Boost your Immune System
What is the immune system?
A complex network of cells, tissues, organs, and the substances they make that helps the body fight infections and other diseases. The immune system includes white blood cells and organs and tissues of the lymph system, such as the thymus, spleen, tonsils, lymph nodes, lymph vessels, and bone marrow. – National Cancer Institute
Why you need to boost your immune system.
By D. Barry Boyd, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology).
As the late Burton Goldberg (Cancer Coach and Author) wrote: “When your immune system is functioning properly it can stop cancer in its tracks by identifying and eliminating cancer cells before they can spread and form tumors...The primary “soldiers” that comprise your immune system are natural killer cells, macrophages and cancer cell-killing T cells, all of which are actively involved in targeting and eliminating cancer cells.
Should cancer strike, these same immune system components can mount an effective attack against tumors and any cancer cells that have spread from the original or primary tumor, especially in the early stages of cancer. That’s why ensuring proper immune function is so essential if cancer is to effectively be treated and reversed.”
A good immune system can work for or against you!
This 2019 study by Yuexin Liu, MD Anderson Cancer Center looked at the effect pre-existing immune conditions had on cancer. A total of 10,062 PanCanAtlas tumor samples had both gene expression and survival data, covering 32 different cancer types.
The results showed that in the majority of human cancers, higher immune response was significantly associated with better Overall Survival, Progression Free Interval, or both, which was in agreement with previous reports that pre-existing immunity is probably necessary for most treatment response.
The study also demonstrated that in some cancer types higher immune response is significantly associated with worse outcome.
In particular, higher immune responses were significantly correlated with longer Overall Survival in 7 cancer types:
- breast invasive carcinoma,
- cervical squamous cell carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma,
- head and neck squamous cell carcinoma,
- lung adenocarcinoma,
- sarcoma,
- skin cutaneous melanoma
- uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma.
In contrast, higher immune responses were significantly correlated with shorter Overall Survival in four cancer types:
- kidney renal clear cell carcinoma,
- low-grade glioma,
- thymoma,
- uveal melanoma.
Aside from the cancer types mentioned above, the rest of the cancer types did not show significant correlation between immune response and patient Overall Survival.
Conclusions: Immune responses have different impacts on patient outcome in different human cancers.
This 2022 study found that a high immune response in triple negative breast cancer is associated with better survival.
However, survival was negatively correlated with immune activity in ER-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer.
Ways to support your Immune System
Get Daily Physical Exercise
Exercise greatly improves the immune system.
It improves survival rates of some cancer patients by 50 per cent.
Radically Change Your Diet
Eat a high fibre, high bioactive foods diet, including: Porridge, Beans & Pulses, Fruit and vegetables.
Get Adequate Sleep
Get adequate uninterrupted sleep in a darkened, EMF-free room (no computer, Wi-Fi, ‘phone etc).
Practice Meditation
People who meditate have stronger immune systems.
Laugh more
People who laugh a lot have stronger immune systems.
Have Healthy Sex
People who have good sex lives have stronger immune systems.
Consume Probiotics
Sources include sauerkraut, yogurt, kefir, kimchi, tempeh, miso, natto and kombucha.
Use Essential Oils
Immune Boosting oils include: Tea tree oil, Frankincense (C02 extract), Eucalyptus Globulus. Oils can be applied directly to the skin, inhaled, sprayed in a room or used in a diffuser to purify the air.
Practice Qigong
Qigong is an ancient Chinese health care system that integrates physical postures, breathing techniques and focused intention. It can reduce stress and enhance the immune system.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Obesity, like other states of malnutrition, is known to impair the immune function, altering leucocyte counts as well as cell-mediated immune responses, according to this study.
Prevent Infections
Harvard Medical School offer the following advice:
- Wash your hands well. You probably wash your hands after using the bathroom, before preparing or eating food, and after gardening or other dirty tasks. You should also wash up after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing; feeding or stroking your pet; or visiting or caring for a sick person.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you sneeze or cough,
- Wash and bandage all cuts. Any serious cut or animal or human bite should be examined by a doctor.
Avoid Stress
According to Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, stress turns on the fight or flight mechanisms, increasing the production of hormones that can raise blood sugar levels and suppress immune function.
Don’t Smoke
Chronic inhalation of cigarette smoke alters a wide range of immunological functions, including innate and adaptive immune responses according to this study published in Nature journal.
Limit sugar intake
According to Biotics Research Corporation, man-made sweeteners like aspartame and HFCS [High Fructose Corn Syrup]can have serious deleterious effects on the immune system, especially on infants, and, as such, should be avoided.
Cut down on alcohol
…alcohol can weaken the immune system and make the body more susceptible to infections, according to the prestigious Cleveland Clinic.
Beware all drugs
Many studies, including one published by Oxford Academic show that drugs (whether legal or not) such as Antibiotics, Proton-pump inhibitors, Opiates, Cocaine, Heroin etc may affect many important components of the complex immune system, either enhancing or occasionally suppressing the function of distinct immune response cells and the factors they produce.
Immune Boosting Vitamins and Supplements
AHCC (Active hexose correlated compound)
This mushroom extract has an ability to be helpful in supporting the body’s two basic types of immunity: innate and adaptive. This study says the available literature clearly suggests that AHCC is an immune-modulating compound, with consistent effects on NK cell activity when induced by either the presence of an active tumor or a viral infection. Available in supplement form.
