What Does Immunity Mean?
The immune response refers to the mechanism by which your body identifies and protects itself from bacteria, viruses, and other foreign and potentially harmful substances. The immune system safeguards the body by detecting and reacting to antigens that may pose a threat. It primarily signifies the body’s power to resist infections and diseases. Immunity is classified into different types, which include innate (natural) immunity and adaptive (acquired) immunity. The immune system functions as the body’s protective mechanism against infectious diseases. It acts as a defense against various infectious diseases, including COVID-19. The majority of micro-organisms inhabit the surface of the body, the intestines, the skin, and the respiratory tract. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that individuals during COVID-19 pandemic engage in consistent physical activity, including exercise and movement.
What Happens During Inflammation?
Inflammation is a term with historical roots in medicine, originally describing the classic signs and symptoms such as swelling, redness (erythema), warmth, pain, and functional impairment (stiffness and immobility). Today, inflammation is understood as a series of dynamic responses to tissue damage, mainly triggered by elements like toxic substances, environmental factors, physical trauma, excessive use, or infections. Certain responses associated with inflammation can aid in the healing of wounds and the management of infections, or they may contribute to pathological conditions, particularly in various chronic diseases. Inflammation can be understood more broadly as a protective mechanism that entails the activation of both immune and non-immune cells. This response occurs in reaction to various insults, including infections, toxic substances, damaged cells, or radiation, with the objective of restoring tissue homeostasis. Inflammation serves as a protective mechanism aimed at eliminating microbes or irritants, thereby safeguarding living tissues from infections and promoting tissue repair. This procedure may lead to changes in blood circulation and an enhancement in the permeability of blood vessels, thereby promoting the movement of fluids, proteins, and white blood cells (leukocytes) are transported from the circulatory system to the site of the damaged tissue.
Role in Nutrients in immune function
Nutrition is crucial for the regulation of an optimal immunological response, as it supplies the necessary nutrients adequate concentrations to the immune cells. The immune system is capable of launching effective responses against pathogens. To prevent chronic inflammation, nutrients derived from the diet play a crucial role in triggering this rapid response. When dietary nutrients are inadequate or ineffective, the availability of these elements to the immune system cells is considerably limited, resulting in compromised immunity. Certain micronutrients, including vitamins and minerals, along with specific macronutrients like certain amino acids, have been shown to have a significant and specific effect on immune modulation.
Benefits of Vitamin D3
Vitamin D3 is essential for the support and modulation of the immune system. It affects both the innate and adaptive immune responses, thereby influencing the body’s capacity to combat infections and manage inflammation. Vitamin D3 aids in the regulation of immune cell functions, which include B cells, T cells, and macrophages. Additionally, it may prove advantageous in lowering the risk of autoimmune diseases and respiratory infections. In immune cells, the activation of VDR leads to the generation of downstream gene products and initiates significant anti-proliferative, pro-differentiative, and immunomodulatory effects.
Benefits of Vitamin K2-7
Vitamin K2-7, commonly referred to as menaquinone-7 (MK-7), is a variant of vitamin K that offers health benefits in conditions such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and peripheral neuropathy. Vitamin K2-7 is crucial for numerous biological functions in conjunction with vitamin K-dependent proteins (VKDPs).