The immune system comprises of a network of tissues, cells, and organs that work together to keep infections at bay and maintain your overall health. The human body provides a perfect environment for pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi to thrive. Your immune system protects you from the attack of these microbes and ensures that these pathogens do not grow to cause illness. Most people know about the basics about what immune system is, but they do not know many fun facts of the immune system. Let us find out something interesting about how the immune system works.
10 Fun Facts about the Immune System to Know It Better
Your immune system works day and night to protect you from diseases and infections, but many people do not know much about many different ways the immune system works to keep infections at bay.
1. Great Combo of Blood and Lymph
The immune system is a highly complex strategic fighting system loaded with as much as five liters of blood and colorless liquid called lymph. Your immune system is basically a combination of the skin, thymus, bone marrow, white blood cells, spleen, hormones, antibodies, and more. However, the combination of blood and lymph works to transport different elements of the immune system to help them do their jobs.
2. Laughter Boosts Your Immune System
Laughter can play a big role in boosting your immune system mainly because it triggers the release of dopamine and many other chemicals in the brain that make you feel good by relieving stress. Twenty minutes of laughter a day can actually go a long way in helping you have a stronger immune system.
3. White Cells Make Your Immune System Work
Your immune system helps fight off infections with the help of white blood cells. These cells are like weapons against the offending organisms. These white cells with antibodies eat the bacteria and keep you healthy. However, these cells can only live up to a few weeks, but there are others to take their place – a drop of blood may have up to 25,000 white blood cells.
4. Sleepless Nights Hurt Your Immune System
Bloodshot eyes or dark circles are obvious signs of having sleepless nights, but this problem can hit your immune system hard. One of many fun facts about the immune system is that not getting enough sleep can weaken it and make you more susceptible to flu and cold.
5. Being Too Clean Can Weaken Your Immune System
It is good to maintain good hygienic standards in your life, but overdoing it can hinder your immune system. Too much cleansing and using antibacterial wipes or soaps can weaken your immune system. Cleaning your skin too often may rob your skin of the natural oils, which makes you more susceptible to infections.
6. Working Out in the Gym Can Lead to Infections
You can easily become infected while pumping iron in the gym. As people never wipe down equipment after using it, you can always acquire germs quite easily. Moreover, during a strenuous workout, your body releases adrenaline and cortisol, which can temporarily weaken your immune system.
7. Happy Relationships Boost Your Immune System
One of the fun facts about the immune system is that having a happy and healthy relationship with your partner can improve your immune system because those moments trigger the release of endorphins that make you feel good, reduce stress, and give your immune system a boost.
8. Your Immune System Causes Cold Symptoms
The symptoms you experience after catching a cold are not associated with the cold itself, but are produced by your immune system to fight off infection. You get a fever mainly because your white blood cells fight the bacteria – this also increases your metabolism to ensure your body has strength to clear the infection.
9. Your Immune System Can Be Self-Destructive
This happens when you develop autoimmune disorders. Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis are two common autoimmune disorders in which the immune system destroys its healthy tissues. This happens when white blood cells fail to make a difference between disease-causing pathogens and the body's normal cells. Women are at a greater risk of developing these diseases; in fact, about 80% of people living with autoimmune diseases are women.
10. UV Rays Can Hit Your Immune System
You may think catching some summer rays is good for your health, but that may not be the case because it can slow down your immune system and put you at a greater risk of getting infected. The good thing is that you can inhibit the developing of many autoimmune diseases by slightly suppressing your immune system. Another upside is that you get vitamin D from the sun, which in turn mobilizes disease-fighting T-cells in the body.
How to Boost Your Immune System
Now that you know many fun facts about the immune system, you may be wondering if you can do something to boost your immune system. Yes, there are ways and you have to do whatever you can to have a stronger immune system because it is the key to staying healthy. Here is what you can try:
- Maintain a balanced diet and eat as much organic food as you can because they do not contain chemicals and toxins.
- Take steps to keep stress under control because it can weaken your immune system. Try yoga, meditation, or other relaxation techniques for good results.
- Stay active and include regular exercise in your routine. This helps improve your blood circulation, which in turn prevent toxin buildup. This also improves your sleep quality, which will directly affect your immune system in a positive way.
- Include food in your diet that has live active cultures. These foods contain gut-friendly bacteria that fight off disease-causing bacteria and strengthen your immune system.
- Try herbal remedies instead of using medications. Ginseng, Echinacea, garlic, and astragalus are some great choices because they boost your immune system naturally without making you deal with the side effects.