The majority of us are looking at ways to better improve our wellbeing and meet all important health goals. Especially with the effects that the pandemic is having in altering our daily lives and habits; improving our immunity is something a lot of us are working towards.
We know that eating a balanced diet and exercising leads to improved health benefits, but there is a lot more we can be doing to maximise our wellness, including increasing our bodies T-cell count and understanding why these are so important to our bodies.
What Are T-Cells and What Are Their Benefits?
T-cells are white blood cells that play an important part in the immune system. They respond to foreign antigens and initiate, among other things, cell-mediated immunity, such as 'T-cell memory' and 'T-cell co-stimulation'. In other words, when a cell gets infected these white killer cells kick into action and begin attacking them.
They get their name from a vertebrate's T shaped bone structure and are also known as T-lymphocytes. These cells originate in the bone marrow, just like other blood cells, but unlike many other kinds of white blood cells T-cells are found mostly in the immune system.
These clever little protectors also have a memory from previous infections, meaning that you are less likely to be affected by a disease twice. T-cells are extremely important in the immune system and in 2020 British scientists made a breakthrough discovery that they can even attack cancer cells, with the hope they could be used for a 'one-size fits all' universal cancer therapy. [v] [vi]
How to increase T-Cells in your body?
It's easy to understand that these tiny units are a big deal when it comes to immunity, but how can we increase the amount of these fantastic fighters in our bodies? Well, there are actually quite a few options.
One of the best T-cell boosting activities can be done in your own home. White killer cells are most active when the body is at rest, so taking time out to relax is one way to help T-cell production.
They are also known to be very active after eating, so enjoying a good meal will help your cells fight off foreign invaders.
But are there specific foods that could boost their production? Yes, there is actually quite a lot you can do in the kitchen to fortify your immunity through T-cells.
Foods that are high in folic acid, protein and healthy fats such as lentils, beans, soy, leafy greens, tomatoes and carrots aid the creation of T-cells in the body. These white killer cells can also be found in fish, including tuna and salmon. [iv]
Studies have shown that green tea, dried papaya and garlic increase their production too. [i] [ii] [iii]
When looking at what you should be consuming, it's important to note that there has been a big link between inflammation and your T-cell count. Your T-cells are like an army, and they are essentially fighting two separate battles; to track down those infected cells and to lower inflammation if it's present in the body.
By avoiding foods which can cause inflammation such as baked goods and margarine, you can help alleviate this issue, but there are also some amazing foods on the other end of the spectrum that will actively lower inflammation in the body, such as Hhydrocurc.
Asides from fruit and vegetables, another great resource you have at your disposal is probiotics such as LactoSpore (which you can add to your Nourished stacks now), which aid gut health and immunity. We recently published a comprehensive piece about probiotics here that explores the variety of other health benefits this offers.
But probiotics aren't the only ingredient that can help T-cell production. Some of the other notable supplements are selenium, vitamin D and zinc.
Vitamin D is an important one to take note of though, because not only does this counteract inflammation, recent studies also show how it can directly increase your T-cell count too. [vii] [viii]
Want to Learn More?
If you would like to learn more about the T-cells in your body then please consult your doctor or local GP. They are able to calculate your T-cell count from a simple blood test and determine if they are low and need boosting.
Nutrients and vitamins such as selenium, vitamin D (or even better, our vegan alternative), zinc and Lactospore can all be packed into one delicious gummy stack here at Nourished.
You can create your very own stack from our lab page which will let you select 7 different layers, each of which contains a different ingredient, or by taking our short lifestyle consultation here.
Gummy nutrients are chewable, easier to consume and studies have shown that gummy form can lead to higher absorption of certain ingredients.
Please visit the studies below to find out additional information regarding our Nourishments and studies cited in this article:
[i] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110602143214.htm
[ii] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21520494/
[iii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4417560/
[iv] https://healthfully.com/foods-increase-regulatory-tcells-8719094.html
[v] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1782265/
[vi] https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/view/1749599-discovery-of-new-t-cell-raises-prospect-of-universal-cancer-therapy
[vii] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22069289/
[viii] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20684175/
