About The Immune System

Inside your body there is an amazing protection mechanism
called the immune system. It is designed to defend you against
millions of bacteria, microbes, viruses, toxins and parasites
that would love to invade your body.

The immune system is just as complex as the brain. It is
powerful, diverse, innovative, and specific. It’s complex cells
can distinguish between your cells and ‘invading cells’. The
Immune System has an incredible memory and can react based
on past experiences. For example, if you have had chicken pox,
your new natural resistance will not allow you to get it again.

“Generally, the immune system starts to decline around
age 50 and may already be compromised by age 60.” says
John Bogden, Ph.D., professor of preventive medicine and
community health at the New Jersey Medical School in Newark.
If your immune system can’t protect you, the door is wide open
for degenerative diseases.

However, immune function does not necessarily have
to decline as you age. An Italian study looked at healthy
centenarians and found that they had one thing in common
– extremely healthy immune systems. “That’s probably why
these people got to be 100-plus. Their immune systems never
deteriorated,”. “Older people who take nutritional supplements
have stronger immune systems,” says Dr. Bogden.

Nutritional absorption is a CRUCIAL aspect to consider
when evaluating supplements and immune enhancers.
Absorption, known technically as bioavailability, can and
does vary significantly from supplement to supplement.
The bioavailability of nutritional supplements is an often-
overlooked factor when evaluating immune supplements. High
quality supplements are formulated to allow much higher
levels of bioavailability than in cheaper mass produced vitamin
and mineral products. This is because the ingredients are
carefully selected and use more sophisticated manufacturing
processes. They may cost more but work better!

The actual delivery of the nutrients from the stomach to the
intestine is a major factor to be considered because stomach
acid and some enzymes in the stomach significantly damage or
destroy certain nutrients!

So if a special delivery system to overcome this problem is
not employed then bioavailability is significantly reduced! -
As is your supplements’ effectiveness and value for money
(not to mention your health!). Some experts believe that
due to damage from stomach acid only 10-15% of the active
ingredients actually get into the blood stream.

Herbal tinctures are particularly effective as immune boosters
since the absorption into your blood stream avoids the
digestive system.