Our immune system is the army within us. Our defense striving to keep us safe from attack. The world we live in is full of viruses, parasites, bacteria and more, all looking to take us down. Daily we encounter forces that we are usually not aware of because the attack was successfully fought off. How does the immune system work? What can we do daily to ensure that this complex system remains strong and ever vigilant? Download is available below, including some recipes that help with general immune health, stress and to relax.
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Our immune system is the army within us. Our defense striving to keep us safe from attack. The world we live in is full of viruses, parasites, bacteria and more, all looking to take us down. Daily we encounter forces that we are usually not aware of because the attack was successfully fought off. How does the immune system work? What can we do daily to ensure that this complex system remains strong and ever vigilant?
The cornerstone of the immune system are the leukocytes or white blood cells. The cells are stored in the spleen (our blood filter), thymus (gland between the lungs), lymph nodes (glands found throughout the body) and in bone marrow. The white blood cells have two main types: Phagocytes and Lymphocytes. Both works together to look for and fight off pathogens (any disease producing agent, especially a virus, bacterium, or other microorganism) that have entered our bodies.
Phagocytes make up the innate immune system which provides a general defense against pathogens mainly fighting against bacterial infections.
Lymphocytes make up the adaptive immune system that targets pathogens that the body has come in contact within the past.
Phagocytes are cells that absorb pathogens by surrounding them and breaking them down. There are several types.
Lymphocytes are the white blood cells that learn from past experiences and develop the ability to recognize past pathogens while producing a defense against them. They are produced in the bone marrow and come in two forms.
The immune system works by being able to distinguish between what is supposed to be part of our body and what is not. When the system identifies a foreign substance, it determines the correct response. A substance that creates a response from the immune system is termed an antigen. Antigens are bacteria, fungus, virus, or toxin. But it can also be one of our own cells that is faulty or dead.
When an antigen is found, a B lymphocyte begins to create antibodies (a special protein designed to lock on to a specific antigen). The role of the antibodies is not to kill the antigen but to mark it for the T cells to find and attack.
There are many things that we can do to help our immune system stay strong, get plenty of sleep, follow a proper balanced diet and have a holistic approach to healthy living of which essential oils are a part of. Next time we will review when your immunity fails and the proper care of our internal army and the oils that help make that army strong. Until then, I have included some recipes that help with general immune health, stress and to relax (download at the bottom of the page).