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 53 times, 1 visits today)
  • Fruit
  • Healthy food
  • Immunity
  • Vegetables
  • vitamins

yvone

An amateur chef, mainly cooking for friends and peers. Likes to drink good wine, too. Sweet tooth. Uses salt excessively.

Add Your Comment Cancel reply

Popular Cuisines

French

French

Greek

Greek

Italian

Italian

Categories

Beauty

Beauty

Foods

Foods

Gallery

Gallery

Health

Health

Lifestyle

Lifestyle

Recipes

Recipes

Wellbeing

Wellbeing

Latest Comments

  1. olga on Pesto fish stew recipeAugust 29, 2023

    simple and complex enough not to be a boring dish. thanks for recipe. olga

  2. tim on Agate cove sconesAugust 25, 2023

    nice one, thanks!

  3. dre on Dutch oven easy slow roasted pork shoulder recipeAugust 25, 2023

    very nice recipe, simple and efficient.

  4. NicoleS on Dutch oven easy slow roasted pork shoulder recipeAugust 25, 2023

    Sage is the winner. I always love to add it to slow roasted food, it gives it an excellent twist…

  5. ann on Dutch oven easy slow roasted pork shoulder recipeAugust 10, 2023

    recommended!

Popular Tags

10 ingredients or less 60 min or less Bake berries Bread Breakfast Brunch Cake cheese Cheesecake Chocolate Christmas Citrus Cocoa Coffee dairy Dessert Dinner Dip Easy Egg-free eggs fatty acids Fruit Green vegetables Healthy Healthy food Herbs and spices minerals Muffins No bake Nuts Omega-3 Pies Refreshing Sauce Snack Sweet Sweets Tart Tomato Vegetables Vegetarian vitamins Weekday dinner

Recent posts

  • Texas pecan rice pilaf recipe
  • Butterscotch bread pudding recipe
  • Delicious dairy free banana muffins recipe
  • Baked ginger snap crusted chilean sea basswith kiwi lime sauce recipe
  • Mushrooms and courgettes in garlic butter recipe
  • Duck ragout recipe
  • Peach raisin salad recipe
  • Dutch apple pie recipe

Menu

  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Latest
  • Contact

Random posts

  • Beer batter fish recipe
  • Toddler birthday cake ideas
  • Mango cream recipe
  • Coconut and lemon grass sauce recipe
  • Wine and mushroom sauce recipe
  • Asparassants recipe
  • Southern sweet potato bread recipe
  • Rhubarb and strawberry crisp recipe
  • Cinnamon butter coffee cake recipe
  • Santa fe strata
  • Vinaigrette pear pistachio recipe
  • Maraeng suisse recipe
  • Orange blossom cake recipe
  • Grilled hamburger steaks recipe

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Recipes
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Thesmartcookiecook.com©2022. healthiack.com