Strengthened Immunity

In biology, immunity is the balanced state of multicellular organisms having adequate biological defenses to fight infection, disease, or other unwanted biological invasion, while having adequate tolerance to avoid allergy, and autoimmune diseases

overall, your immune system does a remarkable job of defending you against disease-causing microorganisms. But sometimes it fails: A germ invades successfully and makes you sick. Is it possible to intervene in this process and boost your immune system? What if you improve your diet? Take certain vitamins or herbal preparations? Make other lifestyle changes in the hope of producing a near-perfect immune response.

Amazingly, we already have a form of this superpower because of our immune system. Our immune system protects us and helps fight off disease. Microorganisms, small microscopic organisms, and viruses are everywhere. Ever thought about how many are on that door you just opened? Many microbes and viruses can cause disease and are termed pathogens.

With all these pathogens around, why aren't we sick every single moment? The answer is our immune system gives us diverse types of immunity to protect us from disease. There are two main types of immunity: innate, also called natural or inherited, and adaptive.

What is Innate Immunity?  Plants and animals have what is called innate immunity. Innate immunity is the first line of defense against pathogens. It involves several cell types, proteins, and even an organ. The organ involved is your skin. Yes, skin is part of the first line of defense. It protects you and prevents pathogens from getting inside your body.

So, what are some ways a pathogen gets inside? Air, food, or a break in the skin are some ways a pathogen enters. A pathogen entering through food or air has mucus to go through. The mucosal surfaces prevent pathogens from attaching to cells and causing disease. A set of proteins called the complement system is also involved. The complement system attacks the pathogen and marks it for destruction.

A pathogen getting through skin and mucus will have to deal with several types of cells including phagocytes, eating cells, and natural killer (NK) cells before it can cause disease. Pathogens have warning flags on their surface that say: 'I don't belong here'.

Neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells are all phagocytes. They recognize the warning flag, attack the pathogen, and eat it - a process known as phagocytosis. If a pathogen is too big for one cell alone, several cells attack at once.

NK cells on the other hand, identify infected cells (host cells) and activate the host cell's death receptor pathway or give the cell a lethal injection (injecting enzymes that degrade proteins). Host cells even try to fight back by turning off machinery that would help the pathogen and sending out distress signals.

If pathogens make it through all this, it's time for adaptive immunity to step in, and they do this with the help of dendritic cells.

What is adaptive immunity? It works slower than innate, and is more specific. There are two types: passive and active. Passive immunity occurs when antibodies are passed from one person to another, as through transfusion for example.

The active immunity involves two types of white blood cells - T-cells and B-cells. Dendritic cells, after they have eaten and digested the pathogen, present the pathogen pieces to T-cells, which activates (turns on) the T-cells.

Cell-Mediated Immunity

T-cells are formed in the thymus and cruise around until activated. Since T-cells require direct contact with other cells, T-cell immunity is termed cell-mediated immunity. Activated T-cells become helper cells (TH) and cytotoxic (killer) T-cells. They recognize and cause the destruction of infected cells.

What can you do to boost your immune system?

The idea of boosting your immunity is enticing, but the ability to do so has proved elusive for several reasons. The immune system is precisely that — a system, not a single entity. To function well, it requires balance and harmony. There is still much that researchers don't know about the intricacies and interconnectedness of the immune response. For now, there are no scientifically proven direct links between lifestyle and enhanced immune function.

But that doesn't mean the effects of lifestyle on the immune system aren't intriguing and shouldn't be studied. Researchers are exploring the effects of diet, exercise, age, psychological stress, and other factors on the immune response, both in animals and in humans. In the meantime, general healthy-living strategies are an effective way to start giving your immune system the upper hand.

Your first line of defense is to choose a healthy lifestyle. Following general good-health guidelines is the single best step you can take toward naturally keeping your immune system strong and healthy. Every part of your body, including your immune system, functions better when protected from environmental assaults and bolstered by healthy-living strategies such as these:

·         Don't smoke.

·         Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables.

·         Exercise regularly.

·         Maintain a healthy weight.

·         If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.

·         Get adequate sleep.

·         Take steps to avoid infection, such as washing your hands frequently and cooking meats thoroughly.

·         Try to minimize stress.