How To Support Your Immune System This Cold And Flu Season

We like to imagine the immune system clad in all black, with a bit of a scowl and a clipboard in hand. Wondering why? Well, if your body was a party, your immune system would be the bouncer.

Determined to keep out uninvited invaders (including unwelcome guests like bacteria, viruses, and fungi), the body’s immune system is a clear line of defence against cold and flu symptoms.

The bouncer (AKA the immune system; go with it) is always present, but when winter (or ‘cold and flu season’ to those in the know) hits, having a healthy immune system could be the difference between being able to fight winter ills and chills quickly, or succumbing.

With more time spent indoors, less fresh air, and thus closer contact with other people, winter also offers up prime conditions for germ-spreading. And with said germ-spreading on the loose, it’s crucial that your immune system is functioning at its very best.

It may sound like a lofty goal, but there are specific steps you can take to bolster your immunity so you are more able to fight the germs trying to get you down. Here’s our guide to supporting your immune system this cold and flu season…

#1: Wash your hands well (and often)

We’d like to think everyone knows this rule by now, but when it comes to reducing the spread of germs, a solid hand wash strategy is incredibly important. When hands go unwashed, the bacteria can get into everything from your nose (think about how many times you touch your face) to your food (hello, we all have to eat). It’s not just after the bathroom that you need to commit to a cleanse, either – germs can sit on an array of surfaces (handrails, tabletops, you name it)¹.

When these germs get onto hands and are not washed off properly, they can continue spreading and therefore may be responsible for causing illnesses including the common cold and flu¹. So, if you think you’ve come into contact with any, wash those mitts with clean, warm water and plenty of soap (lathered between fingers as well as over hands). 20 seconds will do the trick!

#2 Go for fresh food over processed

In the immunity game, fruits and vegetables are your friends (and processed foods are not). Options like berries, citrus fruits, and kale are fantastic sources of clever little compounds called ‘flavonoids’, which help to support the health of the cells in your immune system². If you need a bit more variation, tea, dark chocolate, and grapes are also flavonoid-rich options. Try and skip those processed foods where you can, and focus on that fresh fruit and veg!

#3: Up your vitamin D intake

You know how we said your immune system was your body’s bouncer? News flash: it needs the right amount of vitamin D to do its’ job.

Vitamin D is an important nutrient for maintaining healthy immune system function, helping it to stay fighting fit. With immune-supporting properties, vitamin D basically aids healthy immune system function, helping to fight off cold and flu-causing bacteria,  in saying ‘no, you’re not welcome here’.³

However, as luck would have it, winter (the big germ-spreading season, as we warned you) is the time when our bodies are receiving the smallest amount of vitamin D. Our primary source is the sun, which doesn’t tend to shine particularly bright or frequently during the cooler months.⁴  We also tend to stay indoors during the cooler winter months, resulting in even less time in the sun.

And so the vitamin D you’re missing in sun exposure has to be made up for some other way. Those healthy foods we were raving about are great and all, and vitamin D can be found in healthful foods like oily fish and eggs – but vitamin D is also challenging to obtain from diet alone, so adding a supplement into your daily routine is a great alternative.

Ostelin Vitamin D3 1000IU Capsules support healthy immune system function, offering easy-to-swallow capsules that deliver a ‘one a day’ dose of vitamin D. Made in Australia, it has the ability to help support healthy immune system function. A no-brainer, really!

Ostelin Vitamin D3 1000IU Capsules ($27.99 at Chemist Warehouse)

*Always read the label and follow directions for use.

#4: Amp up your exercise

Did you know exercise is a solid way to dial down your susceptibility to illness? Physical activity actually stimulates the body’s ‘immune cells’⁵. By moving your body, you’re sending a signal to those cells to get up and get moving, too. Any type of exercise will do it, be it a brisk walk or a bathroom mirror dance session – we’re big fans of the latter. 

#5: Don’t skimp on sleep

Taking the break your body needs to recharge at the end of the day is another important piece of the puzzle. Nobody feels good running off minimal shuteye, and lack of sleep affects just about everything your body needs to do during the day, whether it’s sending an email reply that actually makes sense, or fighting the common cold and flu⁶.

To enhance your sleep, try turning off devices at least an hour before bedtime, setting a standard bedtime and sticking to it (for your body clock’s sake), and reducing caffeine later in the day. Everyone’s exact right number of hours differs, but as a general guide, eight is a goal, and six is the minimum.

Brought to you by Ostelin

1. Mathur P. Hand hygiene: back to the basics of infection control. Indian J Med Res. 2011 Nov;134(5):611-20. doi: 10.4103/0971-5916.90985. PMID: 22199099; PMCID: PMC3249958.
2. Pérez-Cano FJ, Castell M. Flavonoids, Inflammation and Immune System. Nutrients. 2016 Oct 21;8(10):659. doi: 10.3390/nu8100659. PMID: 27775647; PMCID: PMC5084045.
3. Grant WB, Lahore H, McDonnell SL, Baggerly CA, French CB, Aliano JL, Bhattoa HP. Evidence that Vitamin D Supplementation Could Reduce Risk of Influenza and COVID-19 Infections and Deaths. Nutrients. 2020 Apr 2;12(4):988. doi: 10.3390/nu12040988. PMID: 32252338; PMCID: PMC7231123.
4. Nair R, Maseeh A. Vitamin D: The “sunshine” vitamin. J Pharmacol Pharmacother. 2012 Apr;3(2):118-26. doi: 10.4103/0976-500X.95506. PMID: 22629085; PMCID: PMC3356951.
5. Nieman DC, Wentz LM. The compelling link between physical activity and the body’s defense system. J Sport Health Sci. 2019 May;8(3):201-217. doi: 10.1016/j.jshs.2018.09.009. Epub 2018 Nov 16. PMID: 31193280; PMCID: PMC6523821.
6. Besedovsky L, Lange T, Born J. Sleep and immune function. Pflugers Arch. 2012 Jan;463(1):121-37. doi: 10.1007/s00424-011-1044-0. Epub 2011 Nov 10. PMID: 22071480; PMCID: PMC3256323.