Essential Minerals for Immunity
Calcium
The mineral calcium is vital for the immune system. It is needed by all phagocytic cells in order to perform their job of attaching to and gobbling up foreign material. Cytotoxic T cells need calcium in order to make the enzymes which they produce to kill foreign cells. Complement proteins — which help destroy unwanted material — cannot join together to become active without calcium. It is needed to destroy viruses and to generate fever, which enhances the role of macrophages.
MAGNESIUM
Calcium works with magnesium which is no less important for immunity: it is vital for antibody production, the thymus and much more. Deficiency can cause a rise in histamine levels and hence increase allergic reactions.
IRON
The right amount of iron boosts overall resistance to infection, but too much is actually bad for the immune system. Iron found in food has low toxicity, so iron-rich foods (such as meat, eggs, green vegetables and dried fruit) are generally preferable to supplements.
Vitamin C enhances absorption of iron from food. .
Iron is essential for the production of antibodies, white blood cells and enzymes made by some of the body’s immune army cells. It is needed for the detoxification of some drugs and bacterial toxins. Bacteria, however, need iron for reproduction, so it is wise to avoid iron in supplements or iron-rich foods when suffering from a bacterial infection. When you have a bacterial infection, white blood cells produce an iron- binding protein to tie it up, so there is no sense in overworking the system at this time.
SELENIUM
Selenium helps in the production of antibodies. Research on animals has shown that there is no antibody production at all when animals are deprived of vitamin E and selenium. It has been suggested that these two, given at the time of vaccination, could increase antibody production and hence the effectiveness of the vaccine. Selenium also helps to produce an important antioxidant enzyme, glutathione peroxidase. Without this mineral, white blood cells lose their efficiency in recognising invaders.
The mineral calcium is vital for the immune system. It is needed by all phagocytic cells in order to perform their job of attaching to and gobbling up foreign material. Cytotoxic T cells need calcium in order to make the enzymes which they produce to kill foreign cells. Complement proteins — which help destroy unwanted material — cannot join together to become active without calcium. It is needed to destroy viruses and to generate fever, which enhances the role of macrophages.
MAGNESIUM
Calcium works with magnesium which is no less important for immunity: it is vital for antibody production, the thymus and much more. Deficiency can cause a rise in histamine levels and hence increase allergic reactions.
IRON
The right amount of iron boosts overall resistance to infection, but too much is actually bad for the immune system. Iron found in food has low toxicity, so iron-rich foods (such as meat, eggs, green vegetables and dried fruit) are generally preferable to supplements.
Vitamin C enhances absorption of iron from food. .
Iron is essential for the production of antibodies, white blood cells and enzymes made by some of the body’s immune army cells. It is needed for the detoxification of some drugs and bacterial toxins. Bacteria, however, need iron for reproduction, so it is wise to avoid iron in supplements or iron-rich foods when suffering from a bacterial infection. When you have a bacterial infection, white blood cells produce an iron- binding protein to tie it up, so there is no sense in overworking the system at this time.
SELENIUM
Selenium helps in the production of antibodies. Research on animals has shown that there is no antibody production at all when animals are deprived of vitamin E and selenium. It has been suggested that these two, given at the time of vaccination, could increase antibody production and hence the effectiveness of the vaccine. Selenium also helps to produce an important antioxidant enzyme, glutathione peroxidase. Without this mineral, white blood cells lose their efficiency in recognising invaders.
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