Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Many times during the summer months, we tend to put our guard down and may not think about the importance of immune function. But immunity is just as important in the summer! Here’s why folic acid should be apart of your summertime immune support arsenal.
Here is what you can do to make your immune system stronger, including what supplements have been shown to help maintain overall health and wellness like specific Probiotic strains of beneficial bacteria.
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey. Ph
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Our immune system becomes less competent with age. In fact, there is even a term for the aging of our immune system called immunosenescence. That’s how common it is! This makes a person more vulnerable to diseases and can make a common infection, such as the flu much more dangerous. Because the immune system is weaker and less responsive, vaccinations become less effective. This is because it is harder for an older immune system to make antibodies, which are generated against specific microbes so you have resistance.
You Make Fewer Immune Cells As You Age
With aging, we also make fewer immune cells. B-cells decrease in number and produce our antibodies, which gives us resistance and immunity against specific infections. T-cell also drop in number. They are complex cells and there are numerous types. T-cells are extremely important for fighting infections, helping to control the immune system and aiming it towards a specific infection. Also, once the infection is gone, T-cells help wind down the immune system response, which otherwise would cause out of control inflammation. Natural killer cells are also very important for fighting infections. They are still very plentiful with age but they become weaker in their ability to kill virus-infected cells or cancer cells. 
Your Body Becomes Inflamed As You Age
There is a secondary issue with our immune system. Age makes our bodies chronically inflamed, commonly referred to as inflammaging. We develop constant, chronic low-grade inflammation, which accelerates our rate of aging at the cellular level. Part of the reason for this is because we generate and absorb less antioxidants. This would normally be the antidote to free radicals generated during the inflammatory process. Free radicals cause inflammation. For example, Lutein is a very important antioxidant that has been shown to help with inflammation in our blood vessels, heart, brain and eyes. Another example is Zinc, as we absorb it less with age as well.
Thank you for tuning in to the Invite Health Podcast. You can find all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting www.invitehealth.com/podcast. Make sure you subscribe and leave us a review! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at Invite Health today. We’ll see you next time on another episode of the Invite Health Podcast.
In Part 2, we are going to dive further into the studies and science behind the very important and powerful antioxidant, Glutathione for lung health and beyond with Chief Scientific Officer and Pharmacist, Jerry Hickey, Ph.
Did you know that your immune system can manufacture and release Melatonin? This demonstrates the importance of Melatonin, like Vitamin D, to our immune system. Here’s what you need to know.
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey. Ph
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This is episode 2 of The Virus Killer: Your Lymphatic System. If you missed part 1, please click here to listen now! Just to review, your lymphatic system consists of lymph glands and lymph nodes. Your lymphatic system is sort of a “super highway” that carries your immune cells. It consists of three cells – natural killer cells, antibodies and T-cells. There are a few key factors that help your lymphatic system function properly, including water and Nucleotides. But today we are going to speak about a specific strain of Probiotics that are also beneficial.
Superior Probiotic Bacteria for Immunity
Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis is one of the most beneficial probiotic bacteria. It is a warrior for your immune system. About 70% of your immune cells reside within the lining of your digestive tract, especially by your intestines. If you do not have enough good bacteria, these cells can get confused, overactive, it contributes to autoimmune diseases (like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, according to research) and inflammation throughout the body. So you want good bacteria because they train the immune system. In fact, there are a number of studies showing that species of good bacteria help minimize and even eliminate allergies, like Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus rhamnosus.†
Probiotic Bacteria Timeline
“Within one to two weeks, Probiotic bacteria are making your immune system stronger at fighting viruses. At about three weeks, Probiotic bacteria are settling down your digestive tract, like helping with constipation, diarrhea, gassiness, bloating and food sensitivities. Within about four weeks, they start to breakdown allergies, which takes time but starts at about the one month mark.” – Jerry Hickey, Ph.
You want to get a Probiotic with Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis. The University of Redding in the UK published their findings in The Journal of Nutritional Science that reported, taking Bifidobacterium animalis increases the killing ability of your neutrophils. This happens within weeks, even in elderly people. Your innate immune system doesn’t know what to do unless its governed by your lymphatic system. The most common cells are called neutrophils. About 70% of your white blood cells are neutrophils. These are big cells that attack to and literally destroy viruses. They found that giving participants this specific strain of Probiotic bacteria, within a week or two, it improved the killing ability of neutrophils in healthy elderly.†
The Immune-Enhancing Powers of Nucleotides. Listen now! >>
As we grow older, out immune system becomes less and less effective. In a separate study on Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis published in the journal Nutrients, there was a significant improvement in the activity of natural killer cells. These cells are part of the acquired immune system. They are early responders that do not need to know about antibodies; they get to the infection before them.†
Questions about Probiotic bacteria or immunity? Leave a comment below to join the discussion!
Thank you for tuning in to the Invite Health Podcast. You can find all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting www.invitehealth.com/podcast. Make sure you subscribe and leave us a review! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at Invite Health today. We’ll see you next time on another episode of the Invite Health Podcast.