Have questions about your immune system and how it works? We’ve got answers from Nature Made® expert Dr. Susan Hazels Mitmesser. 

What is immunity? 

The word immunity really just means the ability to resist something, which is a pretty simple definition. Still, when you think about it in a biological sense, it’s our bodies’ ability to prevent itself from an infection or a disease. That boils down to the complexity of organs, tissues, and cells all working together with one common goal: to prevent things from invading your body. 

What are the different parts of the immune system? 

The immune system has two primary parts – the innate immune system and the adaptive immune system.  

Think of the innate immune system as guards preventing invaders from entering your body. Parts of the innate immune system include your skin, which acts as a barrier, and an acidic pH in your digestive system, which kills pathogens as they travel down your digestive tract. These are the guards not allowing things in. 

Complimentary to that is the adaptive immune system. This part of your system has a memory. If an invader gets in past the guards, the innate immune system first recognizes it as a foreign object in the body and then produces chemicals and things like white blood cells that fight and kill the invader. Then, your immune system places a tag on the foreign invader with an antibody. So, next time your body gets that same invader, your adaptive immune system recognizes the antibody (the tag) and knows how to respond. Your immune cells can attack it differently and more robustly. 

Does my immune system respond to things like allergies? 

Yes, it does, as part of the innate immune system, the barrier function. When you are exposed to an allergen, and you have a response, it often produces mucus to help you get rid of the allergen in your nasal cavity. The mucus is there for a reason! It helps to expel the allergen, acting as a barrier. It’s your friend! 

When should I support my immune system? 

Every day! Many people think supporting their immune system is seasonal, but like any well-operating system, it’s constantly running and working all the time. Your immune system is not seasonal at all. It works every day, all year, and doesn’t take a vacation. So, it would be best if you examined everything you do on a daily basis—your eating, your exercise, your sleep—it all affects your immune system. By ensuring those are supported, you prime your immune system to best respond when an invader comes along. 

What are the best nutrients to support my immune system? 

There are quite a few essential nutrients that help support your immune system. The most well-known is Vitamin C. It's an antioxidant, and when the white blood cells activate for an immune response, Vitamin C comes along and helps with that process. Vitamin E is another antioxidant that most people forget about, but Vitamin E is heavily involved in the immune system. Vitamin A and Vitamin D. People often think about Vitamin A for healthy vision, but it's also heavily involved in the immune system. And finally, there's Zinc. This mineral is critical for a well-functioning immune system. In fact, you need all these nutrients collectively to maintain a well-functioning immune system. 

What’s another important way to support my immune system? 

I would say sleep. Sleep is often overlooked as to how it affects the body and your systems. Remember, we sleep to restore our bodies and repair our cells. Sleep is especially important for your immune system so that your cells have time to repair, and your body has time to recover. If you don't have proper sleep, there is a correlation to the effect on your immune system. So, get plenty of sleep!