You were born with all the defenses your body will ever need. It 's called your immune system. And if you keep your immunity strong you never have to worry about any disease.
But sadly, your immune system declines with age. That opens the door to chronic diseases and other conditions linked to aging. These include everything from infections to cancer.
That 's why one of the best anti-aging plans I use with my patients is boosting their immune systems.
In a minute, I 'll show you how you can flip the switch on your immune system. But first, let 's talk a little bit about how your immunity operates.
Your natural immune system relies on an army of defenders. These guards are made up of various kinds of white blood cells. They include:
CYTOKINES:
Interleukins Interferon Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)
These chemicals send messages between cells. They regulate immunity, inflammation, and the production of white blood cells. There are dozens of different types. Each type target different cells. The most important are interleukins, interferon and TNF-α.
PHAGOCYTES
Neutrophils Macrophages
These cells surround and destroy foreign invading cells. They have short lives so your body has to keep replacing them.
LYMPHOCYTES
B-cells T-cells
B-cells attack invading bacteria, viruses and toxins. T-cells destroy the body 's own cells that have been taken over by viruses or become cancerous.
NATURAL KILLER CELLS
NK cells are a
The immune system is made up of several types of cells that work together to fight infections. Lymph cells (called lymphocytes) are the main type of cell in the adaptive immune system. There are 2 types of lymph cells: T cells and B cells. When B cells respond to an infection, they change into plasma cells. The plasma cells are found mainly in the bone marrow—the soft, inner part of some bones. The plasma cells
The immune system depends on the body’s structures to help it function. For instance, the skin acts as the “body’s first line of defense.” If a pathogen finds a breach in the skin barrier, it is the circulatory system that must now signal the immune system of the invader. Shortly after, white blood cells will be notified of the infection and will target and destroy the pathogen.
As we grow older our bodies begin to degenerate, and stop working. There are many different kinds of diseases that we are subject to as we age, cancers, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, and many others. All have a negative affect on our lives, making it difficult to function. Arthritis is the second leading chronic disease in the United States.
White blood cells are part of the immune system and help defend the body from antigens.
Protection- By white blood cells, antibodies and complement proteins that circulate in blood and defend again foreign microbes and toxins. Also white blood cells clot when body is injured.
The body’s protection against viruses, bacteria and other types of invasions is our immune system (Tortora, 2014).
a. Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell, which are an important part of the immune system. Lymphocytes can defend the body
Most aging adults do not receive the necessary preventive services to help promote health and wellness during this stage of life. These preventive services include vaccinations and screenings. These important services help detect many diseases, delay their onset, or identify them early in their most treatable stages to ensure healthier, longer, and more productive lives for older adults (Prevention, 2011). Better people take care of themselves the longer they will live. People who balance: the right diet, making better choices and not acting sedentary has a better chance in living longer lives.
The organs that make up the lymphatic and immune system are the tonsils, spleen, thymus gland, lymph nodes, and lymphatic vessels. White blood cells (leukocytes), red blood cells (erythrocytes), plasma, and platelets (thrombocytes) make up the blood. Lymphocytes are leukocytes (white blood cells) that help the body fight off diseases. Two types of lymphocytes are B cells and T cells. Lymphocytes recognize antigens, or foreign substances/matter, in the body. Lymphocytes are a classification of agranulocytes, or cells (-cytes) without (a-) granules (granul/o) in the cytoplasm. B cells are created from stem cells, which are located in the bone marrow. B cells respond to antigens by becoming plasma cells. These plasma cells then create antibodies. Memory B cells produce a stronger response with the next exposure to the antigen. B cells fight off infection and bacteria while T cells defend against viruses and cancer cells. A hormone created by the thymus gland called thymosin changes lymphocytes into T cells. The thymus gland is active when you are a child and slowly shrinks, as you get older. T cells bind to the antigens on the cells and directly attack them. T cells secrete lymphokines that increase T cell production and directly kill cells with antigens. There are three types of T cells: cytotoxic T cells, helper T cells, and memory T cells.
According to the National Library of Medicine, an individual's immune system slows down with age. Since the purpose of the immune system is to protect the body from harmful substances such as bacteria, viruses, cancer cells, and so forth. When the immune system is compromised, it cannot protect the body the same way it did when it was at full strength.
In order to better understand aging-associated diseases, it is first necessary to define what aging is. Aging is a complex, multifactorial process of harmful mutations in cells and tissues that are accumulated over time and result in an increased risk of disease and, eventually, death (Tosato, Zamboni, Ferrini, & Cesari, 2007, p. 401). Contrary to the belief that aging can be cured through medical advances, it is scientifically accepted that, while human life expectancy has increased, the human life span has remained largely unchanged for the past 100,000 years (Tosato et al., p. 401). Therefore, future developments in aging research ought to focus on addressing treatment and prevention of major aging-associated diseases that will
The immune system consists of a defense system that guards the body against invasion from infections and other diseases. Normally, a healthy person's immune system has the capability to differentiate between its own cells and cells that represent threats to the health of the body. (Craft and Kanter, 2002). Autoimmune disease refers to a broad range of over 80 acute, long-lasting diseases that affect nearly every organ in the body. (Wrong Diagnosis.com, 2000).
* Immunosuppressive therapy- being very young or very old- the immune systems of people who are young or elderly tend to be weaker than those of healthy adults.
In addition, there may be disease impairment through a compromised adaptive immune response due to accelerated aging of the immune system in patients with an advanced clinical status (Moro-Garcia et al., 2014). The immune system is the result of interplay between innate and adaptive immunity, yet the impact of aging on this function is unclear.
Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell, which are an important part of the immune system. Lymphocytes can defend the body against infection because they can distinguish the body’s own cells from foreign ones. Once they recognize foreign material in the body, they produce chemicals to destroy that material. Two types of lymphocyte are produced in the bone marrow before birth.