Immune System Health By Jodi M

The immune system is made up of a complex network of cells and organs that protect the body from infection. Its main function is to keep harmful materials such as certain bacteria, viruses, and fungi, out of the body, and to destroy any infectious items that do invade the body.

Why do we need good immune system health?
The strength of our body's natural defense system determines our body's ability to resist infection and the growth of abnormal or cancerous cells. If our system is not operating at full capacity we are more likely to catch the common cold, and less likely to have a speedy recovery. A good indicator of whether or not you have good immune health is if you feel energized, alive, and happy. Many times people do not feel this way and try to compensate for it by drinking caffeinated beverages or eating extra sugar. This just provides a "false high" and is a horrible long term solution for the overall health and well-being of your mind and body.

How can we strengthen immune system functions?
There are many ways that we can increase our body's ability to fight off sickness and disease. Some of the most common are as follows:
-Eating immune boosting foods such as broccoli, garlic, yogurt, oregano, red bell peppers, etc.
- Making sure to get regular and moderate exercise (extreme physical activity can have the opposite affect)
- Getting a good night's sleep
- Taking good immune boosting herbs, minerals, and/or vitamins
- Freeing our bodies of toxins and refraining from continuing to intake more toxins
- Learning to alleviate and/or properly deal with stress
- Drinking plenty of water

"In recent years science has learned that the human immune system is much more complicated than we thought."--Dr Incao MD

3 Factors That Contribute to Low Immune System
-Age. It's a proven fact that our immune system health decreases with age. Older adults are more likely to get sick from exposure to bacteria and viruses. Once infected, especially in the case of flu and pneumonia, they also have a higher mortality rate.
-Diet. There are several ways your diet can affect your immune system. First, a diet lacking in fruits and vegetables will not provide you with the beneficial antioxidants that will boost your immune system. Second, consuming too much sugar and saturated fats suppresses immune system cells (white blood cells) responsible for attacking bacteria. There are also some risk factors added in if you are overweight or obese.
-Lifestyle. Surprisingly, lifestyle can have a huge impact on your immune system. People who get regular, moderate exercise increase their level of leukocytes, an immune system cell that fights infection. Several studies also support the idea that people who feel socially isolated have a weak immune system compared to people with at least a few close friends. Finally, people who experience chronic stress are constantly exposed to the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline, which suppress the immune system.

Tips For Improvement
Obviously you can't do anything about your age, but you can definitely make a change in your diet and lifestyle. Three big things could make a large positive impact on a low immune system. First, engage in some sort of meditation or yoga to calm you down. Second, make an effort to increase the number of fruits and vegetables you eat daily. Third, take a 20-30 minute daily walk, which will increase your level of leukocytes and help with weight loss and thus will have double the benefit.

Law of C
The first law of boosting a weak immune system is to supplement with vitamin C. Vitamin C plays an important role in biochemical processes throughout the body. It also has a positive effect on anti-oxidant levels in the body. Vitamin C stimulates the activity of antibodies and immune system cells, which work to fight against germs. Vitamin C is also used in the making and defense of connective tissues in the body. Vitamin C in healthy amounts can boost the immune system and lower the frequency of illness.

Law of Z
Zinc is another mineral that should be found in any immune boosting product. Zinc is essential for protein synthesis in the body as well as regulation of immune system cell production. A zinc-sufficient diet will enhance the healing process for scrapes and abrasions, meaning less risk for infection. Zinc also plays a large role in phagocytosis, the process of immune system cells recognizing, engulfing, and destroying germs. Zinc is a very important part of boosting a low immune system.

Law of V
There are many other vitamins to look for when considering a boost to a weak immune system. Vitamins A, vitamin E, beta carotene, selenium, and riboflavin all contribute to overall immune system health. Vitamin E enhances the production of B-cells, the cells that help destroy bacteria. It also stimulates natural killer cell production, and may repair the function of an aging immune system. Beta carotene increases the number of infection-fighting cells and can enhance the ability of natural killer cells to attack. Selenium increases the number of natural killer cells. All are important to immune health and will reduce the chance of catching a cold when taken in an immune boosting product.

There are many other factors that will contribute to strengthening a low immune system such as exercise, stress, and sleep quantity and quality. However, strengthening your immune system using the above Laws will increase the ability of your immune system to kill germs as well as help you lead a healthier life.