You already know your immunity is vital to your health. A well-functioning immune system is one that lets you beat off bad bacteria, germs and countless other pathogens. A depleted immune system is one that’s at risk for colds, skin infections, autoimmune diseases and more.
The immune system is a stealth warrior, capable of recognizing and fighting millions of antigens, which are “toxins or other foreign substances that induce an immune response like the production of antibodies.”
How Does it Work?
The immune system has two subsystems. One is innate, or non-specific, which is the first line of general defence against harmful bacteria and fungi.
The other subsystem is adaptive, also known as having a learned specific immune response. This means that the immune system makes antibodies to fight against certain germs the body has come into contact with in the past. This helps the body fight against new antigens throughout a person’s life.
Antigens activate the immune system. These foreign bodies attach themselves to special receptors on the immune cells. This triggers the system to go to war against the invaders. The immune system learns to recognize each unique antigen and stores information about it for future battles against the same foe. The next time a body is exposed to the same antigen, the immune system can attack it even quicker.
The Culprits
So what causes the immune system to break down? You can blame much of it on our modern-day lifestyles. Smoking, being sedentary and overweight, and experiencing chronic stress can be routes to a weakened immune system. If someone has a weakened immune system, they are likely to get sick more frequently and may have a harder time treating those illnesses.
There are times when the immune system mistakenly thinks healthy and harmless cells in the body are dangerous. It begins to attack these cells, which can lead to autoimmune disease.
What May Help
As the name says, your immunity is a system, one which requires a multitude of checks and balances. They can all be easier said than done, but having a healthy lifestyle can go a long way toward maintaining well-functioning immunity. These include:
Exercising regularly
One study in the Journal of Sport and Health Science found that brisk walking for 30 to 60 minutes almost daily can keep your immune system happy, while other experts say that even 20 minutes of fast walking three times a week is enough to keep your natural defences strong. One theory claims this is because physical activity may help flush bacteria out of the lungs, which reduces chances of catching a cold, the flu or other viruses.
Getting enough sleep
With evermore research coming out on sleep, society is becoming more in tune with the life-enhancing and life-prolonging benefits of sleep. There are many techniques to get a better night’s sleep, like not having caffeine at least four to six hours before bedtime and switching off all devices at least 30 minutes before lights out. But sometimes even the best-practiced tricks fail because of the next culprit…
Controlling stress
Whether it’s yoga, meditation, breath-work or good old just not giving a darn (along with a good old Netflix binge-watch), getting a handle on your stress is crucial to immune support. Whatever outlet you find, make sure you practice is regularly to keep your mental health in check.
Eating a healthy and balanced diet
This is a big one. A study found that nearly nine out of 10 Americans don’t get their daily dose of essential nutrients from food. This unfortunate statistic isn’t endemic just to the United States. It’s estimated that over 3 million people in the United Kingdom and more than 10 percent of the world’s population is malnourished.
Additionally, as we age, our ability to absorb nutrients from food decreases.
We at Aguulp believe in eating a healthy and balanced diet. But as the statistics show, there are many reasons why people are not getting the nutrients they need on a daily basis from food alone. Supplements can plug this gap.
Almost 70 percent of your immune system cells live in your gut. That means keeping the gut healthy and inflammation-free plays a major part in a normally functioning immune system. Our Aguulp for Gut formula does just that. Aguulp for Immunity, our latest liquid liposomal solution, adds another layer to your natural lines of defence through nutrients that may help immune health.
Most the time, we don’t notice how hard our immune system, chugging along quietly in the background to keep us safe. We only notice it when it sounds the alarm about an illness that gets through the gates. But with the right balance of healthy practices, your immune system can keep humming along – quietly.
