Aah the immune system, that nebulous term used by health gurus, television doctors and marketeers (ahem) to promote their latest wares.
We’ve all heard of it and have a basic understanding that a strong immune system is the key to staying healthy, but how does it really work?
Try to think of your immune system as your body’s defensive line in rugby - constantly on alert, ready to absolutely smash into any threats trying to break through.
Just as the defensive line needs to be strong, well-coordinated, and supported by the whole team, your immune system relies on a balance of gut health, sleep, nutrition, and overall wellness to stay effective at stopping the bodily equivalent of that player who you cannot stand to see happy that they’ve scored a try.
There are quite a few large levers you can pull to keep your immune system strong and sharp. The best part is that tea can play a role in literally all of them!
Before you go on, you should immediately go and make yourself a cup of your favourite tea. It might just save your life!
1. Gut health: the immune system's best friend
Books like "The Second Brain" by Michael Gershon and "The Microbiome Solution" by Robynne Chutkan have brought a whole new meaning to ‘trusting your gut’ of late.
They delve into the idea that your gut is much more than a poop factory — it’s deeply connected to your brain and immune system, playing a crucial role in your overall health.
In fact, about 70% of your immune cells live in your gut, making it a central hub for keeping you healthy.
The trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi in your gut—collectively known as the microbiome—help train your immune system. They teach it how to differentiate between harmful invaders and friendly cells, essentially guiding your body in what to attack and what to leave alone.
A balanced gut microbiome can reduce inflammation, support digestion, and even influence your mood and mental health. Recent studies have even linked a healthy gut to improved immune responses against illnesses like the flu and COVID-19. On the flip side, an unhealthy gut can lead to chronic inflammation, which weakens the immune system and makes it harder for your body to fight off infections.
Try to imagine how you’d feel if you ate only buttered slices of Vogel’s washed down with coke for a week and you get the basic concept.
-
Tea to try: Apple and elderflower
Elderflower is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and can help soothe the gut and keep it happy. Apple also provides natural prebiotics. Prebiotics are basically the food that the good bacteria that already exist in your gut need to multiply so get to sipping. - I think it was Matsuo Bashō who first wrote:
In your gut they feast,
Prebiotics feed the good—
Sip, let health increase.
-
Tea to try: Rooibos
Rooibos is caffeine-free and packed with antioxidants, like quercetin, which support gut health and reduce inflammation. For more on how good rooibos is for you, go read: Rooibos tea and skin health
- It’s also a very good pre-bed drink, the significance of which will become apparent any time now…
2. Sleep quality: When your immune system recharges
Obviously sleep is incredibly important to feeling good. Or to put it another way, not sleeping well is a sure fire way to make sure you feel absolutely rotten. It turns out that your defensive system needs its beauty sleep too in order to operate effectively.
When you’re asleep, your body releases proteins called cytokines, which play a vital role in immune responses, especially when you're under stress or battling an infection. They are little proteins that act as chemical messengers to regulate its function.
Sleep also allows the immune system to recognise and remember harmful invaders, a process called immunological memory. It learns how to better protect you from viruses or bacteria it’s encountered before, similar to how vaccines work.
Studies show that people who get less than 7-8 hours of sleep a night are more likely to get sick after being exposed to a virus, like the common cold. This is because lack of sleep lowers the production of protective cytokines, while increasing inflammation, making it harder for your body to fend off illness. Sleep is truly the immune system’s time to recharge and fortify your defences.
It’s quite funny that some people think sleeping less in order to do more is a somehow virtuous and a sign of strength when the opposite is definately true!
But tea has caffeine in it doesn’t it!? How can that help my sleep? Well no actually. Not all of it. Calm down.
-
Tea to try: Chamomile
Chamomile is famous for its calming effects. It can help improve sleep quality, allowing your immune system to do its job more effectively overnight. To read a more in-depth post about chamomile which includes more beautiful poetry, read: Calming Down with Chamomile
-
Tea to try: Peppermint
Peppermint tea can help you relax and unwind after a long day. It’s also great for digestion, making it a soothing bedtime choice that won't interfere with your rest.
Try drinking a cup of chamomile and/or peppermint a few minutes before bed for a couple of weeks and you’ll probably start feeling sleepy as soon as you hear the kettle click.
