When diet and nutrition are discussed in pop culture, it’s often in the context of weight loss, food intolerances, or New Year’s resolutions. But diet and nutrition play a far larger role in how our bodies function than the more superficial ways our society tends to discuss them.
Our bodies are complex machines that do everything for us: they process information, get us where we need to go, help us make decisions, and much more. And how well they can do things (like keeping healthy) has everything to do with how we treat them, especially regarding the forms of nourishment we consume.
In line with that, there are a number of health recommendations regarding food that are usually taken at face value — we rarely discuss just why those recommendations exist. This article dives into how our immune systems function and what they need, offering some enlightening understandings of just how important our diets are in the fight against germs.
Some Basics on Immune System Functions
Your immune system is a collection of organs and tissues that work together to prevent germs from getting into your body (and fight them off when they do). The primary organs and tissues of the immune system are:
- bone marrow and thymus,
- lymph nodes and vessels,
- spleen, and
- skin.
While the skin serves as a physical barrier covering your body and, thus, the first line of defense against the rest of the world, the other parts work to fight off germs that make it inside.
Immune System Processes in a Nutshell
Blood flows through the circulatory system, essentially functioning as a highway and transporting nutrients where they need to go. It’s also how our bodies detox themselves: as the immune system works to fight off foreign invaders, it relies on nutrients to work effectively. As it fights germs, it sends the waste into our bloodstreams, where it is filtered out and ejected from the body.
If our bodies don’t have the proper nourishment or are dehydrated, our bloodstream (which is made up mostly of water) can’t function at an optimal level. Fruits and vegetables offer a great source of the nutrients our bodies need most. And water is life.
Other Factors to Keep You Healthy
Other factors also play a role in keeping our bodies healthy. There isn’t enough room to include them all (but check out these tips for healthy living if you’re curious!).
When it comes to our immune systems, though, researchers consistently demonstrate that exercise and hygiene play a direct role.
For example, researchers have found a connection between exercise boosting the body’s immune system response. That’s just one more reason to head back to the gym with a workout routine guaranteed to stick.
Your body does everything for you, but sometimes it needs a little help. Make sure that you have the proper nutrition, hydration and exercise to help keep you feeling healthy and ready to face all that this year has to offer. Dream big this year by not overlooking all the little things that might bring you down.
