05/09/2016
The immune system is made up of many biological structures and processes that detect a wide variety of foreign agents and pathogens and distinguish them from the body's own healthy tissue. Different types of nutrients work in various ways to support the immune system.
HEALTHY IMMUNE SUPPORT REQUIRES A TEAM OF NUTRIENTS
There are three types of immunity: surface immunity, innate immunity, and adaptive immunity.
Micronutrients contribute to the body's natural defenses on three levels by supporting physical barriers (skin/mucosa), cellular immunity, and antibody production. Vitamins A, C, E, and the mineral zinc assist in enhancing the skin barrier function. Vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, and folic acid, and the minerals iron, zinc, copper and selenium work synergistically to support the protective activities of the immune cells. Finally, all these micronutrients, with the exception of vitamin C and iron, are essential for the production of antibodies.
Overall, inadequate intake and status of these vitamins and minerals may lead to a suppressed immune system, which increases the risk of infections and aggravates malnutrition. Therefore, supplementation with a multivitamin that includes these micronutrients can support the body's natural defense system by enhancing all three levels of immunity.
USANA's Proglucamune contains a natural yeast beta 1,3/1,6 glucan derived from the cell wall of a highly purified, proprietary strain of baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Once swallowed, immune cells in the gastrointestinal tract take up the beta-glucan and transport it to immune organs throughout the body. While in the immune organs, immune cells called macrophages digest beta-glucan into smaller fragments and slowly release them over a number of days. The fragments bind to neutrophils, via complement receptor 3 (CR3), which are the most abundant immune cells in the body. The neutrophils account for 40-60% of all immune cells.
The yeast beta-glucan primes and strengthens one of the key immune functions of neutrophils that now more quickly move throughout the body when needed.
Proglucamune contains a potent blend of ingredients:
• A specific strain of baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) provides beta 1,3/1,6 glucan, a natural carbohydrate shown to prime the immune system. Clinical studies have shown that the strain of baker’s yeast in Proglucamune provides exceptional support for immunity and daily wellness, even in people under stress.
• Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) and shiitake (Lentinula edodes) mushrooms have been used for thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicines to support vitality. They are rich in polysaccharides with immunomodulating properties and help promote cellular protection.
• Zinc is an essential trace element for supporting proper functioning of immune cells, and it serves as an intracellular signaling molecule for immune cells, enhancing the effectiveness of the InCelligence Beta-Glucan Complex. It also acts as an antioxidant to help defend against oxidative stress.
This is not a comprehensive review of every food component or nutrient that supports the immune system. However, it is intended to illustrate that maintaining a healthy immune system is a team effort and requires more than one type of product or ingredient. The nutrients discussed here simply provide more balanced and complete support than has been available previously.
About the photo:
Part of the innate immune system, white blood cells called neutrophils circulate in the blood and are the first responders to an infection, guiding T cells—part of the adaptive immune response—to the site. Neutrophils create a physical trail of chemokines that allow T cells to home in on the infection site
In the photo, the Cytotoxic T cell (blue) is engaging a target cell. A patch of signaling molecules (pink) that gathers at the site of cell-cell contact indicates that the CTL has identified a target. Lytic granules (red) that contain cytotoxic components then travel along the microtubule cytoskeleton (green) to the contact site and are secreted, thus killing the target.