Beta Glucans (mushrooms etc)
Beta glucans are used to boost the immune system. This study says the effects of b-glucans are beneficial in chemo– and radiotherapy induced immune suppression and depleted hematopiesis. b–Glucan shows anticarcinogenic activity, prevent oncogenesis and prevent metastasis.
Breuss therapy
Breuss Therapy is a 42-day fast during which you drink an organic juice made of beetroot, carrot, celery root, raw potato and black radish. The Breuss Cancer Juice boosts your immune system to fight cancer naturally. At the same time you cut off the cancer’s food supply and effectively starve tumours through fasting
Carica Papaya
This study says: Recent studies have shown its beneficial effect as an anti-inflammatory agent, for its wound healing properties, antitumour as well as immune-modulatory effects and as an antioxidant.
Coenzyme Q10
Studies suggest that CoQ10 may help the immune system work better. Partly because of this, CoQ10 is used as adjuvant therapy for cancer.
Curcumin
Curcumin has been shown in the last two decades to be a potent immunomodulatory agent that can modulate the activation of T cells, B cells, macrophages, neutrophils, natural killer cells, and dendritic cells (study)
Dong quai (Angelica sinensis)
Traditional Chinese medicine uses dong quai root as an immune stimulant.
Echinacea
Echinacea is a proven herb that helps boost the immune system. In cancer, it also seems to help during radiotherapy and chemotherapy and may even help with brain cancers, or brain tumours.
Essiac Tea
Laboratory analysis of Essiac shows that it has significant antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties. Essiac tea has shown the ability to strengthen the immune system.
Not recommended for brain cancer patients as it may induce swelling which could be life-threatening if it creates too much pressure in the cerebral cavity..
GcMAF
GcMAF is a is a human protein. It acts as a “director” of your immune system. But viruses and malignant cells like cancer send out an enzyme called Nagalase that prevents production of your GcMAF: that neutralises your immune system. So diseases become chronic, and cancer cells grow unchecked.
Ginger Extract
This study says: The health-promoting perspectives of ginger are well known. It can treat a wide range of diseases via immunonutrition and anti-inflammatory responses…
Ginseng
As a well-known herbal immune stimulant, hundreds of studies have extensively reported the anti-cancer or chemopreventive effects of ginseng.
Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB)
LAB have antitumor properties that inactivate or inhibit carcinogenic (cancer -causing) compounds in the gastrointestinal tract, stimulate the immune response, and delay the onset of tumor or increase the survival rate.
LifeOne Formula
LifeOne is a new, state-of-the-art treatment, developed and produced in the USA, specially formulated and scientifically proven to boost the body’s natural immune system and directly attack cancerous cells.
MGN-3
BIOBRAN MGN-3, a food supplement…has been clinically proven to help powerfully enhance depleted immune systems.
Milk Vetch (Astragalus)
It is believed to have immunostimulating properties. It is mostly used in combination with other herbs, depending on the diagnosis.
Modified Citrus Pectin
unsaturated…acids in MCP may stimulate the immune system through the activation of natural killer cells, cytotoxic T-cells, and B-cells. National Cancer Institute
Probiotics
Probiotics, the friendly microflora in our bodies, contribute to the production of useful metabolites with positive effects on the immune system against various diseases such as cancer.
Selenium and Zinc
Selenium is being studied in the prevention and treatment of some types of cancer. Zinc may enhance immune function.
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
Vitamin C helps fight infections, heal wounds, and keep tissues healthy. Vitamin C is being studied in the prevention and treatment of some types of cancer.
Vitamin D therapy
Vitamin D is essential to our bodies. It helps regulate the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in our bones, strengthens the immune system and helps cell communication.
Wheat Grass
The authors of this study said their results demonstrated that wheatgrass-activated immune cells played a central role in building immunity…Several papers have indicated that wheatgrass has anti-tumor activities…
Other Ways to Boost Your Immune System
Coleys Toxins
Coleys Toxins is a cocktail of inactive bacteria used as nonspecific immunotherapy in the treatment of cancer.
Mild Full Body Hyperthermia
Hyperthermia is the use of heat as a treatment for cancer.
This study noted: The use of hyperthermia as an adjunct to cancer immunotherapy is supported by an increasing number of research data. Both preclinical and clinical data results have demonstrated improved antitumor immune responses with the addition of mild hyperthermia.
Immuno-Augmentive Therapy (IAT)
The objective of IAT is to restore the cancer patient’s immune competency to a level by which it can control cancer. The therapy involves injecting patients with blood fractions (deficient in cancer patients) to redress the deficiency . Patients continue to self-administer the injections from serum for whatever length of time is necessary.
Low Dose Naltrexone
Although not a proven cure, evidence from clinical trials supports LDN as being a valuable adjunct for disorders in which the immune system plays a centralized role. Additionally, clinical trials have proposed a unique mechanism(s) allowing LDN to affect tumors including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at the cellular level by augmenting the immune system. (study)
Ultraviolet Blood Irridation
Ultraviolet Blood Irradiation (UBI) is a procedure that exposes the blood to light to heighten the body’s immune response and to kill infections. With exposure to UV light, bacteria and viruses in your bloodstream absorb five times as much photonic energy as do your red and white blood cells.
Updated January 2025