How to Support Immune Function: Daily Habits That Support Immune Health

When your body is faced with stressors, it’s understandable to want to find the quickest support for your defenses. While getting plenty of sleep and drinking fluids can help your immune system function properly, the real answer to the question, “How can I support my immune health?” is to consistently maintain healthy daily habits. Instead of looking for quick fixes, focus on keeping your immune system balanced through adequate fiber intake, quality sleep, regular exercise, and supplementation to address key nutrient gaps. Let’s take a closer look at how to do this.

Understanding immune function

The human immune system is a sophisticated biological network that supports the body's natural defenses. This system can be broken down into:

• The innate immune system: The body’s first line of support, involving cells such as neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells that contribute to an immediate, non-specific response.
• The adaptive immune system: The body’s first line of support, involving cells such as neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells that contribute to an immediate, non-specific response.

The key to a well-functioning immune system is balance—being able to recognize “self” from “non-self,” and maintain an appropriate response. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a crucial role in this process, helping to keep immune system activity in check.

Ways to support your immune system

So, how can you support immune health most effectively? Work on integrating these healthy habits into your daily routine:

Eat the right foods

Like the rest of your body’s functions, the immune system is fueled by the nutrients you take in. While no single food can instantly support immune health, daily nutritional habits help support the ideal environment for immune cells to develop and operate.

The GI tract is a central hub of the immune system, containing roughly 70% of the body's immune cells.¹ It also contains the “gut microbiome,” billions of helpful bacteria and other microbes that support this center of immune activity. Whole foods like vegetables, fruit, nuts, whole grains, and legumes are high in dietary fiber, which gut microbes ferment, creating short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). These SCFAs play a crucial role in specialized cells in maintaining immune system balance.

Numerous studies have shown the various ways micronutrients support immune function, including:

• Vitamin A: Supports the linings of the eyes, lungs, and gut.²
• Vitamin C: Supports normal immune cell function and helps protect cells from oxidative stress as an antioxidant.³
• Vitamin B6: Supports the normal development and function of immune cells.⁴
• Vitamin B12: Supports cellular processes involved in immune cell production and function.⁵
• Folate (B9): Provides nutrients needed for DNA synthesis and supports the growth and function of immune cells.⁶
• Zinc: Supports normal development and communication of immune cells.⁷
• Copper: Supports the normal function of immune cells, including those involved in frontline defense.⁸
• Selenium: Supports normal immune system function and helps maintain antioxidant defenses.⁹

Eating a diverse diet of whole foods rich in these nutrients helps ensure your immune system has the fuel it needs to function properly.

Get enough sleep

During sleep, your body undergoes hormonal shifts that create optimal conditions for immune system processes, including the development of adaptive immune response and immunological memory.¹⁰
Try to get 7–9 hours of sleep per night. Create a bedtime routine by going to bed at the same time each night, turning off devices, avoiding late meals, and keeping the room cool and dark.

Relieve stress

Elevated cortisol levels have been associated with changes in immune cell activity and immune signaling patterns. Practice mindfulness techniques like meditation and yoga, and spend time with loved ones to relieve stress.

Exercise regularly (and moderately)

Moderate exercise—such as brisk walking or cycling—has been shown to support the recirculation of immune cells into the bloodstream, enhancing immune surveillance.¹¹ If you have been wondering how to increase T regulatory cells to support immune system balance, studies suggest that regular, moderate exercise is the way to go.¹²

Supplementation for immune support

Along with following the above healthy habits, taking foundational nutrition supplements like AG1 can be a convenient way to support immune defenses. There is no substitute for whole foods, but AG1, our greens drink powder, delivers more than 75 vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced ingredients that can help fill key nutritional gaps you may be experiencing.
Ultimately, understanding how to improve immune function comes down to consistency, not quick fixes. By prioritizing nutrient-dense foods, quality sleep, stress management, regular movement, and foundational nutritional support, you give your immune system what it needs to respond effectively and stay balanced over time. Instead of hunting for ways to boost your immune system overnight, focus on the daily habits that help it function at its best—for the long run.

References:

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2. Huang Z, Liu Y, Qi G, Brand D, Zheng SG. Role of Vitamin A in the Immune System. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2018; 7(9):258. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm7090258
3. Carr AC, Maggini S. Vitamin C and Immune Function. Nutrients. 2017; 9(11):1211. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9111211
4. Rall LC, Meydani SN. Vitamin B6 and immune competence. Nutr Rev. 1993;51(8):217-225. doi:10.1111/j.1753-4887.1993.tb03109.x
5. Gombart AF, Pierre A, Maggini S. A Review of Micronutrients and the Immune System–Working in Harmony…. Nutrients. 2020; 12(1):236. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12010236
6. Calder PC. Nutrition and immunity: lessons for COVID-19. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2021;75(9):1309-1318. doi:10.1038/s41430-021-00949-8
7. Munteanu C, Schwartz B. The relationship between nutrition and the immune system. Front Nutr. 2022;9:1082500. Published 2022 Dec 8. doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.1082500
8. Besedovsky L, Lange T, Born J. Sleep and immune function. Pflugers Arch. 2012;463(1):121-137. doi:10.1007/s00424-011-1044-0
9. Nieman DC, Wentz LM. The compelling link between physical activity and the body's defense system. J Sport Health Sci. 2019;8(3):201-217. doi:10.1016/j.jshs.2018.09.009
10. Lowder T, Dugger K, Deshane J, Estell K, Schwiebert LM. Repeated bouts of aerobic exercise enhance regulatory T cell responses…l. Brain Behav Immun. 2010;24(1):153-159. doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2009.09.011