Keeping the immune system strong & healthy Our body is constantly being invaded by pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. A strong and protective immune system is vital to prevent infections and diseases and to get us well through it if we catch something. Here is what you can do to keep your immune system in good balance to ensure the optimum conditions to respond to infections and diseases.
Our immune system consists of a complex collection of cells, processes and chemicals that defends our body against pathogens. A well functioning immune system requires balance and harmony. It is therefore very important to keep the immune system balanced to ensure a proper immune response.
”There is evidence that supplements with certain vitamins, minerals and herbs can improve immune response and potentially protect against disease.”
There are several factors which impact the immune system: eating a healthy and varied diet - to get all the micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals needed and in sufficient amounts - regular exercise, adequate sleep, minimising stress and taking steps to avoid infection such as frequent hand washing.
For some people it can be a challenge to eat adequately healthy and varied at all times to ensure that they are getting the right amount of micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals. This can, for instance, be the case for elderly people with whom micronutrient malnutrition is common since they often tend to eat less and often have less variation in their diet. Furthermore, studies indicate that our immune response capability reduces as we age[1] . Like we do not always manage to eat healthy and varied, we may also neglect to exercise sufficiently,
and from time to time we may also experience stress. When we are stressed, our immune system’s ability to fight off antigens is reduced. There is evidence that supplements with certain vitamins, minerals and herbs can improve immune response and potentially protect against disease.
Vitamins can help keep our immune system healthy and strong On the top list of vitamins important for immune health are vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin D. Vitamin A plays a major role in the immune system including the innate immune response, cell mediated immunity and adaptive immune response. Studies have shown that vitamin A deficiency can lead to increased levels of pro-inflammatory compounds that diminish the immune system response[2, 3]. A natural source of vitamin A is the carotenes, especially β-carotenes, which in the intestine is broken down to vitamin A. The palm fruit is very rich in β-carotenes with up to 300 times more than carrot, leafy vegetables and tomato.
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