Proper Nutrition, Diet, Exercise & Your Immune System

The immune system is essentially a complex network of cells, organs and structures that are designed to destroy harmful bacteria, viruses, toxins, parasites and the like, that are constantly trying to attack the body.

The immune system is like an army which is always on guard to protect the body from attack. It can be considered your most important health ally that works around the clock to ensure you stay and feel healthy.

As you are probably aware, our body has white blood cells and red blood cells, which are responsible for carrying oxygen and carbon dioxide.

The white blood cells are cells of the immune system and some of these cells are capable of maintaining in their memory, the millions of foreign organisms that have tried to invade the body in the past and are also capable of detecting a foreign organism early and easily.

These cells tag invading organisms and produce secretions to destroy them. If we were not equipped with an immune system, even a minor flu could end up being fatal. So you can see the importance of taking care of our immune system.

The allows the immune system to be able to distinguish between our body's own cells whereas those that are foreign organisms. Each cell in our body has a marker to distinguish its own cells. When cells travel without this marker, or a foreign organism is attached to the cell, the immune system immediately recognizes the invader as a foreign organism and destroys it.

When you itch from being bit by a mosquito, it is a sign that your immune system was at work and pushed out the poison that was trying to invade your body. Allergies are also a sign of the immune system at work. However, allergies occur when the immune system is over-reacting or over-compensating for a foreign organism. This is why some people suffer more than others.

Hopefully so far, you've got a pretty good understanding on how the immune system works. I tried not to get too technical, but you can probably see that the immune system is quite the work of art and science, of course! In a nutshell, your immune system is designed to keep your body in tip-top health!

So, you're probably wondering, why is it that we still get sick if our bodies are designed to fight the good fight? Well, in simple terms, the lack of the right nutrients and antioxidants in our regular diet will eventually lead to immunodeficiency.

No one can survive without a fully functional and robust immune system, so it's imperative that we get serious and take good care of ours. Here are 5 ways you can take care of your immune system and ultimately, yourself:

Antioxidants are molecules or compounds that act as free radical scavengers. This means that antioxidants prevent and fight the cause of disease, as oxidants also cause a chain reaction, creating free radicals that damage tissue in different parts of the body.

Thus, antioxidants protect against oxidative stress and prevent damage to cells. Some of the foods that are rich in antioxidants are:

- Whole grains;
- Fruits like blueberries, cranberries, and blackberries;
- Vegetables like beans, pumpkins, broccoli, russet potatoes and green peppers;
- Nuts like pecans, walnuts, and hazelnuts; and
- Spices like cinnamon, oregano, and ground cloves.

Avoid salty, fatty, overly sweet and greasy foods. Eating junk food not only deprives your body of essential nutrients, but also damages your body's immunity.

Fatty foods introduce fat to the body, which in turn suppresses the immune system, and causes confusion to white blood cells in recognizing foreign entities in your body that cause disease. Oh, and stay hydrated by drinking plenty of clean water to flush out toxins and keep your body from functioning properly.

An important research article was published in the British Journal of Nutrition, way back in October 1998, which basically provided a synopsis of the role of specific vitamins and trace elements played in the optimal functioning of the immune system.

It concluded that for efficient functioning of the immune system, adequate amounts of micronutrients were essential. On the other hand, deficiencies of micronutrients suppress the immune system by affecting antibody responses which can lead to imbalances in the immune system.

This could lead to increased risk of contracting infections leading to various diseases thereby worsening the level of micronutrient deficiencies. Individuals with eating disorders, chronic alcohol abuse, active and passive smokers, pregnant women, and elderly people are susceptible to these deficiencies due to inadequate intake.

Micronutrients contribute to the body's natural defenses on three levels by:

- Supporting physical barriers (skin/mucosa);
- Cellular immunity; and
- Antibody production.

Vitamins A, C, E, and the mineral zinc assist in enhancing the skin barrier function. Vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, and folic acid, and the minerals iron, zinc, copper and selenium work synergistically to support the protective activities of the immune cells. Finally, all these micronutrients, with the exception of vitamin C and iron, are essential for the production of antibodies.

In summary, it is of paramount importance that we provide adequate amounts of micronutrients to our immune system, lack of which would lead to suppression of the immune system leading to risk of infections and diseases. Therefore, quality nutritional supplements, which include these vitamins and minerals, can support the body's natural defense system thereby boosting the immune system.

Source: Br J Nutr. 2007 Oct;98 Suppl 1:S29-35.

Several studies that have been conducted have concluded that stress can suppress the immune system, however, other research studies have shown that healthy levels of stress actually boost the immune system.

Short-term stressors help boost the immune system. Whereas, chronic, long-term stress suppresses the immune system. Therefore, it's vital to understand the importance of dealing with stress that suppresses the immune system in order to help keep it functioning at its optimum.

There are many ways to de-stress, such as taking up yoga, Pilates, meditation, exercise or walking. Engaging in physical activities not only helps you get rid of stress, but also provides you with exercise.

It's is worth mentioning that another important aspect in de-stressing is that you get an adequate amount of sleep at night to give your body a chance to recover and repair itself. Sometimes, rest is the best medicine!

Research Source: Mental Health at About.com

Exercising regularly will not only help you burn unwanted fat from your body, but also help build your body's antioxidant system and help reduce stress. Moderate exercise 3 to 4 times a week should help you stay fit.

Be creative, for most people, when you use the term exercise, they want to run away. However, exercise can be fun and most people have said they felt great after exercising and admit that they need to do it more often.

Some fun and practical exercise ideas are: walking, weeding out the garden, giving your car a good clean up, engaging in recreational sports, playing with the kids or your friends, dusting off that bike in the garage and going for a ride!

The bottom line is "some" exercise is better than "no exercise". So get your butt off that couch and get movin'! ;)

Drugs, smoking and excess alcohol pollute your body and cause your cells to break down and degenerate, making you more prone to diseases such as cancer and stroke.

Cut back on coffee and alcohol. Excessive caffeine and alcohol consumption will send your immune system into the red zone. Drink green tea instead for a healthy energy and immune boost.

At the same time, try to expose yourself to clean air whenever possible by getting outside. Indoor air is notorious for harboring other people's germs and irritants - use a HEPA Air Purifier, if possible. Your body will surely appreciate a pollutant-free environment.

Gather your kids, if you have any - if not, revive the kid in you and let's watch an educational healthy cartoon show - shall we?

Ok, this is a cool animated video that explains how your immune system works. CLICK HERE to watch the video (courtesy Kids Health).

This is a good way to encourage your kids to take care of their immune system right from a young age. They'll be glad you did and they'll pass the favor on!

As someone wise once said, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". Prevention is always the better option and it comes when you make health a lifestyle choice. When you really get down to it, you will come to the realization that "Health is indeed Wealth"!

In conclusion, it is evident that even though the body has all the systems in place for your health, optimum nutrition is of paramount importance. Your very best investment in your life is keeping your pH balance in check with the most potent antioxidants. They are the communicators between all the cells and ensure your immunity is at peak performance.

In a separate article, I will discuss how to go about choosing quality nutritional supplements. It is key to understand this important aspect because there are so many types of nutritional supplements out there and many companies use deceptive marketing/advertising tactics to sell their products. I don't have to say too much on this since you've already heard of the recent recalls of nutritional products and athletes affected through banned substances in their supplements.

Invest in your health - it's never too late and it's worth it! ; )

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Updated: February 15, 2012