Increase Lymphocytes

Lymphocytes, which are a type of white blood cell (or WBC), play an important role in your body’s immune system by helping to fight infection. Lymphocytes include different kinds of cells, including T-cells, B-cells, and natural killer cells. When you have a suppressed immune system, such as when you are sick or have a relatively unhealthy lifestyle, your lymphocyte levels go down. You can increase the number of lymphocytes in your body by boosting your immune system with a diet change, getting more vitamins and other nutrients, and by leading a healthy life. Scroll down to Step 1 for more information.

Steps

Creating a Lymphocyte-Boosting Diet

1. Get a good amount of protein each day. Lymphocytes need amino acids to be able to function properly and keep your immune system strong. The amino acids found in protein are also responsible in part for the production of B-cell lymphocytes. Because of this, its important to get a healthy amount of protein each day.
   • The Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight (or 0.36 grams per pound). Use this reference to calculate how much protein you should be eating each day. For example, a 120 pound person should try to eat {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of protein a day.
   • Sources of protein include: poultry meat, fish, beans, lean beef, pork tenderloin, and dairy products like milk and cheese.
2. Avoid a high-fat diet. Studies have shown that having a high fat count in your body can actually thicken your lymphocytes, making them less effective. To keep your lymphocyte count up and your immune system working effectively, you should try to eat low-fat products. These include:
   • Lean meats like poultry (without the skin), fish, and lean beef.
   • Low-fat dairy products (including milk, cheese, and yogurt).
3. Drink green tea every day. Catechins found in green tea help lymphocytes to do their job by speeding up their response time. In addition, green tea also contains an amino acid called L-theanine, which triggers the germ-fighting components from the T-cells that helps to boost the immune system.
   • Try to drink at least one cup of green tea everyday to get these immune-boosting benefits.
4. Drink a lot of water. Water helps to flush the body of toxins that might have otherwise affected the number of white blood cells in your body. It is important to stay hydrated in order to be healthy. You should try to drink at least 8 to 12 glasses of water every day.
   • If you are not a huge fan of drinking plain water, you can drink fruit juice diluted with water, coconut water, or herbal tea.

Getting the Nutrients Your Need

1. Up your intake of vitamin C. Vitamin C is one of best nutrients when it comes to boosting your immune system. It helps your body increase its production of lymphocytes and other antibodies. You can take a vitamin C supplement each day, or you can get more vitamin C by eating foods like:
   • Yellow bell peppers, guavas, dark leafy greens like kale, broccoli, strawberries, citrus like oranges, grapefruits, and lemons, tomatoes, and papaya.
2. Increase your selenium amounts by eating more seafood. Selenium is known to enhance the production of cytokines (substances secreted by immune system cells that affect white blood cells), which play an essential role in protecting the body against illnesses. Seafood that contains selenium includes:
   • Oysters, crabs, and tuna. It can also be found in brown rice, garlic, lamb chops, and cottage cheese.
3. Add zinc to your diet. Zinc helps many different enzymes that are crucial to the success of your immune system. A lack of zinc in your body can cause a decrease of interleukin 1 production (substances that get produced by lymphocytes), the wasting away of lymph nodes and a poor immune response to pathogens (bad microorganisms). You can find zinc in:
   • Oysters, crab, zinc-fortified cereals, turkey, beef, and green leafy vegetables.
   • Experts recommend 10 milligrams of zinc for females and 12 milligrams for males. Too much zinc can actually be poisonous, so stay with the recommended amount.
4. Eat foods that contain beta carotene. Beta carotene helps to increase your body’s productions of T-cell lymphocytes. It is also a powerful antioxidant that enhances cell-mediated immune response by increasing the levels of white blood cell receptors in your body. You can find beta carotene in:
   • Sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, romaine lettuce, butternut squash, cantaloupe, and dried apricots.

Making Lifestyle Changes

1. Exercise daily. Exercising regularly boosts your body’s immune system, making you less susceptible to infection. At the same time, it promotes a normal amount of lymphocytes, and regulates your metabolism (which deals with glucose and glutamine, both of which help lymphocytes to function properly).
   • Try to exercise for 30 minutes, three to five days a week. You should pick an activity (or multiple activities) that you really enjoy so that you feel more motivated to get out there and get moving. Ideas include running, biking, hiking, swimming, and rock climbing.
2. Stay at an ideal body weight. Normal body mass index (BMI) ranges from 18.5 to 24.9. If you have a BMI that is under 18.5, you are considered underweight, while anything beyond 24.9 is considered overweight. Being too underweight or too overweight can make you more susceptible to infections because your lymphocytes are not as abundant.
   • Exercising and maintaining a healthy diet are both important when it comes to maintaining your BMI.
3. Maintain your personal hygiene. Washing your hands whenever you’ve been exposed to microorganisms that could make you sick is always a good practice. It is particularly important when you are trying to increase the number of lymphocytes in your body. Washing your hands lowers your risk of getting exposed to things that can cause infections (like bacteria and viruses).
   • Try to follow the three minute rule when it comes to washing your hands. Use warm water and soap and scrub your hands well, working from your palms to the back of your hands, and then from the tips of your fingers up to your wrists. It should take you about three minutes (or the length of the Happy Birthday song) to be fully free of any microorganisms your hands might have come into contact with.
4. Avoid stress as much as you can. When your immune system becomes weak, your lymphocyte numbers decrease. Stress can take a toll on your immune system because it makes your body overwork. Try to reduce the amount of stress you feel each day. Some ways that you can do this are:
   • Going to yoga. Yoga engages the mind and the body while helping you to release both the physical and mental stress that you are consciously or unconsciously carrying around with you.
   • Practicing meditation. Meditation is a way to let go of the things that are causing you to feel stressed. Even just practicing 20 minutes of meditation each day can help to calm you down.
5. Get plenty of rest. As mentioned above, when your mind and body is stressed, your immune system’s strength decreases. On the flip side, when you allow your body to rest, your immune system’s strength (and thus the number of healthy lymphocytes in your body) increases. Take breaks when you are tired and tried to get a good amount of sleep each night.
   • You should try to get around eight hours of sleep each night. Allow your body to rest for three to four minutes between tasking activities.

Sample Diet Plan

Doc:Lymphocyte Boosting Diet Plan

Tips

• If you are a very active individual, you should increase the amount of carbohydrates you eat each day, as this may help to increase the number of WBCs your body contains.

Sources and Citations

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