How to boost your immune systemWhat

How to boost your immune system
What can you do?
On the whole, your immune system does a remarkable job of defending you against disease-causing microorganisms. But sometimes it fails: A germ invades successfully and makes you sick. Is it possible to intervene in this process and make your immune system stronger? What if you improve your diet? Take certain vitamins or herbal preparations? Make other lifestyle changes in the hope of producing a near-perfect immune response?
The idea of boosting your immunity is enticing, but the ability to do so has proved elusive for several reasons. The immune system is precisely that — a system, not a single entity. To function well, it requires balance and harmony. There is still much that researchers don’t know about the intricacies and interconnectedness of the immune response. For now, there are no scientifically proven direct links between lifestyle and enhanced immune function.
But that doesn’t mean the effects of lifestyle on the immune system aren’t intriguing and shouldn’t be studied. Quite a number of researchers are exploring the effects of diet, exercise, age, psychological stress, herbal supplements, and other factors on the immune response, both in animals and in humans. Although interesting results are emerging, thus far they can only be considered preliminary. That’s because researchers are still trying to understand how the immune system works and how to interpret measurements of immune function. The following sections summarize some of the most active areas of research into these topics. In the meantime, general healthy-living strategies are a good way to start giving your immune system the upper hand.

Immunity in action. A healthy immune system can defeat invading pathogens as shown above, where two bacteria that cause gonorrhea are no match for the large phagocyte, called a neutrophil, that engulfs and kills them (see arrows).
Photos courtesy of Michael N. Starnbach, Ph.D., Harvard Medical School
Adopt healthy-living strategies
Your first line of defense is to choose a healthy lifestyle. Following general good-health guidelines is the single best step you can take toward keeping your immune system strong and healthy. Every part of your body, including your immune system, functions better when protected from environmental assaults and bolstered by healthy-living strategies such as these:
• Don’t smoke.
• Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in saturated fat.
• Exercise regularly.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Control your blood pressure.
• If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.
• Get adequate sleep.
• Take steps to avoid infection, such as washing your hands frequently and cooking meats thoroughly.
• Get regular medical screening tests for people in your age group and risk category.
Be skeptical
Many products on store shelves claim to boost or support immunity. But the concept of boosting immunity actually makes little sense scientifically. In fact, boosting the number of cells in your body — immune cells or others — is not necessarily a good thing. For example, athletes who engage in “blood doping” — pumping blood into their systems to boost their number of blood cells and enhance their performance — run the risk of strokes.
Attempting to boost the cells of the immune system is especially complicated because there are so many different kinds of cells in the immune system that respond to so many different microbes in so many ways. Which cells should you boost, and to what number? So far, scientists do not know the answer. What is known is that the body is continually generating immune cells. Certainly it produces many more lymphocytes than it can possibly use. The extra cells remove themselves through a natural process of cell death called apoptosis — some before they see any action, some after the battle is won. No one knows how many cells or what kinds of cells the immune system needs to function at its optimum level.
Scientists do know more about the low end of the scale. When the number of T cells in anHIV/AIDS patient drops below a certain level, the patient gets sick because the immune system doesn’t have enough T cells to fight off infection. So there is a bottom number below which the immune system can’t do its job. But how many T cells is comfortably enough, and beyond that point, is more better? We don’t know.
Many researchers are trying to explore the effects of a variety of factors — from foods and herbal supplements to exercise and stress — on immunity. Some take measures of certain blood components like lymphocytes or cytokines. But thus far, no one really knows what these measurements mean in terms of your body’s ability to fight disease. They provide a way of detecting whether something is going on, but science isn’t yet sufficiently advanced to understand how this translates into success in warding off disease.
A different scientific approach looks at the effect of certain lifestyle modifications on the incidence of disease. If a study shows significantly less disease, researchers consider whether the immune system is being strengthened in some way. Based on these studies, there is now evidence that even though we may not be able to prove a direct link between a certain lifestyle and an improved immune response, we can at least show that some links are likely.
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Age and immunity
Earlier in this report (see “Cancer: Missed cues”), we noted that one active area of research is how the immune system functions as the body ages. Researchers believe that the aging process somehow leads to a reduction of immune response capability, which in turn contributes to more infections, more inflammatory diseases, and more cancer. As life expectancy in developed countries has increased, so too has the incidence of age-related conditions. Happily, investigation into the aging process can benefit us all — no matter what our age.
While some people age healthily, the conclusion of many studies is that, compared with younger people, the elderly are far more likely to contract infectious diseases. Respiratory infections, influenza, and particularly pneumonia are a leading cause of death in people over 65 worldwide. No one knows for sure why this happens, but some scientists observe that this increased risk correlates with a decrease in T cells, possibly from the thymus atrophying with age and producing fewer T cells to fight off infection. Thymus function declines beginning at age 1; whether this decrease in thymus function explains the drop in T cells or whether other changes play a role is not fully understood. Others are interested in whether the bone marrow becomes less efficient at producing the stem cells that give rise to the cells of the immune system.
Researchers at the University of Arkansas are looking at another aspect of why the immune system seems to weaken with age. They studied cell death in mice. They conducted an experiment to compare the lifespan of memory T lymphocytes in older mice with those of younger mice and found that the lymphocytes in older mice die sooner. This suggests that as the lymphocytes die off, the elderly immune system loses its memory for the microbes it is intended to fight and fails to recognize the microbes when they reappear. The body thus becomes less able to mount a vigorous immune response.
A reduction in immune response to infections has been demonstrated by older people’s response to vaccines. For example, studies of influenza vaccines have shown that for people over age 65, vaccine effectiveness was 23%, whereas for healthy children (over age 2), it was 38%. But despite the reduction in efficacy, vaccinations for influenza and S. pneumoniae have significantly lowered the rates of sickness and death in older people when compared with nonvaccination.
Yet other researchers are looking at the connection between nutrition and immunity in the elderly. A form of malnutrition that is surprisingly common even in affluent countries is known as “micronutrient malnutrition.” Micronutrient malnutrition, in which a person is deficient in some essential vitamins and trace minerals that are obtained from or supplemented by diet, can be common in the elderly. Older people tend to eat less and often have less variety in their diets. One important question is whether dietary supplements may help older people maintain a healthier immune system. Older people should discuss this question with a physician who is well versed in geriatric nutrition, because while some dietary supplementation may be beneficial for older people, even small changes can have serious repercussions in this age group.
What about diet?
Like any fighting force, the immune system army marches on its stomach. Immune system warriors need good, regular nourishment. Scientists have long recognized that people who live in poverty and are malnourished are more vulnerable to infectious diseases. Whether the increased rate of disease is caused by malnutrition’s effect on the immune system, however, is not certain. There are still relatively few studies of the effects of nutrition on the immune system of humans, and even fewer studies that tie the effects of nutrition directly to the development (versus the treatment) of diseases.
There are studies of the effects of nutritional changes on the immune systems of animals, but again there are few studies that address the development of diseases in animals as a result of changes in immunity. For example,

