Our immune system is a complex network of organs, tissues, and cells that work together to protect our body against harmful substances such as bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells.
What is Immunity?
Immunity is our ability to resist disease or infection by recognizing and destroying harmful foreign substances. There are two types of immunity, namely innate immunity and adaptive immunity.
- Innate immunity is the first line of defence against invading pathogens, and it is non-specific, as it does not recognize specific pathogens.
- Adaptive immunity, on the other hand, is specific and has a memory. It recognizes specific pathogens and remembers how to defend against them if they enter the body again.
What is the Immune System?
Our immune system is a complex network that protects our body against harmful substances such as bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells. Our immune system is divided into two main parts.
- Our innate immune system includes physical barriers, such as the skin and mucous membranes, and various cells such as macrophages, natural killer cells, and dendritic cells. These cells recognize and destroy invading pathogens in a non-specific way.
- Our adaptive immune system includes specialised cells such as T cells and B cells. These cells recognize specific pathogens and produce a specific response to defend against them. Our adaptive immune system also has a memory, as it remembers how to defend against specific pathogens if they enter the body again.
What are the Functions of our Immune System?
Our immune system has several functions, like,
- Identifying and destroying pathogens: Our immune system is responsible for identifying and destroying invading pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
- Recognizing and removing abnormal cells: Our immune system also recognizes and removes abnormal cells, including cancer cells.
- Maintaining immune memory: Our adaptive immune system remembers how to defend against viruses, providing long-term protection.
- Regulating immune responses: Our immune system regulates immune responses to prevent overreactions that can cause autoimmune diseases or allergies.
- Generating antibodies: Our B cells produce antibodies that bind to specific pathogens and neutralise them, preventing them from causing harm.
How Does the Immune System Respond to Invaders?
When a pathogen enters our body, our immune system responds by identifying and destroying it. If our innate immune system is unable to eliminate the pathogen, the adaptive immune system is activated.
The process of adaptive immunity begins when specialised cells called antigen-presenting cells (APCs) engulf the pathogen and display fragments of the pathogen, known as antigens, on their surface. T cells recognize these antigens and become activated, dividing and producing more T cells that recognize the same antigen. Some of these T cells become memory T cells that remember how to defend against the specific pathogen if it enters our body again.
B cells also recognize the antigens and produce antibodies that bind to, and neutralise the pathogen.
Ways to Boost Immunity?
There are several ways to boost our immune system and improve our overall health,
Balanced diet:
Eating a balanced and healthy diet filled with essential vitamins and minerals, like vitamin C, zinc and ashwagandha. It is proven that vitamin C, zinc and ashwagandha are superfoods for our immune system. In our natural immunity booster, vitamin C is extracted from organic Amla fruit extracts, zinc is extracted from guava food extracts and ashwagandha is present too, which is standardised in 5% withanolides.
Exercising regularly:
Exercising can improve immune function and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Study shows that only 7% of Europeans exercise very regularly. Hectic and stressful work environment leaves our energy levels drained by the time we finish work. Ashwagandha is a magical herb which helps in increasing energy levels. Exercising and immunity go hand in hand, hence it is crucial for us to add exercise in our routine in any form. This certified organic product by Soil Association contains (KSM-66) extract standardised in 5% withanolides (Ashwagandha).
Sleeping well:
More than 50% of the people in the UK believe they don’t get enough sleep and lack of sleep can weaken the immune system. Lack of zinc is associated with lower-quality sleep, and zinc may modulate sleep. This 100% plant-based product contains zinc in the form of guava extracts.
Stress management:
A study found that 76% of UK professionals suffer from moderate to high levels of stress. Reducing stress through techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, or yoga can help, as stress can weaken the immune system. It is proven that our body’s stress response can be restored by vitamin C. This organic immunity booster contains Vitamin C.
Conclusion
In conclusion, immunity and immune system are complex but essential for protecting our body against harmful pathogens and maintaining overall health. Our immune system includes the innate and adaptive immune systems, which work together to identify and destroy invading pathogens. Boosting our immune system through lifestyle choices such as diet, exercise, sleep, and stress reduction along with an organic supplement can help improve immune function and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. It is important to take care of our immune system to ensure overall health and well-being.