What is the immune system?
National security is the foremost concern of every country – well-trained soldiers, sophisticated weaponry, and state-of-the-art defence mechanisms. Similarly, each one of us is equipped with an internal army (immune system) that is just as efficient at watching out for invisible enemies and protect us at all time.
The immune system is not one specific organ or location in the body. Instead, it involves several different organs and various cells.
To protect us from invaders.
Invaders will be gathered and killed here.
To protect the intestines.
To create red blood cells and white blood cells (soldiers).
Training ground: The Thymus
Billions of white blood cells gather, ready to wage war.
To filter the blood to remove dead blood cells and engulfed viruses or bacteria. The spleen also signals B cells to produce large quantities of antibodies.
To protect the nose and mouth.
To protect digestive tract and assist B cell maturation and antibody (IgA) production.
To produce antibodies specific to those invaders.
To destroy invaders regardless of type.
Phagocytes like monocytes and macrophages kill large enemy cells by engulfing and digesting them. Granulocytes to destroy invaders with potent chemicals granules.
Why the immune system is very important?
In a war, the stronger party will be victorious. A weak army will soon surrender to its antagonists. The same applies to our bodies. When microorganisms invade the human body, a healthy immune system kicks into action and fights the battle immediately.
Take, for example, 2 individuals facing the same infectious diseases (e.g. SARS, COVID-19, pneumonia, hepatitis, influenzas, tuberculosis). One falls seriously ill while the other remains healthy. Although threatened by the same virus, only the individual with the weaker immune system succumbs to the virus.
In fact, a weak immune system can even lead to the onset of cancer. Under normal circumstances, the immune cells keep a vigilant watch over every part of the body, always at the ready to kill off any mutated cell that has the potential to develop the cancer. But when the immune system is weakened, it is unable to swiftly identify and destroy cancer cells, resulting in an uncontained spread of cancer cells in the human body.
What happens when the immune system malfunctions?
When the immune system is weak, the human body becomes vulnerable to microbe invasion, highly infectious diseases, and even cancer.
When the immune system is overactive, it may lead to allergies (respiratory tract, food, and skin) or autoimmune disease (rheumatoid arthritis, Type 1 diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE).
The causes of immune system malfunctions are as follow:
-
Genetics
-
Excessive exercise
-
Ageing
-
Stress
-
Unbalanced diet
-
Chemotherapy or radiation therapy
How diet affects the immune system?
Food is like fuel for the immune system.
-
When we are in good health, whole foods help strengthen our defences.
-
When we fall sick, proper nourishment and sufficient rest can help us to recover faster.
Nutrition and drugs are not necessarily mutually antagonistic. They are equally important in the fight against disease because they can complement each other.
An increasing number of studies have shown that immune-friendly nutrients originate from plant foods, not animal-based foods.
Which are the 3 utmost important nutrients for the immune system?
-
Polysaccharides
-
Polysaccharides help to balance the immune system and enable it to destroy existing cancer cells and viruses by increasing the production of Natural Killer cells or immune cells. Polysaccharides aid in increasing the secretion of interleukin and interferon, preventing the body from entering different phases of cancer formation.
-
Other than Cordyceps Mycelium, mushrooms are rich in polysaccharides especially ABM Mushroom, Shiitake Mushroom and Maitake Mushroom.
-
-
Phytochemicals
-
Phytochemicals help to prevent disease, fight against viruses, nourish the immune system, and speed up recovery from illness. Phytochemicals can increase Natural Killer cells or immune cells activity to stop one or more of the mechanisms that lead to tumour development.
-
Phytochemicals only found in plant foods, such as fruits and vegetables, beans and grains. Cactus is the king of plants that very rich in phytochemicals (100 times more than an orange).
-
-
Antioxidants
-
Antioxidants are effective in preventing free radical damage to cells and in turn, helps to ward off cancer. It can enhance the body's ability to produce collagen in order to keep the organs young and enhance their ability to function.
-
The fruits that rich in a variety of antioxidants inclusive cactus, cactus fruit, blueberry, acelora cherry, cranberry and rose.
-
Can you get the nutrients from manmade pills?
In recent years, taking manmade supplements (e.g. vitamins, minerals, Omega-3 pills) has become a norm in busy modern lives. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) state that frequent consumption of vitamin pills may pose detrimental health effects. For example,
-
Overdosing on Vitamin A increase the risk of liver damage and birth defects in children;
-
Long-term doses of supplemental Vitamin C may increase the risk of heart disease and kidney stone formation; and
-
Taking calcium supplements may increase the risk of myocardial infarction and causes constipation.
The benefits of a single food-based nutrient will never surpass those of whole foods. Every nutrient and vitamin not only play a different role in the human body, but each also works synergistically with other nutrients. This synergy ensures the nutrients’ and vitamins’ ease of absorption into the human body, allowing the body to achieve a balanced state. Acquiring a variety of nutrients and minerals also offsets the potential damage a single substance might have on the body.