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如何提高你的免疫系统
你能做什么？
总体上，你的免疫系统会保护你不受致病微生物有很大的作用。但有时会失败：生殖成功侵入并让你生病。它是可能的介入这一过程并加强你的免疫系统？改善你的饮食？服用某些维生素或中草药制剂？在产生一个近乎完美的免疫反应，希望其他生活方式的改变？
提高免疫力的想法是诱人的，但这样做的能力已被证明是难以捉摸的几个原因。免疫系统是一个系统，不是一个单一的实体。功能好，需要平衡和和谐。仍有很多研究人员不知道免疫系统的错综复杂和相互联系。现在，没有科学证明直接联系生活方式和免疫功能之间的
。但这并不意味着生活方式对免疫系统的影响不神秘，不被研究。相当多的研究人员正在探索影响饮食，运动，年龄，心理应激，草药补充剂，和免疫反应等因素的影响，无论是在动物和人类。虽然有趣的结果出现，到目前为止，他们还只能算是初步的。这是因为研究人员仍在试图了解免疫系统如何工作和如何解释免疫功能测定。下面总结了一些最活跃的研究领域之一为这些话题。在这期间，一般健康的生活方式是开始给你的免疫系统占上风的一个好方法。

免疫的作用。一个健康的免疫系统能打败入侵的病原体，如上图所示，两个细菌引起的淋病是不匹配的大吞噬细胞，称为中性粒细胞，吞噬和杀死他们（箭头所示）。
迈克尔的照片，斯塔恩巴赫，博士的礼貌，哈佛医学院的
采取健康生活策略
你的第一道防线是选择健康的生活方式。以下的一般健康指南是你可以保持你的免疫系统强壮和健康的最好的一步。你身体的每一部分，包括你的免疫系统功能，更好的保护时，免受环境伤害和支持健康生活策略如：
•不抽烟。
•吃多吃水果，蔬菜，全谷物，低饱和脂肪。
•定期锻炼。
•保持健康的体重。
•控制你的血压。
•如果你喝酒，适量饮用。
•得到充足的睡眠。
•采取措施避免感染，例如经常洗手，彻底烹煮的肉类。
•定期医疗检查测试在你的年龄段和风险类别的人持怀疑态度。

