Boost up your Immune system
It goes without saying that our ultimate protector lies within us - The body immune system. The Immunity system can be defined as a complex biological system endowed with the capacity to recognize the invading biotic or abiotic pathogens and their harmful effects and thus preventing the development of infection.
In other words, Immunity is the function of identifying and defeating the microorganisms that are harmful to the human tissues and cells and fight against them.
There are two types of immune systems that work together,
- The innate immune system
This is your child's rapid response system. It patrols your child’s body and is the first to respond when it finds an invader. The innate immune system is inherited and is active from the moment your child is born. When this system recognizes an invader, it goes into action immediately. The cells of this immune system surround and engulf the invader. The invader is killed inside the immune system cells. These cells are called phagocytes.
- The acquired immune system
The acquired immune system, with help from the innate system, produces cells (antibodies) to protect your body from a specific invader. These antibodies are developed by cells called B lymphocytes after the body has been exposed to the invader. The antibodies stay in your child's body. It can take several days for antibodies to develop. But after the first exposure, the immune system will recognize the invader and defend against it. The acquired immune system changes throughout your child's life. Immunizations train your child's immune system to make antibodies to protect him or her from harmful diseases.
Immunity in action:
The immune system can be activated by a lot of different things that the body doesn’t recognize as its own. These are called antigens. Examples of antigens include the proteins on the surfaces of bacteria, fungi and viruses. When these antigens attach to special receptors on the immune cells (immune system cells), a whole series of processes is triggered in the body. Once the body has come into contact with a disease-causing germ for the first time, it usually stores information about the germ and how to fight it. Then, if it comes into contact with the germ again, it recognizes the germ straight away and can start fighting it faster.
A healthy immune system can defeat invading pathogens as shown in the below picture, where two bacteria that cause gonorrhea are no match for the large phagocyte, called a neutrophil, that engulfs and kills them.
(Photos courtesy- Michael N. Starnbach, Ph.D., Harvard Medical School)
Now, that we know the saviour in us, let us see how we can make sure of its proper functioning. We have broadly divided into two sections:
- FOOD
80 % of your immune system is in the gut, so when it's healthy, we tend to be able to fight off infections faster and better.
Yufang Lin, M.D., of the Center for Integrative Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic says, “When it's not, our immune system is weaker and more susceptible to fighting off infection.”
In general, Lin advices that people should focus on a Mediterranean style of eating, which means a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats, found in foods such as fatty fish, nuts and olive oil. She recommends that-
The eating pattern is high in nutrients such as vitamin C, zinc and other antioxidants shown to help reduce inflammation and fight infection.
According to a 2018 study published in the journal Frontiers in Physiology, adults between the ages of 65 and 79 who followed a Mediterranean type of diet, along with taking a daily 400 IU vitamin D supplement for a year, showed small increases in disease-fighting cells such as T cells.
It's also important to limit meat, especially processed and fried foods, all of which are more inflammatory. Lin adds: “What's more, it's smart to include fermented foods, such as yogurt, sauerkraut, miso and kefir, in your daily diet. These help build up the good bacteria in your gut, which, in turn, supports a healthy gut and immune system.”
- YOGA/ WORKOUT
Exercise or any physical activity may help flush bacteria out of the lungs and airways. This may reduce your chance of getting a cold, flu, or other illness. Exercise causes change in antibodies and white blood cells (WBC). WBCs are the body's immune system cells that fight disease. These antibodies or WBCs circulate more rapidly, so they could detect illnesses earlier than they might have before.
However, Yoga helps keep you and your cells healthy. This is due to the fact that yoga reduces stress systemically in the body, which reduces inflammation overall. And moreover, an article from the International Journal of Yoga found that,
“Yoga resists the autonomic changes and impairment of cellular immunity seen in examination stress.”
So, here are four specific yoga poses to help you with your immunity;
- Sukhasana and Pranayama- Sukhasana is the traditional pose for meditation. It allows for optimal breathing and movement of “prana” (life force energy)throughout the body. Allowing yourself to relax and breathe deeply can help reduce stress hormones, heart rate, and nervous system distress (which all supports strong immunity). Breathing through a U-shaped tongue for a minimum of three minutes can help you build a concrete immunity.
- Ardha Matsyendrasana- The twists helps our immunity by soothing the improper digestion that causes toxins to build-up. These nasty toxins send the body out of whack and have the potential to create infection or inflammation. Yoga poses that gently compress, twist, or stimulate the stomach can help with digestive issues.
- Viparita Karani- It one of the most relaxing yoga poses for your whole body. It allows lymph drainage, blood circulation to even out, releases pressure from your back, and helps you feel grounded, so in turn your nervous system can completely relax and reset.
- Uttanasana- Inverted postures and forward bends bring prana and blood flow to the sinuses, which can help ease congestion. Sinuses and our mucus membranes are our body’s first line of defense against infection, so we must keep them healthy.
But as we age, our immune response capability becomes reduced, which in turn contributes to more infections and more cancer. As life expectancy in developed countries has increased, so too has the incidence of age-related conditions.
While some people age healthily, the conclusion of many studies is that, compared with younger people, the elderly are more likely to contract infectious diseases and, even more importantly, more likely to die from them. Respiratory infections, influenza, the COVID-19 virus and particularly pneumonia are a leading cause of death in people over 65 worldwide.
Care for older adults:
Older adults are at risk for malnutrition, which may contribute to their increased risk of infection. Nutritional supplementation strategies can reduce this risk and reverse some of the immune dysfunction associated with advanced age. After nutritional interventions that have been examined in clinical trials of older adults, the data support-
- Use of a daily multivitamin or trace-mineral supplement that includes zinc (elemental zinc, >20 mg/day) and selenium (100 μg/day), with additional vitamin E, to achieve a daily dosage of 200 mg/day.
- Specific syndromes may also be addressed by nutritional interventions (for example, cranberry juice consumption to reduce urinary tract infections) and may reduce antibiotic use in older adults, particularly those living in long-term care facilities.
- Drug-nutrient interactions are common in elderly individuals, and care providers should be aware of these interactions.
The bottom line is supporting a strong immune system and keeping all our body’s systems working optimally helps significantly to prevent getting sick (or help us recover quicker). So, we need to support, nourish, strengthen and build our health, immunity, energy and overall quality of life.
