Bolstered immunity - Vitality Hormone Center

What is bolstered immunity?

Immunity is our body's defense system against pathogens like bacteria and viruses. When our immune system encounters a pathogen, it triggers an immune response. This response helps eliminate the pathogen from our body and provides us with long-lasting protection in case we encounter the same pathogen again.

Our immunity can be bolstered or strengthened through two ways:

• Natural infection - When we get infected with a pathogen, our immune system produces antibodies that specifically target the pathogen. The next time we encounter the same pathogen, these antibodies activate and rapidly clear the infection before it makes us sick. For example, when we get chickenpox once, our immunity against the causative varicella-zoster virus gets naturally bolstered, and we typically don't get chickenpox again.
• Vaccination - Vaccines contain weakened or dead pathogens that train our immune system without causing disease. Our immune system produces antibodies against these harmless vaccine components. If we later get exposed to the disease-causing pathogen, the ready-to-go antibodies swiftly destroy the pathogen before it harms us. Vaccines safely build immunity without making us sick.

Some ways to bolster immunity naturally:

• Get adequate sleep and manage stress levels
• Exercise regularly
• Eat a balanced, nutritious diet
• Stay hydrated
• Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol
• Take vitamins and supplements like vitamin C and zinc

By following healthy lifestyle habits and getting recommended vaccines, we can keep our immune system strong and prepared to fight pathogens. Vaccines offer safe and effective immune protection against viruses without causing illness. They build our defenses against pathogens and significantly lower our risk of severe disease. So vaccination combined with a healthy lifestyle provides optimal immune protection.

In summary, bolstering immunity refers to enhancing our body's defenses against infection. This can happen through natural infection or vaccination. Certain lifestyle measures and vaccines reinforce our immune response against specific pathogens for disease protection. Bolstering our immunity prepares us to capably counter pathogens, preventing significant illness. This builds resilience.