The best way to strengthen your immune system.
Professor Paul Clayton is ta world’s leading expert in the fast-developing science of pharmaco-nutrition. A former President of the Forum on Food & Health at the Royal Society of Medicine, and Senior Scientific Advisor to the UK government’s Committee on the Safety of Medicines, he is also Director of Science at LYMA.
Specialising in immune response, Professor Clayton works with leading doctors and clinical scientists at centres of clinical expertise in many countries, designing and supervising pre-clinical and clinical trials of pharmaco-nutritional interventions. Prof. Clayton’s latest book Strengthening Your Immune System: How to Fight Infection, Allergy and Autoimmune Disease is more timely than he could possibly have imagined.
Professor Clayton frequently presents at and chairs international conferences on nutrition and health and sits on or leads the advisory boards of many of the world’s leading nutrition institutions. We should all be following Prof. Clayton’s salient advice for strengthening the immune system and boosting immunity in the shadow of the coronavirus. Prof. Clayton shared with us the very best way to boost your resilience and fire up your immune system.
What is the immune system?
The immune system is an exceptionally complex network of cells throughout the body that prevents or limits infection from potentially harmful pathogens like bacteria and viruses. Although the immune system is one fully integrated system, it’s useful to think of it as having two parts: the innate immune system and the adaptive immune system.
How does your immune system protect you from harm?
Innate immune cells are the body’s first line of defence. They identify microbes and other potential threats, triggering a response to terminate them. Adaptive immune cells possess what’s known as ‘immune memory’: meaning when those cells see a pathogen that previously entered the body, they don’t just aim to expel the invader, they also make more copies of themselves to build a stronger line of defence going forward. This makes the body better equipped to fight off future reappearance.
Why is it more important than ever that we strengthen our immune response?
Professor Clayton is adamant that now is not the time to leave your immunity to chance. The immune system is one of the most complex parts of the human body and if we want it to work in our favour, we need to learn how to hack it to our advantage. Modern lifestyles, Professor Clayton argues, are harming our immune systems. Not only are they becoming less able to protect us, they are increasingly turning against us. We see this in the growing epidemics of allergy and autoimmune disease, and our increased vulnerability to infection.
The role of diet in immunity:
By including many nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables in our diet, we can boost our daily vitamin and mineral intake to keep our immune system strong. Choose colourful fruits and vegetables, such as dark leafy greens or bright purple aubergines, as they contain high levels of antioxidants. Aim to eat a few serving of beta-glucan rich foods each day to further support your body’s natural defenses. Garlic, ginger and dark chocolate are all great mood and immune boosters. Avoid excessive consumption of alcohol and caffeine as this can inhibit your immune system and negatively affect sleep.
While the old adage “you are what you eat” certainly holds true, and nobody would ever expect to perform at their prime whilst living off poor nutrition, there is emerging evidence to suggest that maintaining an optimal immune system requires the enhancement that comes from consuming the correct balance of food and supplements. Professor. Clayton refers to this potent combination of lifestyle hacks as ‘pharmaco-nutrition’.
When searching for the right supplement to ensure that you feel your best, Prof. Clayton reminds us that the only way to be assured that your supplements will work in your favour is to ensure that all ingredients are backed by peer-reviewed clinical evidence. LYMA’s formula contains the highest quality potent peer-reviewed ingredients and proven nutraceuticals, all of which have been rigorously tested and proven to provide functional and beneficial attributes.
LYMA's three-pronged approach to supercharging your immune system:
- LYMA contains multi-award winning Wellmune® Blend, the highly specialized 1,3 1,6 beta glucan clinically proven to boost the innate, rapid fire immune system priming white blood cells neutrophils and macrophages to engage with foreign pathogens.
- Inflammation is also at the crux of a sound immune system where an overly inflamed body is more prone to acute injury and chronic illness. This is where LYMA comes into its own, we provide a myriad of the world’s most potent, technologically enhanced, anti-inflammatory compounds including; 250% more bioavailable HydroCurc™ and microencapsulated, highly bioavailable Lycored Lycopene™ . LYMA’s formula also contains Sensoril® Ashwagandha, a powerful adaptogen with anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties.
- Vitamins and minerals are key for bodily function and none is more important for immunity than Vitamin D, where deficiency is estimated to be at 50% amongst the UK population and approximately 15% exhibiting a severe shortfall. Unlike most, LYMA provides a clinically powerful 2,000i.u./day of Vita-Algae D3™, enough to ensure a high percentile are protected from deficiency but also to ensure cholecalciferol is optimized for musculoskeletal, bone and cardiovascular health .
Profedssor Clayton has designated LYMA “a world class product”, stating that: “Never before has so much validated science and patented technology been combined into one formula, in a combination that no diet or multi-vitamin could ever deliver. LYMA has changed the industry and will transform the lives of its consumers.”
Boosting your immune system has never been more urgent: “Right up until the early 20th century, infectious diseases were always the most important cause of illness and death. Improved sanitation, vaccination and then antibiotics briefly tipped the scales in our favour but in the 21st century, the infectious diseases are making a comeback. Antibiotic and antifungal drugs are losing so much of their effectiveness that if current trends continue, many elements of modern medicine, from anticancer drugs to intensive surgeries, will become unusable. And new viruses are entering the human population at an increasing rate”, Prof. Clayton writes.