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Your immune system is an intricate network of cells, tissues and organs that together act as your body’s built-in defense system, protecting you from infection and illness. The healthier your immune system, the more difficult it becomes for bacteria, viruses and other antigens to enter your body – and the better equipped you’ll be to attack and destroy any that sneak past and multiply.While this highly complex structure may be built by your genes, it’s shaped almost entirely by your environment – and therefore, your lifestyle. Netdoctor runs through the ways you might be depleting your immune system, and share tips for shoring up your defenses with Mike Wakeman, clinical nutritionist and advisor to Neubria. Excess saltYou don’t necessarily need to douse your food to risk consuming too much salt. From pasta sauce to salad dressing, a whole host of ‘healthy’ foods could be harboring excess sodium. A high-salt content weakens your body’s antibacterial immune defense, research from the University of Bonn found, with just an additional six grams per day – the equivalent of two fast food meals – causing 'pronounced immune deficiencies' in human volunteers. Initial research was in mice studies, and then in the human studies the activity of bacteria fighting neutrophils was affected. More studies are really needed to elucidate the effect of salt on the human immune system but there is no doubt that hidden salt that tips us over recommended limits without us even realizing is no good for our health in many ways that are well established (blood pressure, risk of cardiovascular disease and so on).The fix: Adults should eat no more than 6g of salt a day, equivalent to approximately one teaspoon. Prepare your own meals when possible, and check the label when buying food from the grocery store.Refined carbohydratesRefined or ‘simple’ carbohydrates are sugars and grains that have been stripped of their fibre and nutrients. They range from the usual culprits – white bread, crisps, biscuits – to supposedly ‘healthy’ options, such as fruit juice, instant oatmeal and agave syrup. Such foods "create excessive production of bad compounds known as pro-inflammatory cytokines, a type of signaling molecule secreted from immune cells," says Wakeman, placing the immune system under stress and ultimately predisposing people and increasing their vulnerability to infections.The fix: Focus on complex carbohydrates such as whole grain pasta, oats and sweet potato. Be sure to eat a varied, balanced diet. "Probiotics, micronutrients, herbs, flavonoids and carotenoids have been reported to provide a wide range of benefits to immune health," says Wakeman.Not getting enough sleepA lack of quality shut-eye doesn’t just affect your memory of information, facts and past events – it also affects your ‘immune memory.’ When a bacteria, virus or other invader re-enters the body, memory T cells recognise the invader and stimulate the immune system to eradicate it. "Research suggests that deep sleep, also known as slow wave sleep, increases numbers of memory T cells in the body," Wakeman explains. "Months of regular sleep can create a measurably higher number of these protective immune cells."In addition, these cells are more effective when people get adequate sleep, meaning they can better identify illness-causing pathogens in the future, he adds.The fix: To get a better night’s rest, try to go to bed and wake up at the same every day, even on weekends. Reduce your exposure to blue light in the evening and avoid consuming caffeine later in the day. Lack of exerciseKeeping up regular, daily exercise plays an important role in helping to maintain a healthy immune system, according to researchers from the University of Bath's Department for Health. In the short term, exercise can help the immune system find and deal with pathogens, the physiologists found. In the long term, regular exercise slows down changes that happen to the immune system with aging, therefore reducing the risk of infections. We do know that excessive exercise in athletes can sometimes dampen the immune system and increase vulnerability to certain infections, but this is a complex other issue. The fix: Researchers recommend regular moderate intensity aerobic exercise, such as walking, running or cycling – around 150 minutes per week, although "longer, more vigorous exercise would not be harmful."LonelinessNurturing your relationships with family and friends brings physical benefits as well as mental. Loneliness can increase levels of cortisol, your body’s stress hormone, which activates the sympathetic nervous system or ‘fight or flight’ response. This over-stimulates the development of inflammatory white blood cells in the bone marrow, thought to contribute to inflammation-related chronic diseases, a team from the University of Chicago wrote, while at the same time decreasing the production of antiviral proteins, suppressing your immune system and reducing its ability to fight infections. The fix: Join an online community to reconnect with old friends and forge new friendships. Arrange regular video calls with close friends and family – try hosting a virtual dinner, quiz night or book club. PollutionRising levels of certain air pollutants are depleting the ozone layer, increasing our level of exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun.These rays can alter the activity and distribution of the cells responsible for triggering immune responses in humans, the World Health Organization warns, reducing the body’s defenses and upping the risk of contracting an infection. So don’t skimp on the sunscreen. Breathing polluted air can have a similar effect, an Ohio State University study found, by triggering the release of white blood cells that cause ‘widespread inflammation’.The fix: Wear loose clothing, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, and apply a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 on a regular basis.Drinking alcoholThere’s no harm in enjoying a drink now and again, but if you’re constantly reaching for a bottle, your immune system will suffer. Alcohol severely blunts your body’s protective defenses, making you more vulnerable to viruses and other infections, a study by the University of Massachusetts Medical School found. Many of these changes in immunity are linked to changes in our first line of defense in our gut.The fix: If you do drink, enjoy alcohol in moderation. Follow these guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.