The Science Of Super Immunity

A sturdy immune system is the holy grail of winter wellness. So how can you make sure yours is up to the job?

- Charlotte Haigh

Ever noticed that some winters, you go down with every bug going – from colds to food poisoning – while your friend breezes through with barely a sniffle? At least some of the difference is down to your genetics, it would seem. According to Daniel Davis, professor of immunology at the University of Manchester and author of The Compatibility Gene (Allen Lane, £9.99), it’s not so much that some of us have a genetically strong immune system – it’s more that we may have a set of immune system genes that are good at dealing with one particular virus. ‘There’s greater diversity in our immune system genes than in any of the other genes that make up the human genome,’ says Davis. But this is just one of the factors that might help or hinder you in the fight against bugs this winter…

Previous exposure to germs and bugs is another factor. You can’t catch the same cold or ’flu virus twice, so if you came into contact with lots of the viruses earlier in life, you’ll have better protection now. That said, there are over 200 cold and ’flu viruses and even a slight mutation in one of them can mean you may be infected again. Exposure generally is key to how many you catch. If you work in a city centre, mix with lots of people on public transport, and have school-age children, you’re simply more likely to come into contact with lots more bugs, raising your chances of catching them. Many viruses that end up in the community spread outwards from schools, explains Professor Ron Eccles, a world-leading researcher into colds and ’flu. ‘Children are more susceptible to colds as their immune systems are developing, and they come into contact with a lot as they’re mixing with so many other children,’ he says. ‘They then come home and give the bug to you, you take it into the workplace, and so on.’

PUT UP A FIGHT