For many, immunity remains something mysterious. But this is the main indicator of the health, mood and vitality of any living being. Immunity (from Latin immunitas - "liberation") means protection, disposal of the body from various infectious agents, the products of their vital activity, from poisons and tumor cells. In short, from everything that can harm.
Immune protection is represented by specific bodies, in many respects it is analogous to the country's defense system.
Also divided into different kinds of troops, just smolder military educational institutions and a kind of hierarchy. The organs of the immune system are divided into primary (where immune cells are "trained") and secondary (where they "work").
Primary organs are the thymus and red bone marrow. The main cells of immunity are lymphocytes. They are sent to the higher educational center (thymus). This is the name of the "trained" cells - T-lymphocytes, from T (thymus), in contrast to B-lymphocytes (from B-bursa), which is called the factory bag in birds, although in humans its role is performed by the red marrow, lymphocytes are involved in the production of antibodies, protein substances of blood serum, which directly protect the body from pathogens. "Training" in the thymus is aimed at producing in a part of T-lymphocytes the ability to recognize intruders, including bacteria. This is a system of kind of counterintelligence.
Most T-lymphocytes become killers (killers), they destroy enemy agents that scout cells have identified. The remaining T-lymphocytes perform a regulatory function: T-helpers (assistants) enhance protection, recognize not only strangers, but also traitors who were their own. Such degenerates are, for example, tumor cells. Helpers report to the center - the cell has been reborn, has become an enemy and can start the process of formation of a cancerous tumor. In response to this signal, T-killers are sent to the "traitor" and kill it.There are also suppressor lymphocytes (from the English suppress - "suppress"), which turn off the immune response after the strangers and traitors have been rendered harmless. Otherwise the exploited killers can set the heat by inertia and native cells.
Leukocytes of another type (neutrophils) form the first line of defense. It's like frontier guards who are the first to meet pathogenic strangers, including those microorganisms and viruses that penetrate the mucous membranes or into the skin. "Frontier guards" also clean the damaged and wounded surface from cells that died in an unequal battle with pathogens, as well as from "old" erythrocytes. Probably everyone has heard about interferon, which now, quite, widely used in viral diseases. What is an interferon? It is a low molecular weight protein with antiviral properties. It begins to produce virus-infected cells. Interferon suppresses the multiplication of viruses in cells, and it takes free cells and does not let outsiders go there. There are types of leukocytes (eosinophils) that can take part in the destruction of parasites infecting the body, as well as in allergic reactions. They also call their fellow men to help, and therefore their number in the blood increases.
Secondary organs of protection are the spleen, lymph nodes, tonsils, adenoids, appendix, lymphatic follicles. They, like the cells of immunity themselves, are scattered throughout the body. These are simplified information about immune systems. But they will help us understand the popular literature about health and understand how to strengthen the immunity of their own, their own, especially children.
Probiotics and prebiotics
Some types of microbes (lactococci, enterococci, micrococci, bifidobacteria) protect our body from the adverse effects of radiation, harmful chemicals and carcinogens. On the basis of the cultures of these microbes, scientists created biologics for the improvement of intestinal microflora and therapeutic-prophylactic dairy products. They are called probiotics. In fact, these microbial cultures are colonists, who were sent to develop new territories in the intestine. Useful microbes protect the body from strangers. Complex preparations have now been created, which include both useful microbes and substances that stimulate their growth. Such substances are called prebiotics. These include dietary fiber, pectins, enzymes and individual vitamins, as well as polysaccharides and proteins. They are called upon to create favorable conditions for the colonists, to help them gain a foothold in a new place and to become indigenous residents in various areas of the intestine. These most useful substances, prebiotics, just do not have enough in most refined, ready-to-eat foods, such as instant and instant porridges, mashed potatoes, jellies, juices. Refined products are good only for babies, whose digestion processes are only being formed and can not yet cope with the assimilation of natural whole foods. Complexes of all these useful microorganisms and substances (probiotics and prebiotics) are used for the enrichment of fermented milk products and they are based on kefirbiobalanses, beverages with vegetable additives of various kinds, etc. Drug (pharmacy) preparations of probiotics are used according to the doctor's prescription for dysbacteriosis, and sour-milk products enriched with these microbial cultures are also useful to healthy babies for maintaining the optimal composition of the "intestinal population".
Proteins builders
Note: all substances of the immune system are protein bodies. Hence, for their construction it is necessary to include protein products in the food ration.
Nutritional proteins should be full, containing a full set of desired amino acids.
This meat, milk and dairy products, eggs, fish. What happens if the child is given sausages instead of natural meat, tomorrow instead of cottage cheese - glazed cheese, the day after tomorrow instead of fish - a product called fish minced meat sticks? Naturally, the lack of building materials for substances that implement immune protection, will affect their strength.
Defending the child
The vulnerability of the child's organism to infections has been noticed for a long time. "The life of a child under 7 years old is hanging by a thread," they said back in ancient times, of course, in the modern world the situation has radically changed.
In periods of outbreaks of acute respiratory viral infection, take a decoction of the dog rose daily! In it, in addition to vitamin C, there is also a very valuable beta-carotene, and provitamin A.