Many of us have seen elderly with declining health problems. It doesn’t have to happen. The medical community knows that a healthy immune system prevents disease and helps people heal themselves from disease. However, they don’t educate their patients how to build and maintain a strong immune system.
Lifestyle choices are extremely critical to building a strong immune system. Our immune functions weaken as we age. It is less capable of recognizing potentially hazardous antigens entering our bodies; and, additionally, it is more susceptible to making errors in the choice of antigen to attack. An antigen is a toxin or foreign molecule that induces an immune response in our bodies.
Age impacts the body’s ability to make the right proteins, enzymes, and other critical health factors. Deficiencies of key nutrients begin to appear over time that limits the body’s ability to eliminate the threats completely. Your ability to counter antigens and other foreign bodies slows down. In many cases, we have fewer of the ‘good guys’ to attack and eliminate the ‘bad guys’. Your body’s immune system maintenance program is missing the key components needed to perform satisfactorily.
What advice does the medical community offer to those 65 years of age and older? Typical advice includes:
● Get vaccinated (flu vaccines, etc.)
● Eat a healthy, nutrient-rich diet
● Exercise
● Reduce stress
● Sleep
● Wash your hands
● Stay positive
● Eat superfoods (blueberries, kale, green tea, broccoli, salmon)
● Consider multivitamin or herbal supplements
● Stay hydrated
These actions sound like they improve the immune system, but do they? Stay tuned for some future blogs that will provide additional facts to supercharge your immune system – no matter what you age.
