Immune Support

The immune system is a network of organs, cells and processes in the body that work together to protect us. When it becomes compromised, harmful viruses and bacteria can take over and make you ill.

A pathogen (like a virus or bacteria) can’t enter our body without getting through a physical barrier first. This could be the skin, sweat, tears, mucus, membranes, stomach acid, and even hair.

Once through, their presence triggers one of two types of immune response:

Innate / Non-specific immunity
This is your body’s first line of defence, where white blood cells wait in the wings ready to leap to your defence in case pathogens attempt to enter your body.
The innate immune system also does a lot of work in the background, recognising and neutralising the effects of harmful substances from the environment and fighting oxidative stress.

White blood cells that play a major part in the innate immune system include:

• Neutrophils, which are the most abundant of the white blood cells, and are some of the first cells to arrive at the site of infection. They travel to sites of infection in the blood to kill infectious cells (through a process called phagocytosis), then die and become the major constituent of pus.
• Macrophages, which engulf and digest unwanted pathogens, and can kill our own cells that have mutated or gone wrong (like cancer cells) too. They also secrete cytokines – signalling molecules that prompt the arrival of natural killer cells to the scene of infection.
• Natural killer cells, which roam freely around our body looking for abnormal cells. They can detect when a cell has gone wrong or got infected, and if they find any, they’ll destroy them.
• Dendritic cells, which are the link between the innate and the adaptive immune system. They travel around the body, capturing antigens (markers on the surface of cells that can trigger an immune response in the form of antibodies), then carrying information about them to the T cells in the adaptive immune system for an effective bodily response.

Adaptive / Specific immunity
Adaptive or specific immunity (also known as acquired immunity) is more tailored and specific to each individual.

T and B cells (types of lymphocytes) play leading roles in our adaptive immune response. We have millions of them, each with their own specific receptor, waiting in our lymph nodes and lymphoid tissue to pick up the specific single antigen they’re looking for. They also interact with dendritic cells and work together to keep a record of all infections the body has already encountered, so they can respond effectively if one enters the body again in future.

Immune response is characterised by inflammation – a normal bodily response to foreign invaders as your body fights them off.

But if inflammation is normal, why are we being told to reduce it?

There are two types of inflammation: acute inflammation and chronic inflammation.

Acute inflammation can look like redness, heat, pain, swelling, and sometimes even loss of function in the affected area. All of these are a response from your immune system as it attempts to contain and fight off the incoming infection. Inside your body, macrophages and neutrophils produce cytokines, which communicate with vagal neurons and trigger the brain to respond in support of the immune system. This response could include a fever, sweating, hormone release, or changes in behaviour or appetite to conserve energy for fighting off illness.

Chronic inflammation is quite different and is when the body’s innate immune system remains in a constant state of alert, even when there are no invaders present. Signs can include fever, joint pain, mouth sores, fatigue or insomnia, mood disorders, gastrointestinal issues and abdominal pain, chest pain, weight gain/loss, acid reflux, or frequent infections. It can be caused by a range of external factors, including: 

• Diet 
• Stress 
• Disrupted sleep 
• A sedentary lifestyle 
• Excess weight or obesity 
• An imbalanced gut microbiome 
• Toxins, including alcohol and tobacco products.

If left untreated, chronic inflammation can contribute to many health issues, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases. You can lower your risk of chronic inflammation by engaging in regular, moderate physical activity, avoiding toxic chemicals, smoking and tobacco, limiting your alcohol intake, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating fresh, nutrient-rich foods.