Our immune system works tirelessly, day and night, to protect our bodies from harmful invaders.
There are many ways to boost the immune system by supporting the mind, body and soul. There are many studies that promote ways to improve our immunity via supplements, meditation and specific exercises as well as simple lifestyle changes.
To celebrate the immune system and all that it does for us, we’ve put together seven surprising facts about it. How many do you already know?
1. It Can Be Affected By Stress
There has been some evidence to suggest that stress can affect more than just the mind. Having too high of stress chemicals in your blood might lead to a number of health concerns, including a weakened immune system. The immune system becomes tired with stress hormones in the body leading to a compromised state.
This makes it all the more important to keep an eye on symptoms of burnout and overthinking of the mind. It’s essential for optimal health to give the body time to recharge.
2. It Requires Vitamins To Function
Vitamins contribute to the normal functioning of the body; certain ones are responsible for boosting the immune system. Vitamin D, in particular, supports the normal function of the immune system (EFSA, 2010).
There are numerous ways to manage your vitamin D levels, including:
– Spending time in the sun
– Eating a balanced diet
– Taking supplementation when necessary
Speaking of supplementation, some people opt to take a daily vitamin that targets more than one area. Some turmeric tablets, for example, contain vitamin D to support the immune system while also aiding healthy digestion.
3. It’s Always Dealing With Germs
We’re often told about how the immune system fights off germs. What a lot of people don’t know, however, is that not all germs are bad. Some are actually necessary for your health.
Your immune system works hard to distinguish between the “good” and “bad” germs, ensuring that no unwanted invaders make their way in.
4. Allergies Occur When Your Immune System Is Triggered
Suffering from hay fever or other irritable allergies? If so, it’s could be a sign that the immune system is a little confused.
Allergies occur when the immune system responds to a harmless allergen, thinking it’s a threat. As a result, it sends the body into survival mode, resulting in a lot of inconvenient symptoms!
5. The Immune System Can Attack Itself…
This next fact continues with the somber theme. Although rare, the immune system can actually end up attacking itself. This occurs when your white blood cells cannot distinguish between pathogens and normal cells, resulting in a mass destruction.
This can lead to autoimmune diseases like Psoriasis and Crohn’s Disease.
6. Being Too Clean Can Be A Problem
From a young age, we are taught that the best way to fight off germs is by staying clean. While this might be true to some extent, too much cleanliness can be a bad thing.
Your immune system is forever adapting and learning, particularly during childhood. It needs to come into contact with bad pathogens so that it knows to fight them off in the future!
Spending too much time in super sanitized environments may destroy essential antibodies to fight infection/invaders.
7. It Saves Lives
Let’s end these facts with a cheery one! The immune system is incredibly complex and spreads throughout your entire body. It works very hard to kill off bad infections in order to have our bodies function as they should.
In a nutshell, our immune system is there to keep us alive and well and we should support it with a peaceful mind and a healthy lifestyle.
