Surviving Pandemics: The Little Things Make Big Differences: The Immune System
Viruses are everywhere but are dormant until they find a host with needed cells for activation.i Viruses are spread and caught through bites, coughing, sneezing, inhalation, saliva, sexual fluids, and inhalation, amongst other methods. Once a virus has entered its host cell, replication begins and takes over. But the mystifying element in this, is some who have been exposed to deadly diseases, such as Ebola, remain well.ii This is because those with higher immune markers are less likely to get sick or have severe infections. In other words, being a generally healthy person pays off during pandemics.
The immune system is distributed throughout the body and is largely comprised of the thymus, spleen, lymph system, lymph nodes, tonsils and adenoids, appendix, bone marrow, mucus membranes, and skin. The thymus coordinates immune system activities, the spleen is a filter for bacteria amongst other tasks, the lymph system cycles out waste, dead bacteria, and white blood cells, using the lymph fluid to transport the debris. Lymph nodes produce particular white blood cells. The tonsils and adenoids help to trap pathogens. The appendix is responsible for early defense against serious infections and specialized white blood cell immune response. It is also thought to be responsible for producing and storing good gut bacteria.iii The bone marrow is an active center for many types of immune cells. The function of mucous membranes is to trap pathogens and clear them out. And finally, the skin is the largest barrier to protect the body. There are other incidental aspects of the immune system, that are equally as important.
The immune system functions in complementarity with other systems. The digestive system provides one such example. In the mouth, digestion is started by the saliva mixing and coating food. It also contains a pathogen-fighting enzyme which prevents infections. The stomach’s gastric juice doubles as pathogen neutralizer as well as breaks down food. And the gut’s primary task in absorbing food, is home to the microbiome, also houses 70% of the immune system. What is eaten breaks down into food that beneficial bacteria convert and use for fuel. Then, the immune cells are properly educated by the microbiome. Conversely, poor nutrition causes the overgrowth of bad bacteria and results in a poorly functioning immune system. Ultimately, quality nutrition is directly responsible for those who can withstand illness, or a reduced severity in illness during pandemics. Poor nutrition, meaning foods rich in animal-rich proteins, sugar, processed foods and saturated fats, detrimentally impact the immune system. This results in susceptibility to lifestyle diseases and an easy target for pandemics.
As time goes on, science is demonstrating that the single most important determinant of the health of the immune system is proper nutrition. iv The answer to the dilemma, of why some can co-exist having been exposed to deadly diseases is simply this; health requires healthy food.v
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i https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0966842X05001083
ii https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/ebola-fever-virus-infection
iii https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/44975217/Trent_paper-libre.pdf?1461301154=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DBiofilms_in_the_large_bowel_suggest_an_a.pdf&Expires=1676501303&Signature=VmitJN687AVjCNFw~ed2Sj0WKbmokhLK-0Z9-xS~t-MvkhSl4b7jV6BO46My-tnFNjNKNSyUnRQSSKBBVC4Jmc6RubMcrATbEUx4Dxz~9VIY~RMgq3B-OPJy3KeZ058dccTySufzO9gq648Hg8ClGuBBSQoR0Gzyukfz0w-bmRRwADBhJ3sqpgDaiVw0kg6OB9hEx4RBcjfUgEJm99RmquP~JVMJ52Yz8ZBnvGz2J8RfYvQKTE5yPSxEt1V
iv https://www.uclahealth.org/news/want-to-boost-immunity-look-to-the-gut
v https://veeroesquotes.com/healthy-eating-quotes/

