Perhaps the most exciting frontier of all is the human immune system.
Its system of organs, cells, and proteins are the body’s defense against harmful bacteria, viruses, and toxins, which works to identify and destroy these unwanted invaders. That said, a well-functioning immune system is critical to our health and vitality.
If the intricacies of the immune system still elude you, stay tuned as we explore 6 fun facts about the immune system to equip you with the knowledge to protect one of your body’s most vital networks—just as it protects you.
#1 Blood Is the Foundation of Your Body’s Fight Against Infection
Ancient physicians were right about one thing: blood plays a vital role in your body’s response to illness.
Originally credited to the philosophy of Hippocrates, ancient medical theory speculated that illness was caused by an imbalance of four bodily “humors:” blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile.1
While this theory and the grim medical practices it inspired have been largely discredited by modern science, we now know that blood is one of your body’s best tools to fight infection.
You’ve probably heard of red blood cells and white blood cells, but you may not have known that your body manufactures five specialized kinds of white blood cells to fight infection:
- Monocytes – Perform clean-up and repair duties for damaged cells and tissue.
- Lymphocytes – Build antibodies to help your body fight viral infections. T cells, B cells and natural killer cells are Lymphocytes.2
- Neutrophils – Fight against infections caused by harmful bacteria and fungi.
- Basophils – Defend against allergens and pathogens by generating an allergic response.
- Eosinophils – Combat parasites and cancer cells, and aid basophils in allergen duty.3
How to Maintain Healthy White Blood Cell Levels
That said, to support your blood health—and subsequently, your immune system—it’s critical to pack your diet with plenty of nutrients and proteins such as the vanilla pea protein powder. Why? They’re the building blocks of white blood cells.
If you want to know how to prevent the flu and other illnesses, you’ll need to boost your immune system. As such, you’ll want to add B vitamins and zinc supplements to your plate to bolster your white blood count, such as Cymbiotika’s ZINC Complex.4
#2 Allergies Are Part of Your Body’s Immune Response
As you may have inferred from our description of basophils and eosinophils, allergies are one of many tools your immune system uses to defend itself against potentially harmful foreign invaders.
In fact, allergic response mechanisms, such as seasonal hay fever or a shellfish allergy, originally evolved as a means to fight off large parasites.
While our bodies respond to smaller pathogens like bacteria or viruses with an aggressive target-and-kill approach, larger pathogens or parasites require a more defensive posture. In this case, our bodies increase mucus production and sneeze to expel the foreign agent, or scratch it to remove it from our skin.5
That said, allergies to benign substances like pollen, pet dander, or certain foods come down to a simple case of mistaken identity. When first exposed to a new substance, your immune system might mistake it for a harmful pathogen—triggering allergy symptoms.
Suppressing Allergies without Suppressing Immunity
Although allergies are difficult to suppress entirely, Cymbiotika’s Allergy Defense can help reduce the symptoms of seasonal allergies.
Its carefully curated blend of bioflavonoids, antioxidants, enzymes, and medical herbs is designed to boost overall immune function and reduce inflammation caused by allergens.
#3 Diet and Nutrition Have a Huge Impact on Immune Health
Diet is a primary factor in determining your immune system’s ability to prevent and fight illness. While no one “miracle food” or special nutrient exists that can single-handedly boost your immunity, scientists suggest that a balanced and varied diet can pay dividends in helping you fend off dangerous microbes and pathogens.6
Specifically, scientists have identified the following nutrients for their role in the healthy function of immune cells:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
- Zinc
- Selenium
- Iron6
Supplementing a Healthy Diet with Plant-Based Nutrition
With the busy lifestyles so many of us are accustomed to, many turn to supplements as a means of increasing their intake of key nutrients like those listed above.
If you choose to go this route, be sure to add a supplement that your body can easily absorb and make use of—Cymbiotika’s Super Greens is an excellent immune defense supplement that contains highly bioavailable nutrient-rich plant compounds.
#4 Stress Can Negatively Impact Your Immune System
Major life events, such as big moves or holidays, often involve feelings of stress, and science tells us that stress can all but shut down our immune systems.7
In the short term, your body’s release of the stress hormone cortisol can actually decrease inflammation throughout your body and thus boost immunity. But as our bodies become accustomed to high cortisol levels over longer periods of time, we may experience a rebound effect that both increases inflammation and diminishes immunity.
