A Hidden Defense…
Well, it’s hard to say what season it is, to be honest, since COVID came into existence. No matter the official diagnosis, a little 411 on the ins and outs of the complicated immune system may help you as we head into the winter months. So, before you start loading up on elderberry syrup and oregano oil (my personal favorite), read on!
While our immune systems are functioning properly, we don't even notice it's there. But the second we're feeling ill, we know there's been a breach in our immune system. The immune system is our first line of defense when it comes to protecting against harm and is activated by anything the body doesn't recognize as its own. When certain bacteria, fungi, or viruses are introduced to our system, a whole series of processes are triggered in the body.
One of the most AMAZING jobs of our immune system is to store information about the harmful invaders and how to fight it. This process is called adaptive or acquired immunity. The adaptive immune system makes antibodies and uses them to specifically fight certain germs that the body has previously come into contact with.
The adaptive immune system works closely with a second immune response called innate immunity. The innate immune system provides a general defense against harmful germs and substances using immune cells such as natural killer cells and phagocytes.
The main components of the immune system include:
white blood cells,
antibodies,
the lymphatic system
spleen
bone marrow
thymus.
The skin is your body's first line of defense to prevent outside pathogens from entering the body. The gut also plays a crucial role in immunity as up to eighty percent of immune cells are created within the gut.
To learn more about how the immune system works, check out this short video: https://youtu.be/PSRJfaAYkW4
In addition to supporting your immune system with food, here is a product I have been using to add a little more support to my gut and immune system. MentaSync