How to Boost Your Immune System Through Nutrition

David Heber,M.D., Ph.D., FACP, FASN – Chairman, Herbalife Nutrition Institute When people think about their immune system, they usually consider its role in fighting a cold or infection. However, there is a direct connection between the immune system and nutrition.Our immune system is one of the most effective forms of defense against viral infections. There are two categories of immune functions in everyone’s body – innate immunity which prevents diseases from entering the body, and adaptive immunity which eliminates or prevents the growth of pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria, in the body. In a person who is malnourished, the immune system shuts down. In people who are overweight or obese, the immune system becomes hyperactive and causes inflammation. This is particularly concerning in the Philippines, where the 2021 Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS), revealed that 29.5% of Filipino adults are overweight, and 14.8% are obese – a growing trend linked to sedentary lifestyles and poor dietary choices. Also, as the country enters the rainy season, Filipinos are more prone to illnesses such as the common cold, flu, and other respiratory infections, making it even more important to focus on immune health.