All You Need to Know About Immune System Health

What is an immune system health? Immunity is a needed process of your body that helps protect you against invaders, such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Immunity is derived from the Latin immunus, and basically means exemption. Immunity allows you to be exposed to a potential threat without becoming sick or infected. Your immunity can be divided into several classifications. There is the nonspecific innate immunity, which is the first line of defense agaist your body invaders, and there is the specific immune subsystem, also called the adaptive immune system because it protects against subsequent invasions by the same microbe or pathogen. Immunity can be passive or active, and it can be natural or artificial. Specific immunity can remember invaders, to better protect against them next time.

If you are wondering how to strengthen your immune health, this can be done in several ways. Eat a healthy diet that includes lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as adequate amounts of protein and fiber. This will ensure your body has the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients needed for an efficient healthy immune system. Get plenty of exercise, because this will also strengthen your immune system. If you smoke, you better stop right away. Smoking cigarettes dmages your immune system response, and can cause you to get sick or worse. Get a full eight hours of sleep each night, to ensure you are rested and not run down. Avoid stress, because it can lower your immunity and make it less responsive. These steps will optimize your immune health, and protect you better against threats.

Knowing how to fight immune diseases can be very important if you suffer from these conditions. Immunity diseases can work in one of two ways. In the first type of disease, the efficiency of your immune system slows down or stops, so that your body can not fight off normal diseases and conditions like a cold or the flu. These conditions normally are not fatal, but if your immune system does not work properly they can be. AIDS is one type of this disease. In this case your own immune system starts to attack normal tissues in your body, causing unrepairable damage. These are called autoimmune disorders and can be treated but not cured. Lupus is one example of this disease type.

Vitamin C food sources for immune system health are an important part of everyone's healthy diet. Your body processes and functions need this vitamin for optimum health and efficiency. Foods rich in vitamin C include citrus fruits like oranges, strawberries, and many other fresh fruits and vegetables. This vitamin is water soluble, and is easily destroyed by heat or processing. This vitamin prevents aging symptoms and protects against free radicals which cause cell damage, as well as offering many other benefits including those for the your health.

Natural food sources of zinc are also important. This mineral is crucial for a immune system support, as well as growth, development, and many other systems and processes in your body. Seafood like oysters, organ meats such as liver, and most protein sources including meats and many cheese are high in this essential mineral, and offer a wide variety of health benefits. It is important to include these foods in your diet frequently to ensure you get enough zinc for a healthy immune system and body.

Emily Greene is one of the active contributors of new health and wellness information resource portal at Health Articles 101.