Priming Your Immune System for Cold and Flu SeasonBy Karen Lee Richards* An estimated 65 million Americans suffer from a dysfunctional immune system. When our immune system is not functioning properly, our body may become an open target for a wide variety of health problems - ranging from relatively minor illnesses like a cold or allergies to a potentially deadly disease like cancer.How the Immune System WorksThe immune system is an intricate network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to defend the body against attacks by "foreign" invaders. Since the human body provides an ideal environment for many different microbes, it is the immune system's job to keep them out or, if they do get in, to seek out and destroy them.A healthy immune system has a remarkable ability to distinguish between our body's own cells (self) and foreign cells (nonself). Normally, our body peacefully coexists with cells that carry distinctive "self" markers, but will quickly attack any carrying "nonself" markers. Cells marked as nonself could be viruses, bacteria, parasites, or even another person's tissues. (This is why transplanted tissues or organs are often rejected by the body.)Unfortunately, sometimes the immune system doesn't work properly, resulting in an immune system disorder. In addition to just having a generally weakened immune system, other types of immune system disorders include:· Allergies - when the immune system responds to a false alarm, attacking harmless materials like pollen, dust or mold.· Autoimmune Diseases - when the immune system mistakes self markers for nonself, and launches an attack against the body's own tissues or organs. Some autoimmune diseases include lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes.· Immune Deficiency Disorders - Temporary immune deficiencies can develop in the wake of common viral infections, including influenza, infectious mononucleosis, and measles. Immune responses can also become depressed by things like surgery, smoking, or stress. Of course, one of the most serious immnue deficiency disorders is AIDS.Key Immune System PlayersA number of different tissues and organs comprise the immune system. The major players include:· Lymph Glands - Small bean-like nodes that filter the lymphatic fluid and store special cells that can trap cancer cells or bacteria traveling through your body. Many of the body's immune reactions begin in the lymph glands. When you have an infection, your lymph nodes may get larger and feel tender or sore.· Thymus - A small organ located just behind the breastbone where T-cells mature. (That's why they are called T-cells - the "T" stands for "thymus.")· Spleen - The largest lymphatic organ in the body - about the size of your fist. The spleen is located in the upper-left part of the abdomen and contains white blood cells that fight infection or disease.· Bone Marrow - The yellow tissue in the center of bones that is responsible for making white blood cells which are destined to become lymphocytes.· Lymphocytes - Small white blood cells that play a large role in defending the body against disease. There are two main types of lymphocytes: B-cells and T-cells. B-cells make antibodies that attack bacteria and toxins. T-cells help destroy infected or cancerous cells and attack body cells themselves when they have been taken over by viruses or have become cancerous.Keeping the Immune System StrongWhile it would be nice if our bodies could get the nutrients we need to keep our immune systems functioning properly just by eating a balanced diet, the fact is, today much of our food is grown in soils that have been over-planted and saturated with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Then, once harvested, many of the nutrients essential to a healthy immune system are processed out of the final food products we eat.
Often we need supplements to supplement what we are eating/no eating.
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