[Closed] bad immune system... in wintertime.. help!

Get a few pies down you - no offence but you sound thin and weak. Packing some pounds on protects you from the cold and develops a jolly, friendly personality.

I read some stuff about Quercetin being effective to fend off and reduce severity of colds. Took it through last winter as seemed like it couldn't do any harm. Now, I'm not a particularly sick person anyway, and there's no control but I was cold free all winter.

Wash your hands and take zinc. Not great evidence for anything else
http://www.cmaj.ca/content/186/3/190

Eat dirt in the warm weather, it will boost your immune system.

There growing evidence to suggest that huge numbers of people in the northern hemisphere go into vitamin D deficiency in the winter months.

I do seem to suffer less colds and recover quicker since I've been on a supplement.

The immune system is mainly regulated by bacteria that has colonised your Gut lining so eat lots of fibrous foods as these are what the "good" bacteria need to survive and multiply, root vegetables/onions/green leafy veg/broccoli/cauliflower etc and try eating unpasteurised sauerkraut/kimchi everyday as these fermented foods are excellent at feeding/multiplying the good bacteria. Also mushrooms of all varieties are very benificial as these will aid in the neuroplasticity of adaptive neurons in the brain/gut interface.

There's loads of very promising research being done into the role of the Gut Flora at the moment and the scientific community are very hopeful that breakthrough treatment for many illnesses and diseases will come from a greater understanding of the role that the Gut micro biome plays in our health

Johns Hopkins University - Immune system/Gut bacteria link

Personally the only supplements i take daily, apart from eating a very healthy veggie diet (no sugar/limited carbs), are 5000iu Vit D3, 2g of Lions Mane fungi and a combination of chaga, cordycep, reishi and tumeric powder brewed up into a tea once/day - check out Paul Stamets/Host Defence for more info on why/how fungi can be of benefit.

Wash your hands regularly and avoid touching your face.

Fly south for the winter...

Do you eat a good diet, sleep enough, exercise enough?

Get the basics right before popping 💊

I'd suggest getting the exercise (preferably outdoors), eating and resting correct first.

Wash your hands a bit more regularly. Avoid small children, mobile Petri dishes!

Also mushrooms of all varieties are very benificial as these will aid in the neuroplasticity of adaptive neurons in the brain/gut interface.

I was with you up until this bit.

Get a dog. Hardly ever been ill since I got a whippet six years ago.

I was with you up until this bit.

Have you read the latest research regarding the use of lions mane/cordyceps in Alzheimer's/Parkinsons/degenerative brain disease and how they help neurons and axions create new connections/neural pathways?, I've got secondary progressive MS and as a result i've got various dead patches in my brain and spinal cord (thumb sized black areas of destroyed myelin that show up on mri) and the research i've been introduced to gives me hope.

Is your house damp? I used to get a cough from October onwards until we renovated and addressed damp that I didn’t know was there.

When I had an hour long commute for three years I didn't get a single cold, even when everyone around me were dropping with the lurgey. So I'd recommend that!! 🙂

I've just been diagnosed with a vit D deficiency after my pelvis bone injury refused to heal.

Im dark skinned, work in an office and did most of exercise in the dark. Also my mum had Rickets as a child so wonder if there's a genetic component to it.

Anyhow I've had a long term recurring illness has a significant impact on my quality of life. If the supplements can get my vitamin d levels up it will be interesting to see if I have reduction in the frequency of the illness.

Also my mum had Rickets as a child so wonder if there’s a genetic component to it.

AFAIK, there no congenital factor with Ricketts.

Improve your fitness ... i didnt manage to ride much so when i did get out with the group i had to bury myself to almost keep up , the following week id get a cold so it would all start again . So now i try to keep a more constant level of fitness and for a couple of year have have no colds which in turn has helped my fitness no end . Plus i dont eat sugary foods , limit my carbs as much as possible and we cook all our meals from scratch so no processed crap .... oh and eat nuts and fats

Im dark skinned, work in an office and did most of exercise in the dark.

Yup - that will get you vit d deficiency all right.

I had 1/4 the normal level. I thought I would be fine spending a lot of time outdoors but then realised its only really my face that is exposed to sunlight! Everyone in the UK should take vit d supplements unless they eat loads of vit d containing food

Viruses are IIRC actually more active in summer when its warmer - cold weather and getting colds is a myth.