Ostanite zdravi uz snažan imunološki sustav

Imunološki sustav ključni je dio svakog organizma. No zašto se neki ljudi češće razbolijevaju od drugih? Kako imunološki sustav funkcionira i kako ga održati u ravnoteži?

Što je imunološki sustav?

Glavna funkcija imunološkog sustava je obrana tijela od patogenih mikroorganizama i zaštita od bolesti. „Mikroorganizmi“ je zajednički naziv za bakterije, viruse i gljivice.

Imunološki sustav štiti nas od bolesti bez štetnog djelovanja na tijelo. Međutim, kod autoimunih bolesti imunološki sustav može napasti zdrave stanice vlastitog tijela i oštetiti ih jer ih greškom prepoznaje kao patogene.

Dvije glavne funkcije imunološkog sustava:

Obrana tijela od patogenih mikroorganizama

Uklanjanje oštećenih ili mrtvih stanica i tkiva

Koža je dio vanjskog imunološkog sustava. Ona sprječava ulazak stranih tijela u organizam jer je nepropusna i vodootporna. No, kroz ogrebotine i rane, bakterije ipak mogu ući u tijelo.

Sluznice s antitijelima i trepetljikama u grlu, plućima i nosu pomažu nam iskašljati strana tijela. Želučana kiselina smanjuje broj mikroorganizama koje unosimo hranom i pićem, a tekućine poput suza, sline i sebuma sadrže antibakterijske enzime koji smanjuju rizik od infekcija. Sve navedeno dio je vanjskog imunološkog sustava.

Kako održavati dobar i „pametan“ imunološki sustav?

Osim snažnog imunološkog sustava, važno je imati i njegovu pravilnu ravnotežu. Takav „pametan“ sustav sprječava pojavu autoimunih bolesti, odnosno ne napada vlastite stanice.

Većina ljudi ima uravnotežen i snažan imunološki sustav, no povremeno može doći do njegova slabljenja zbog raznih čimbenika, kao što su stres ili nedostatak sna.

Kako biste izbjegli bolest uzrokovanu slabljenjem imuniteta, važno je pridržavati se određenih preporuka. Pobrinite se za dovoljan i kvalitetan san. Ako imate stresne periode, pokušajte prepoznati uzrok stresa te potražite pomoć ili savjete kako biste ga smanjili.

Svjež zrak i redovita tjelovježba također su važni, osobito tijekom stresnih razdoblja. Bez obzira na to vježbate li u teretani ili šećete, važno je da imate dovoljno vremena za sebe i za tjelesnu aktivnost.

Ključna je i umjerena higijena. Prečesto pranje ruku može oslabiti imunitet jer neki mikroorganizmi zapravo pomažu imunološkom sustavu da se bolje pripremi za sljedeće bolesti.

Što jesti za jačanje imuniteta?

Za jačanje i održavanje snažnog imunološkog sustava važno je jesti hranu bogatu antioksidansima, vitaminima i mineralima. To su, primjerice, voće, povrće, začini, bobičasto voće, orašasti plodovi i ljekovito bilje.

Konkretne namirnice koje pomažu jačanju imuniteta uključuju naranče, suhe šljive, skušu, jogurt, crni ribiz, brazilske oraščiće, ulje repice, tamnu čokoladu te proizvode koji sadrže omega-3 masne kiseline, kao što je ulje jetre bakalara. Vitamin D iz ulja jetre bakalara doprinosi normalnoj funkciji imunološkog sustava.

Što izbjegavati?

Kako bi vaš imunološki sustav ostao jak, važno je izbjegavati stres, nedostatak sna i prečesto pranje ruku. Također, pušenje značajno slabi imunološki sustav. Loša prehrana bogata šećerom i pretjerivanje u vježbanju također mogu negativno utjecati na vaše zdravlje.

Održavajući zdrav način života i pravilnu ravnotežu, vaš će imunološki sustav ostati snažan te vas učinkovito štititi od bolesti.

What is good health?

Body changes in later life call for changes in your diet

Do you have a good lifestyle?

Lifestyle simply means the way in which you live. Health and lifestyle go hand in hand. You might feel you have a good lifestyle if you are physically active, eat healthily and generally experience a sense of wellbeing. Conversely, if you want good health you should also have a good lifestyle.

Physical activity is the major contributor to a good lifestyle, but diet, drugs, stress, sleep and social conditions are also play an important role. Being able to use the body properly to avoid injury also affects lifestyle. Physical activity can also prevent depression and help you to recover more quickly from mental illness, both of which obviously affect your lifestyle.

How does the aging process affect your immune system?

Diet can be a difficult topic for many. Perhaps you eat too much or too little or maybe you find it hard to know what foods to combine to have a balanced diet. It’s also important to eat food that contains important vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre, omega-3 and antioxidants. On top of all this, you also need to get enough energy, protein and the correct fatty acids. The requirement for these nutrients changes throughout your life. When you are older you also have different requirements than children and younger adults. Women also have different requirements than men. Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers also have special requirements.

When you get older, you lose muscle mass and your body requires less energy and therefore less food. You may lead a less active life than you did before, which is why you require less food. However, your need for minerals, vitamins and other nutrients remains the same. Of course, there are plenty of healthy and active older people, but when you reach 70 to 80 years of age, it’s easier to become ill, especially during flu season.

Some steps you can take to improve your lifestyle and health are to:

eat a healthy and varied diet
stay active
watch your weight
avoid too much alcohol and don’t smoke
get enough sleep
think positive
practise good hygiene

What is good quality of life?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines quality of life as a state where the individual can realise their potential, cope with normal stressful situations, work in a rewarding and positive way, and be able to contribute to others and society.

Quality of life is a wide and somewhat diffuse concept that includes joy in, and a desire for, life. These are values that are rather felt than measured, which in turn are based on personal environment and choices. Quality of life doesn’t necessarily depend on being healthy or sick. It’s the moments between worries, sorrows, problems and ailments that matter. For example, if you have a chronic illness, a feeling of mastery can be important when talking about quality of life.

To sum up, quality of life is a combination of health, lifestyle, networks and social support. It’s about experiencing joy, meaning in life, satisfaction, security and a sense of belonging, as well as being able to use your strengths. It’s also about feeling interest in life, coping with everyday situations and a being committed to something or someone. If you have good quality of life, you will be able to cope better with the inevitable stressful situations in life.