Your body's immune system serves as a natural shield that defends against infection and certain diseases. It is a very complex system that has many different layers. It is one of those wondrous systems in our body that most of us don't understand, we are just glad we have it and that it works so well.
Our immune system was designed to protect our bodies from a variety of foreign invaders such as allergens, bacteria and viruses. Other dangers to our body can be self inflicted when a cell mutates and becomes a potential pre-cancerous cell. The immune system steps up and recognizes this mutation and works to destroy it before it can do us any harm.
Simply put, the immune system is the defense department for the United Body of YOU. One of the required jobs to upkeep this little army and help it protect us is the production of interferon.
Interferon is activated by the immune system when a virus attacks a cell. Interferon serves two important functions. It signals neighboring cells and triggers them to ramp up their defense mechanisms, and it activates other immune cells that kill invading pathogens.
WebMD describes it as: Interferons are proteins that are part of your natural defenses. They tell your immune system that germs or cancer cells are in your body. And they trigger killer immune cells to fight those invaders. Interferons got their name because they "interfere" with viruses and keep them from multiplying.
Interferon is essential to the immune system and helps protect us from the daily exposure to millions of germs that can lead to serious infection.
The immune system is made up of many different kinds of cells that play their own special part in protecting your body against the onslaught of bacteria, viruses and other "foreign invaders." It is just like a regular army where many people performing special roles come together to defeat a common enemy.
For the immune system, one role in this protection includes the production of interferon. Interferon is a protein that has the job of triggering the body's immune response.
Interferon plays a second important role in your body's defense. It can also boost the immune system's ability to recognize foreign invaders. It is because of this special role that interferon is used in drug form as an anti-viral agent to treat many different diseases. Researchers have shown that interferon can prevent infection and illness when taken in the right form.
The question that comes to my mind is "If interferon is so wonderful at improving my immune system and possibly reducing the effects of a cold or the flu, then why isn't everyone taking it?"
The problem was that in therapeutic doses, interferon can have several side effects, including fatigue and headaches. In some instances it could also lead to low thyroid activity, low platelet count and depression. With these kinds of side effects it didn't seem worth it to pursue the use of interferon for the common cold and flu, even though studies find that interferon could help prevent infection and illness.
However, new research now makes it possible for healthy adults to boost the immune system through a dietary supplement that naturally increases the production of interferon in the body.
I am a big believer in the statement that:
If you give your body what it needs it will maintain itself.
A balanced diet containing all the necessary fruits, vegetables and whole grains can keep the immune system functioning effectively and defending your body against outside viral and bacterial infections. But (and it's a big BUT, no pun intended) many Americans have diets that are deficient in the proper nutrients to keep the body maintaining itself and supporting a hard working immune system.
That is why the development of a supplement that can boost the body's natural production of interferon is so important. Now anyone can have the defense system they need to maintain their health while still living a pretty normal life that includes the occasional intake of foods that are processed and found at the fast food chain.
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