In fact, some white blood cells can reach dangerously low levels when your body is under prolonged periods of stress.7
The Key to Reducing Stress in Daily Life
So what can you do to limit stress in your life and, correspondingly, replenish your body’s immune system? Scientists recommend integrating these two healthy practices into your daily lifestyle:
- Meditation and mindfulness
- Yoga
In addition, you could tackle stress at the source by attempting to reduce your body’s cortisol levels. Adrenal Super Tonic is formulated to support a balanced mood, and it may reduce cortisol over time.
#5 More Than Beauty Sleep: Snoozing Your Way to Greater Immunity
Popular wisdom has long held that sleep is one of the best remedies when you’re feeling under the weather. That’s because quality sleep can prime your immune system to respond effectively to pathogens.
Scientists speculate that sleep’s primary benefit to the immune system may have to do with its role in producing or distributing T cells—the cells responsible for ‘remembering’ antigens your body has encountered in the past, and responding accordingly.
In other words, sleep is responsible for helping your body identify germs that it’s had to fight off in the past so that your immune system can efficiently destroy them if they enter your body again.8
Tips for a Better Night’s Sleep
If you struggle with falling asleep and staying asleep, there are a few practices you can try to improve your rest. More specifically, the CDC recommends:9
- Exercising during the day
- Following a consistent sleep schedule
- Creating a comfortable bedroom environment
- Avoiding electronic devices before bed
If you’ve taken these steps and still struggle to fall asleep on a regular basis, consider trying a supplement. Cymbiotika’s Sleep is formulated with a variety of vitamins and natural compounds to promote deep rest, and may help calm the nervous system before bed.
#6 A Healthy Gut Biome Can Mean Better Immunity
Did you know that microorganisms throughout your body outnumber your human cells by a factor of 10 to 1?10
Many of these friendly microorganisms make their home in your gut, and they’re absolutely crucial for maintaining a healthy immune system.11
Like any functioning ecosystem, your gut’s microbiome requires a certain degree of balance to survive and thrive. Important factors in maintaining a balanced gut microbiome include:
- A diet rich in high-fiber fruits and vegetables
- A low-stress lifestyle
- Plenty of sleep
Sound familiar? That’s because many of the habits that scientists recommend for a healthy gut are also crucial for a healthy immune system.11 But the harmony doesn’t stop there. Many of these factors work in both directions: A healthy gut can lead to better sleep, which in turn can reduce stress, reinforcing the whole cycle.12
Replenishing a Healthy Microbiome
If you’re looking for a way to jump-start your journey to healthier living, a probiotic—in tandem with the healthy dietary habits outlined above—might be the answer.
Can probiotics help build your immune system help? Cymbiotika’s Probiotic is formulated with 19 probiotic strains and plant-based prebiotics. This combination can help create a balanced gut microbiome and, in turn, a healthier immune system.
Cymbiotika: The Full-Body Approach to Better Immunity
If our list has been any indication, better immunity doesn’t come down to a single factor or nutrient. Rather, the immune system—and your health—rests upon a network of synergistic processes that feed into and support one another.
Cymbiotika starts from the premise that there isn’t one easy fix on your path to a healthier life. Our Immunity Collection and immunity defense supplements are formulated to fill the nutritional gaps that a modern diet doesn’t account for.
Maintaining good health is a full-body endeavor that requires a full-body approach. For holistic wellness, choose Cymbiotika.
Sources:
- Schoolhistory.org.uk. Theory of the Four Humours. https://schoolshistory.org.uk/topics/medicine-through-time/medicine-in-ancient-greece/theory-of-the-four-humours/
- NIH. Lymphocyte. https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Lymphocyte
- Cleveland Clinic. Function of White Blood Cells. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21871-white-blood-cells/
- Very Well Family. 10 Foods to Boost Your Immune System. https://www.verywellfamily.com/best-foods-boost-immune-system-4020423
- Scientific American. Nothing to Sneeze at: Allergies May Be Good for You. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nothing-to-sneeze-at-allergies-may-be-good-for-you
- Harvard School of Public Health. Nutrition and Immunity. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/nutrition-and-immunity/
- Cleveland Clinic. What Happens When Your Immune System Gets Stressed Out? https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-happens-when-your-immune-system-gets-stressed-out/
- National Library of Medicine. Sleep and immune function. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3256323/
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tips for Better Sleep. https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/sleep_hygiene.html/
- National Institutes of Health. NIH Human Microbiome Project defines normal bacterial makeup of the body. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-human-microbiome-project-defines-normal-bacterial-makeup-body/
- The Institute for Functional Medicine. Gut Health and the Immune Response. https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/gut-health-immune-response/
- Medical News Today. How gut microbes contribute to good sleep. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/how-gut-microbes-contribute-to-good-sleep/
- Mayo Clinic. Allergies. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/allergies/symptoms-causes/syc-20351497
