https://thesmartcookiecook.com
  • Home
  • All recipes
  • Blog
    • Beauty
    • Foods
    • Health
    • Lifestyle
    • Wellbeing
  • About
  • Contact
  • Home
  • All recipes
  • Blog
    • Beauty
    • Foods
    • Health
    • Lifestyle
    • Wellbeing
  • About
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Health
  • How To Keep Your Immune System Healthy

How To Keep Your Immune System Healthy

Posted on Aug 4th, 2021
by yvone
Categories:
  • Health

The immune system is the body’s mechanism of defense against foreign particles and pathogens. Normally it fights infections and illnesses, but if it reacts too strong it can cause disorders like allergies, immunodeficiency and even autoimmune disorders. This is why it has to be balanced.

Brief Overview

The immune system is a complex structure consisting of cells and proteins that have specific functions. It distinguishes the “healthy” and “unhealthy” cells based on molecules that are presented on the cell surface. This is how it recognizes the foreign particles or cells and knows it has to fight them.

Cells that are part of the immune system can be found either in organs like the skin, spleen and thymus, or the bone marrow, bloodstream and lymphatic system.

Image source: unsplash.com

There two types of immunity:

  • Innate that occurs immediately and is usually a reaction to viruses, bacteria and fungi. Immune cells involved in this process include neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, mast cells, monocytes, dendritic cells, and macrophages. They respond quickly and broadly that often leads to infection; and
  • Adaptive that occurs later and works through specialized adaptive immune cells highly specific to a certain pathogen. Immune B and T cells involved in this type of immunity are more specialized and have unique receptors that recognize certain pathogens.

With increased age, the immune system becomes less effective that results in more infections and cancers.

Nutrition For A Healthy Immune System

The process of “boosting” the immune system is scientifically not solid. Since there is a variety of immune cells which ones are you going to focus on? However, there are a few ways keep your immune system healthy:

Image source: unsplash.com
  • Maintain a healthy diet by eating properly – a lot of fruits (citruses, kiwi), vegetables (broccoli, spinach), lean protein (poultry) and healthy fats (olive oil, salmon, nuts, chia seeds), as well as garlic, turmeric and ginger.
  • Consume micronutrients like vitamins A, B6, B9 (or folic acid), C, D and E, as well as minerals like zinc, selenium, iron and copper regularly.
  • Exercise regularly to maintain a good circulation and keep your body in overall good health. Moderate exercise can be jogging, stationary bicycling, swimming or light hiking. This will also help in maintaining normal weight.
  • Drink plenty of water to help the immune cells circulate in the body. Water intake should be increased if you exercise regularly or intensely.
  • Get enough sleep so the body can rest and recharge properly.
  • Minimize levels of chronic stress by engaging in activities that relax you. These can be yoga, meditation, mindfulness activities or even cooking and baking.

For a healthy diet and immune system, it is best for the essential nutrients to come from dietary sources. However, when there is lack of them in the body, they can also be consumed as supplements if advised by a medical professional.

 

For more scientific reading refer to

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5091071/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11403834/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279364/

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/3/818/htm

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/8/1933/htm

 

(Visited 25 times, 1 visits today)
Average Rating
No rating yet
My Rating:
  • Fruit
  • Healthy food
  • Immunity
  • Vegetables
  • vitamins

yvone

An amateur chef, mainly cooking for friends and peers. Likes to drink good wine, too.

Add Your Comment Cancel reply




Categories

Beauty

Beauty

Foods

Foods

Health

Health

Lifestyle

Lifestyle

Recipes

Recipes

Wellbeing

Wellbeing

Popular Cuisines

French

French

Greek

Greek

Italian

Italian

Popular Tags

10 ingredients or less 60 min or less Bake berries Bread Breakfast Brunch Cake Caramel cheese Cheesecake Chocolate Christmas Croissant dairy Dessert Dinner Dip Easy Egg-free eggs fatty acids Fruit Green vegetables Health Healthy Healthy food milk minerals Muffins No bake Nuts Omega-3 pumpkin Refreshing smile Soup Sweets Tart Vegetables Vegetarian vitamin D vitamins Weekday dinner white teeth

Random posts

  • Date rum cake recipe
  • Beef salad recipe
  • Great potato casserole recipe
  • Chicken with wine and grapes recipe
  • Quick etoufee recipe
  • Crimini mushroom cream sauce with ham and eggs
  • Dill salad dressing recipe
  • Irish mist cream recipe
  • Banana apple salad recipe
  • Cauliflower gratin recipe
  • Chocolate banana shake recipe
  • Candied apples recipe
  • Baked stuffed french toast and cinnamon syrup recipe
  • Cheese and bacon rolls recipe
  • Lemon blueberry muffins recipe

Menu

  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact

Random posts

  • Orzo and lentil salad
  • Carrot and ginger soup recipe
  • Grannie’s biscuits
  • Poached pearswith orange custard sauce recipe
  • Apple tart recipe

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Recipes
  • Contact

Thesmartcookiecook.com © 2022