商店货架上许多产品都宣称可以提高或保持免疫力。但提升免疫力的概念实际上并不科学。事实上，提高身体免疫细胞或其他细胞的数量不一定是好事。例如，运动员从事“血液兴奋剂“泵血到他们的系统来提高他们的血细胞数量和提高其性能，运行风险的中风。
试图刺激免疫系统的细胞，尤其是复杂的因为有免疫系统，应对如此多的不同的微生物，在很多方面，许多不同种类的细胞。你应该提高，细胞，和什么号码？到目前为止，科学家不知道答案。众所周知，人体是不断生成免疫细胞。当然它产生比它可能使用更多的淋巴细胞。额外的细胞清除自己通过自然过程的细胞死亡称为凋亡一些之前他们看到的任何行动，一些在战斗胜利后。没有人知道有多少细胞或什么类型的细胞免疫系统需要在最佳水平的功能。
科学家们知道更多关于低端的规模。当数在艾滋病毒/艾滋病患者下降到一定水平的T细胞，病人生病，因为免疫系统没有足够的T细胞对抗感染。所以下面的免疫系统不能做的工作底数。但有多少人T细胞是不够舒适，并超越了这一点，是越多越好吗？我们不知道
。许多研究人员正在探讨各种因素从食物和草药补充剂来锻炼和压力对免疫。有些像细胞或细胞因子的某些血液成分的措施。但到目前为止，没有人真正知道这些措施意味着你的身体对疾病的抵抗能力。他们提供了一种检测是否有事，但是科学还没有足够先进的理解如何转化为成功抵御疾病。
不同的科学方法看，某些生活方式的改变对疾病发生率的影响。如果一个研究显示患病率显著降低，研究人员认为，免疫系统是否被以某种方式加强。在这些研究的基础上，现在有证据表明，尽管我们可能无法证明特定的生活方式和一种改进的免疫反应之间的直接联系，我们至少可以指出一些环节都有可能。
得到你的病毒和疾病

复制你曾想过你是否是真正的保护从传染病从一般冷更致命的威胁像狂犬病和禽流感？当你旅行时，你的保护，国外许多感染？在新的成人疫苗你是最新的？本报告介绍了最先进的传染病信息的日期和如何保护自己免受胃肠感染艾滋病毒/艾滋病的一切。
年龄与免疫
本报告前（见“癌症：错过了线索”），我们注意到，一个活跃的研究领域，免疫系统是如何随着年龄的。研究人员认为，衰老的过程在某种程度上降低了免疫反应能力，这反过来又导致更多的感染，更多的炎性疾病，和更多的癌症。在发达国家的平均寿命已经增长，也与年龄有关的疾病发病率。令人高兴的是，进入衰老过程的研究可以使我们所有的-无论我们的年龄。
有些老年人健康，许多研究结果表明，与年轻人相比，老年人更可能传染疾病。呼吸道感染，流感，特别是肺炎，是死亡的主要原因在全球范围内超过65人。没有人知道为什么会发生这种情况，但一些科学家观察到，这种增加的风险与T细胞的减少有关，可能是从胸腺萎缩，随着年龄的增长而减少的T细胞对抗感染。胸腺功能下降从1岁开始；这是否降低胸腺功能的下降，说明T细胞或是否有其他的变化起到的作用是不完全理解。别人是否在生产引起的免疫系统细胞的干细胞的骨髓变得不那么有效
感兴趣。阿肯色大学的研究人员正在寻找另一个方面似乎削弱免疫系统为什么随着年龄的增长。他们在研究老鼠的细胞死亡。他们做了一个实验，在老的和年轻的老鼠身上的记忆性T淋巴细胞的寿命进行比较，发现老年小鼠淋巴细胞死得早。这表明，随着淋巴细胞的死亡，老年人的免疫系统失去了记忆的微生物，它的目的是打击并没有认识到当他们出现的微生物。身体也就不足以保持一个积极的免疫反应。
对传染病免疫反应的减少是老年人对疫苗的反应证明。例如，流感疫苗的研究表明，65岁以上的人，疫苗的有效率为23%，而健康的孩子（2岁以上），它是38%。但尽管疗效降低，流感和肺炎链球菌疫苗可以显著降低的患病率和死亡率在老年人
nonvaccination相比。然而，其他研究人员正在研究营养与免疫之间的关系在老年人。一种营养不良，即使在富裕的国家是很常见的被称为“微量营养素营养不良。“微量营养素营养不良，其中一人在一些重要的维生素，是从饮食或补充微量元素的不足，对于老年人常见的。年纪大的人往往会吃得更少，经常在他们的饮食品种少。一个重要的问题是膳食补充剂可以帮助老年人保持健康的免疫系统。老年人应与老年营养学医师深谙这个问题，因为在一些膳食补充剂可能有利于老年人，即使是很小的变化可以在这个年龄组有严重的影响。
有关饮食呢？
任何战斗力一样，免疫系统的军队游行肚子。免疫系统的战士们需要良好的营养，定期。科学家们早已认识到，那些生活在贫困和营养不良更容易受到传染病的人。患病率的增长是否是由免疫系统的营养不良的影响，然而，不一定。还有的营养物质对人体免疫系统的影响的研究相对较少，甚至更少的研究将营养直接影响到发展（与治疗疾病
）。有营养的变化对动物免疫系统的影响的研究，但是很少有研究解决动物的疾病发展变化导致免疫。例如，