WHAT CAN DAMAGE THE IMMUNE SYSTEM? (10 POINTS) - MEDICINE - 2025

Some of the things that can damage the immune system are having a poor diet, little exercise, tobacco, a sedentary lifestyle and other habits that are harmful to health.

The immune system (immune or immune) is made up of a complex set of cells, organs, and tissues in the human body that work intricately to protect us from disease.

Cells of the immune system attacking viruses.

It is the body's natural defense system against the invasion of germs, microbes or external agents that can be potentially dangerous to health.

Any malfunction of this network can affect its defense function and is what causes diseases. Most of the causes of this poor functioning originate in ourselves and in the way in which we "mistreat" our body.

Habits, foods and external causes that can damage our immune system

Refined products

The process that sugar cane undergoes to turn it into a totally white powder or the refining of other foods such as rice, wheat flour or corn, causes them to lose a large part of the fiber they contain and, therefore, their nutritional properties.

This means that we are eating, but we are not actually eating. In the long term, the consumption of this type of food affects our immune system, making us more vulnerable to chronic and autoimmune diseases.

Scientific studies have shown that the body takes much longer to fight bacteria after consuming processed foods.

Stress

Stress the modern evil of the inhabitants of big cities. Stress is talked about happily, but in reality it is the origin and main culprit of most of today's diseases.

The speed at which we are forced to live today's world sometimes cannot be well managed by everyone; This leads to chronic stress (for long periods of time) and we can reach the point of needing that permanent vertigo to face the day to day.

This increases cortisol levels - a hormone produced by the adrenal glands whose function, among others, is precisely to suppress the immune system - and make us more prone to heart disease or others such as diabetes.

Sedentary lifestyle

The lack of regular and constant physical activity is harmful in every way for the body. A sedentary lifestyle literally puts the immune system to sleep.

Doing sports or some kind of physical exercise activates it to fight viral or bacterial infections and reduces the probability of suffering from chronic diseases such as osteoporosis, arthritis or heart disease.

With exercise stress is reduced and the production of antibodies and white blood cells is increased. On the other hand, the elevation of the corporal temperature reduces the possibility of the growth of bacteria.

So beyond helping to improve physical appearance, exercise is absolutely vital.

Alcohol consumption

The benefit that the consumption of a glass of wine daily can bring to cardiovascular health is scientifically proven, but the excess in the consumption of alcoholic beverages can throw away all the benefits of its moderate consumption.

Also, not all alcoholic beverages have the benefits of wine. Many have a very high degree of alcohol that cannot be metabolized by the body, depressing the capacity of the immune system.

In addition, excessive alcohol consumption reduces the production of white blood cells, slows down digestive activity and overloads the liver's work, reducing its ability to store vitamins.

Tobacco use

If the controlled consumption of some alcoholic beverages can be accepted, in the case of tobacco there is no limit allowed.

The common cigarette has more than 250 substances highly harmful to health, among which are some considered directly poisonous such as ammonia, arsenic, nicotine and toluene.

The human body is wonderful, but "out of the box" it did not come prepared to process such powerful and devastating chemicals as those contained in cigarettes.

Slowly, this deadly power affects every system in the human body, and the immune system is no exception.

Chemical additives

In the quest to make ever more colorful and non-perishable food, the food industry is creating foods that look more like plastic than real food.

Artificial colors and flavors are contained in all packaged, dehydrated, and canned foods, as well as soft drinks, diluting powders, and packaged juices.

Its indiscriminate consumption eventually leads to diseases such as asthma, allergies, attention deficit and even cancer.

Vitamin D deficiency

Vitamin D plays a leading role in many processes that minimize the toxicity of many external agents. There is much scientific evidence that a deficient level of this vitamin in the human body can lead to illnesses ranging from the common cold to certain types of cancer.

Vitamin D deficiency in today's man may be due, in addition to the low intake of foods that contain it (fruits, vegetables and fresh fish), to the decrease in sun exposure, a product of hectic life and long hours that workers must remain indoors, since it is known that the main source of this vitamin is in controlled and moderate exposure to the sun.

Lack of sleep

The lack of a complete and restful sleep for long periods affects the proper functioning of the whole organism.

Although the exact incidence of good sleep on the proper functioning of the immune system is not known, there is evidence that adults with less than 6 hours of sleep on average are more likely to get sick.

In addition, lack of sleep increases the secretion of the stress hormone and decreases the secretion of melatonin, which helps increase the body's natural defenses.

Medicines

Over-medication or prolonged use of certain drugs can also damage the immune system, since they tend to improve the symptoms of the diseases for which they were prescribed, but they silently affect other organs, causing inflammation, infections and chronic diseases.

Autoimmune diseases

It is the only reason that damages the system, which is not controllable by human beings or caused by their habits. Although the immune system is designed to fight disease, it can sometimes fail and become the opposite, that is, the producer of a disease that it obviously cannot fight.

The system is out of control and is unable to differentiate its own cells from those of others, so it fights disoriented, affecting all cells equally.

It is what is known as autoimmunity and generates multiple diseases that are very difficult to diagnose and treat.

References

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5. Autoimmune diseases. Recovered from medlineplus.gov.
6. What's in a cigarette? Recovered from clinicalascondes.cl.
7. What is melatonin: what is it for and what are its properties? Recovered from innatia.com.