The National Sleep Foundation www.sleepfoundation.org.

ShapeUp
www.shapeup.org  This nonprofit organization offers practical information.

Partnership for Healthy Weight Management
www.consumer.gov/weightloss  This coalition promotes healthy weight management.

PrimusWeb.com
www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner  Great fitness website.

Sloan Kettering Cancer Center www.mskcc.org/mskcc  Excellent information about supplements.

United States Department of Agriculture
www.mypyramid.gov  This website offers interactive tools for personalizing nutritional goals.

United States Department of Health and Human Services
www.smallstep.gov  Government-sponsored fitness motivation website.

http://www.hcvadvocate.org/news/newsLetter/2007/advocate1207.html#3

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