10 Daily Habits That Harm Your Immune System

#1 Being A Night Owl

Owing to the busy hustle and bustle of life, it is not very surprising that people stay up very late in the night, as that is the only time they get to indulge in their interests. But studies have suggested that if you watch TV until late in the night or work on your laptop, you are mostly damaging your immunity. Staying up late till night kills the killer cells of your immune system called the cytokines, which help in fighting the body against diseases.

#2 Neglecting Personal Hygiene

Very few people tend to be hygienic these days. We just tend to forget or get lazy about just a few things that might take less than a minute to perform. For example, eating without washing your hands directly exposes your body to various germs, which leads to infections and diseases. Hygiene would include taking a bath every day, keeping your nails clean or simply cooking in a clean environment.

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#3 Using Public Objects

This is yet another habit that people just tend to neglect all the time. Every one shares everything with their friends or close ones, neglecting the fact that there might be a possibility of infection from this sharing. Also, openly using public items like restaurant menu, grocery carts or restroom handles makes your immunity more vulnerable. It is inevitable to avoid a few of these, hence make sure to wash your hands after every usage.

#4 Overdosing On Sugar

Refined sugar is anyway bad for your health. Dietitians always recommend natural sweeteners over them. Refined sugar can kill your body's ability to fight with germ cells and sugar also prevents vitamin C from entering the white blood cells, resulting in lowered immunity. Substitute sugar with healthy sweeteners and indulge more in fruits while satisfying your sweet tooth.

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#5 Forgetting To Drink Water

Whether it is intentional or not, not drinking water is a very bad habit that leads to a lot of unhealthy consequences. If you don't replenish your body, your immune system is going to be hampered. A healthy person's water intake ranges from 8-10 glasses per day. But it varies from geographical conditions and your activities per day.

#6 Drinking Alcohol Every Day

If you tend to end your day with some alcohol, you are not only harming your immunity, but also developing addiction to the beverages. The alcohol kills the antibody cells responsible for killing the viruses and infections. It also impedes the formation of new red and white blood cells and it is not a very healthy sign. To top it all, alcohol also contributes to severe organ damages in the long run.

#7 Being Around Secondhand Smoke

The number of people who smoke nowadays is not very surprising. But did you know that you are even vulnerable if you just hang out with people who smoke? It affects your body and your immunity system to be more specific. Secondhand smoking can suppress your immune system and impair the functioning of various antibodies that protect your body.

#8 Eating Junk Food

Do you remember how mothers always scream at us if we demand to eat junk or fried foods from stalls or fast-food junctions? Well, now you know why! Junk food is often loaded with unhealthy fats and oil that is very harmful for your body. It not only makes you obese, but also impairs the functioning of the immune system. It is very difficult to lose these saturated fats. Obesity can curb the white blood cells to multiply and produce antibodies.

#9 Consuming Too Much Caffeine

Everybody sips numerous number of coffee cups in a day. Coffee is as addictive as nicotine is that is found in cigarettes. Excess caffeine stimulates the nervous system in the body and increases the stress level, which inturn leads to the release of cortisol. This will result in suppression of the immune system.

#10 Not Using Sunscreen

This may sound very lame and vague but not using a sunscreen can be a major cause of skin-related diseases and even cancer! Exposing your body to early morning sun will give you the necessary Vitamin D, but when you spend a long time under the scorching heat of the sun, exposing your bare skin, you are harming it. It can also aggravate yeast infections and thereby a lowered immunity.

So, these were a few daily habits that we do consciously or unconsciously follow and hence we must stop doing it immediately, in order to protect something that protects our body!