The immune system regulates inflammation and responses to infection. With advancing age comes a rise in infections. Look to probiotics and key nutrients to help fight germs and manage autoimmune conditions.
Notice that you’re getting more colds and bugs than you used to? Discover how else age affects the immune system and what foods can help to redress the imbalance.
Bacteria and other micro-organisms make up over half the cells in our bodies. These “friendly” microbes help on three fronts: they crowd out potential pathogens; they secrete substances that kill potentially dangerous invaders; and they regulate the inflammatory part of the immune response. In the developed world, years of antibiotic overuse and an abundance of antibacterial products have resulted in a potential mismatch between the once symbiotic relationship between microbes and immunity, leading to a rise in autoimmune diseases. Probiotics offer a food solution to promote good immunity. Foods such as yogurt and miso are loaded with probiotics, which inject beneficial bacteria and yeasts into the body and can help conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease.
Macrophages are white blood cells that patrol the body; when they meet a foreign invader, they engulf, ingest, and destroy it (whether it’s a bacterium or a cancer cell). With age, these cells seem to function more slowly, which may be why cancer is more common among older people. See below for immune-supporting micronutrients and here for immune-boosting foods.
Vaccinations are not as effective in older people but they still lower the risk of serious diseases.
The immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs. Together these defend your body against foreign invaders, such as toxins, bacteria, and viruses. White blood cells are pivotal: they’re responsible for identifying microbes, targeting them, and destroying and removing them. As we get older, the number of certain immune cells called T-cells declines, which is why we can find it harder to recover from infections and can succumb more easily than we once did. It’s proven that a wide range of micronutrients play a part in keeping our immune system strong and healthy, including iron, zinc, selenium, copper, folate, vitamins A, B6, B12, C, and D. Unfortunately, as we grow older, our bodies become less efficient at absorbing certain micronutrients and the immune system may not get all the nutrients it needs to stay in tip top shape. Plenty of foods to support immune health, whatever your age.