HUmineral – Immune Response & Defenses

A healthy body runs on proper IMMUNE functionality.

Our immune system is made up of individual cells, proteins, entire organs and organ systems.

WHERE IS THE IMMUNE SYSTEM IN THE HUMAN BODY? Primarily in the lymphoid organs: bone marrow and the thymus. They create special immune system cells called lymphocytes. Secondary lymphoid organs: the lymph nodes, spleen, tonsils and certain tissue in various mucous membrane layers in the body, like the bowel. 

Lymph nodes filter substances that travel through the lymphatic fluid, and they contain lymphocytes (white blood cells) that help the body fight infection and disease. We typically have 500–600 lymph nodes distributed throughout our body. Main clusters found underarms, groin, neck, chest, and abdomen. If you have seen someone with a fatty arm or leg, they are having a lymph challenge (immune system functionality disorder).

WHITE BLOOD CELLS (lymphocytes): 
White blood cells are the key players in your immune system. They are made in your bone marrow and are part of the lymphatic system. White blood cells move through blood and tissue throughout your body, looking for foreign invaders (microbes) such as bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi. White blood cells identify and eliminate pathogens, either by attacking pathogens through contact or by engulfing and killing them. A key fighting agent requirement is vitamin C. 

Vitamin C helps stimulate both the production and function of white blood cells. It also helps your body to produce important antibodies: proteins that bind invading microbes to neutralize them. Vitamin C helps encourage the production of white blood cells (lymphocytes and phagocytes), which help protect the body against infection. Vitamin C plays an important role in iron metabolism and application for red blood cell formation. Infusion of ascorbate supplementation (vitamin C) can reduce oxidative stress. Thus stronger immune defense.

RED BLOOD CELLS (erythrocytes):
Red blood cells contain a protein called hemoglobin. The main job of red blood cells is to carry oxygen from the lungs to the body tissues and carbon dioxide as a waste product, away from the tissues and back to the lungs. It then returns carbon dioxide from the body to the lungs so it can be exhaled.

The immune system defends the body from free radicals, invaders, toxins, all classified as “germs”. A healthy immune system detects the varietal bad agents and distinguishes them from your healthy tissue. Germs may damage healthy tissue both directly, and by depleting essential nutrients from the body below critical levels. Once critically depleted, cells and tissues function improperly, furthering the downward spiral of illness towards weakened immune functionality – a direct result of your current health. An undernourished immune system results in inflammation as a first sign, then disease and ultimate expiration of cell/life.

Your derma (skin), your largest organ, and mucous membranes are the first line of defense against germs entering from outside the body.

A healthy immune system requires many nutrients, vitamin C is one of them. Healthy neutrophils, (the most abundant type of granulocytes that makes up 40% to 70% of all your white blood cells), form an essential part of the immune system. Macrophages (types of white blood cells in the immune system, play a role in both cancer and autoimmune diseases, and are specialized cells, and involved in detection. Phagocytosis (the process of a cell binding to an item it wants to engulf on the cell surface and draws the item inward to engulf it). The process of phagocytosis happens when the cell is trying to destroy something, like a virus or an infected cell, and is used by immune system cells.

Destruction of bacteria and harmful organisms can also present antigens to T cells and initiate inflammation by releasing molecules – known as cytokines – this activates other cells. 

Healthy neutrophils and macrophages contains higher concentrations of vitamin C, as high as 50-100 times higher than the concentration of vitamin C in plasma (liquid part of our blood). A healthy person produces approximatley100 billion neutrophils per day. However, when the immune system detects germs and determines it needs to destroy invaders; white blood cell production and the necessity for vitamin C increases.

Antioxidants fight free radicals and immune disfunction.

Vitamin C can be found in many fruits and vegetables. Oranges, strawberries, kiwi fruit, bell peppers, broccoli, kale and spinach.

The mission is HEALTH!