Your body is full of multiple complex systems that work day and night to ensure its normal function. From the digestive system to the immune system, each has a vital role to play!
This guide will be taking you through the wonders of your powerful immune system. You will learn about exactly what it is, including its three major functions. Towards the end of this guide, we will also run through how you can protect your immune system.
What Is The Immune System?
The immune system is known as your body’s “defense system”. It works tirelessly to protect your body against hundreds of health problems. It does this by learning which harmful substances (for example, bacteria and viruses) to prevent from entering your body. If an immune system is functioning normally, it will attack these intruders before it’s too late.
3 Major Functions Of The Immune System
While the above description helps to give a brief overview of what the immune system does, let’s take a closer look at its three main functions.
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Fighting Toxic Substances
No matter where you are in the world, the environment you’re in is likely to be circulating with harmful substances. This is particularly true in public spaces.
While not all substances are harmful to your health, some may lead to serious illnesses. Your immune system is clever enough to identify these harmful substances and attack them before they cause havoc in your body.
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Identifying And Fighting Pathogens
Your immune system is always learning. If you haven’t come into contact with a certain pathogen before, your immune system will be able to recognise it and attack it in future situations. Without a working immune system, your body will simply not be able to recognise and fight off these harmful pathogens.
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Maintaining Bodily Health
As you might have guessed, your immune system plays a very important role in maintaining the overall health of your body. It is responsible for maintaining healthy dynamics and ensuring that cells regenerate properly. If you didn’t have an immune system, there’s no telling what kind of life-threatening diseases you might encounter!
Looking After Your Immune System
With a multitude of vital roles to play, it’s safe to say that looking after your immune system should be of top priority. Luckily, this is easy to do. Your immune system is incredibly clever, meaning it does most of the work for you.
One of the easiest ways to support your immune system is by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Through eating a balanced diet (one of the key components of a healthy lifestyle), you’ll be able to source a huge range of vitamins that your body needs to support its normal function.
In terms of vitamins that have a direct impact on the immune system, look no further than vitamin D. Vitamin D supports many important functions, including being important for your immune system (EFSA, 2010). As vitamin D can’t be found in many foods, it’s recommended to take vitamin D tablets to safeguard your intake.
Final Notes
The immune system is a super important part of your body. Without it, you’ll be exposed to harmful bacteria that might lead to serious illness. Protect it at all costs!