3. Nutrition: Feeding your defence system
Good nutrition fuels your immune cells with the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants they need to work properly.
So it follows that the version of yourself who only eats buttered white bread doesn’t have a particularly well drilled immune system.
One of the major players is vitamin C. We (assuming you, dear reader are also human) can’t produce our own vitamin C because we lack a key enzyme called gulonolactone oxidase. Most mammals do have it and can synthesise the big C from glucose. That means we have to get it from our food and, more relevantly, drink.
Vitamin C helps stimulate the production of white blood cells, which are the body’s front-line defenders against infections. It also acts as a powerful antioxidant, protecting immune cells from oxidative stress, which can weaken their ability to fight off infections.
It also contributes to making the outermost layer of our skin, quite literally the first line of defence against infection.
Fair to say it’s pretty important. Consider eating an entire lemon after reading this blog if you’re interested in reducing the length and severity of your next cold.
Alternatively, drink some of the following delicious teas:
- Tea to try: Summer berry
- Unsurprisingly, our fruity blend is packed with vitamin C and other antioxidants. Berries are some of the best sources of vit C out there (nature), helping boost your immune system and combat free radicals that could otherwise damage your immune cells.
- It’s also delicious.
-
Tea to try: Jasmine green tea
While green tea is celebrated for its antioxidant-rich catechins, the jasmine gives you an extra boost because - you guessed it - it contains vitamin C!
- Tea to try: Blood orange
- Right again. Blood oranges have loads and loads of vitamin C.
4. Fitness: Moving your body for immune health
Time to dust off your running shoes and get your steps in.
Exercise has been shown to boost immune function by promoting good circulation. This helps immune cells move more freely throughout your body, making them more effective at detecting and fighting infections.
Struggling to feel motivated? Tea has you covered!
The caffeine in tea is an excellent, naturally occurring physical performance enhancer so consider drinking two or three cups an hour before you hit the gym. Better yet, brew up some iced tea to enjoy throughout the day for a sustained, slow release boost.
-
Tea to try: Green tea with ginger
Green tea helps reduce inflammation and promotes good circulation, which supports immune function and post-exercise recovery. Ginger adds an extra anti-inflammatory punch to proceedings.
5. Maintaining a healthy weight: Finding balance
Excess body fat, especially visceral fat (the fat around your organs), can lead to chronic low-grade inflammation. This inflammation makes your immune system work overtime, which eventually wears it down, reducing its ability to fight off infections and diseases. A bit like boxing with one arm tied behind your back.
Research has shown that overweight or obese people are more likely to suffer from immune-related illnesses and take longer to recover from infections. The added inflammation disrupts the immune system’s ability to regulate itself, leaving you more vulnerable to pathogens like viruses and bacteria. Conversely, maintaining a healthy weight through a balanced diet and regular exercise helps keep inflammation in check, allowing your immune system to focus on doing its job.
Even small weight loss can have significant benefits for your immune health. Studies suggest that shedding just 5-10% of your body weight can dramatically reduce inflammation and improve immune function.
By replacing two cans of sugary fizzy drinks per day with 0-calorie tea for a month, you would save around 9,000 calories.
Combine that with a 30 minute walk each day, you could potentially lose around 1.75 kg over the course of the month.
-
Tea to try: Earl grey
Earl Grey tea is infused with bergamot, which contains polyphenols that have been shown to support metabolism and help manage body weight. Specifically flavonoids like naringin and neoeriocitrin. - Bergamot polyphenols have also been linked to increased activity of an enzyme called AMPK. This enzyme plays a role in energy balance, helping the body use fat as fuel more efficiently, which can promote fat burning, especially during exercise.
-
Tea to try: Green tea
Green tea is well-known for its metabolism-boosting properties, thanks to its catechins and caffeine content. Perfect if you’re looking for a delicious, healthy alternative to sugary drinks
Final thoughts:
There’s no magic bullet for immune health, but taking care of your body through a balanced diet, regular exercise, quality sleep, healthy weight management and lots and lots of tea can all help.
Feeling ropey? Have a tea.
Looking to wind down in the evening? Eschew the nightcap for a cup of something hot.
Hungry? Have a cup of green tea before sitting down to eat. Then have another one after!
You get the idea. Tea’s bloody great isn’t it?
