Tag: immune system

10 interesting facts about Melatonin 😴

by drjurisharma, posted in brain, cognitive health, emotional health, eyes, Life, nature, Uncategorized

Hello everyone🖖

Melatonin, commonly known as the sleep hormone is responsible for our cicardian rythm. But, it has some fascinating facts to be known.

1. The pineal gland, located at the base of the brain, is known to produce 5% of the total quantity of melatonin. Surprisingly, in all of the cells throughout the entire body, the mitochondria generate the remaining 95% of melatonin.

2. Our body cells’ mitochondria typically serve as the energy-generating organelles. They absorb glucose and oxygen to create water and ATP, which serve as the body’s power source. Free radicals are created during this procedure. However, the free radicals can be neutralised by our body’s defence systems. Melatonin acts as the potent anti-oxidant which causes free radical damage.

3. The melatonin which is produced in the body cells due to the sunlight, especially the infra red rays trigger the release of glutathione and other potent anti-oxidants. Melatonin also has anti -inflammatory properties and anti cancer properties too.

4. Since, melatonin is an effective anti-oxidant, it helps to prevent eye and ear damage. Research shows that it is effective in prevention of age related macular degeneration and retinopathy.

5. Melatonin protects the brain. Melatonin serves to promote the growth of new brain cells and improves memory, according to studies. Melatonin levels were discovered to be low in those with Alzeihmers disease. Thus, it is possible to prevent Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease from becoming severely disabling by increasing melatonin levels.

6. Research shows that melatonin stimulate growth hormone production. Evidences showed that oral administration of melatonin increased the level of growth hormone, two fold times.

7.Melatonin production declines noticeably as we get older. Therefore, in order to maintain melatonin levels in our everyday lives, we must get enough sun exposure during the day and turn off lights at night so that darkness can help to stimulate melatonin production.

8. Sub-cellular melatonin which is produced in the body naturally is more effective than taking melatonin pills. Melatonin pills do work on short term basis and should be taken only if clinically recommended.

9. Aside from the infrared radiation that comes from sunlight, which is typically present in the early morning, other sources of infrared radiation that contribute to a sufficient amount of melatonin production include candlelight and being in front of a fire.

10. Incadescent light bulbs, spending time in greenery parks, outdoors all help to boost melatonin production.

Thanks for reading.

Peace and love 🙏

Self renewal: 10 hard facts 🙌

by drjurisharma, posted in brain, emotional health, eyes, Life, nature

Hello everyone 🖖

1. The human body in which each of us lives is made up of around 37 trillion cells, to be precise. And every day, about 1-2 percent of the cells are renewing. So, exactly after 90–100 days, a new “me” appears. We remain so busy with our routine lives that we hardly acknowledge this fact, and many of us are not even aware of it. So, ‘change’ is the constant tune, not just within the universe but also within us.

2. Now that we understand that our bodies undergo transformation on a daily basis, So, the question is: how does this self-renewal occur? Let’s go back to our past a little bit. The human body develops from the human embryo, which is fertilized by an oocyte and a sperm cell. This embryo is made up of stem cells. The stem cells are the basic cells (undifferenciated cells) of the human body, which, through the process of mutation and transformation grow into different cells like nerve cells, bone cells, muscle cells, blood cells and so on. Throughout our lifespan, these stem cells undergo cell division and keep replicating; that’s how self-renewal happens.

3. Under normal physiological self-renewal processes, different cells in the body have differing rates of cell division. So, the replication process of various tissues, organs, and blood cells in the body has a different time frame, like the skin epidermal cells, which can take around 10–30 days, whereas a bone cell takes 3 months, or a hair grows about 1 cm in one month, and so on.

4. Though our body is constantly changing due to the continuous self-renewal process through different cell cycles like shedding the old skin cells, renewal of intestinal cell lining, and growing hair or nails on a routine basis, this isn’t a simpler process. The human body is still very complicated and has exceptions. Some cells, such as those in the brain (cerebral cortex), eyes (such as lenses), and heart, do not change from birth to death.

5. But then, why is self-renewal important and must be maintained? Under normal physiological conditions, stem cells have two functions: proliferation and differentiation. Though stem cells have a natural proliferative capacity throughout our lives, disease conditions can affect their physiological self-renewal ability and behavior due to factors such as damage or an unhealthy lifestyle (obesity, lack of physical activity, smoking, or a poor diet).

6. A lack of an appropriate environment within the body or poor maintenance of the human body might eventually lead to the exhaustion of the capacity of stem cell proliferation, which causes premature aging or tissue atrophy. With aging, stem cell activity, tissue regenerative and haemeostasis is significantly declined.

7. Sometime, due to the unhealthy environment within the body, mutations lead to aggressive stem cell division without going through the natural cell differentiation process. This can lead to abnormal tissue growth or cancer in the body. Therefore, the physiological process of stem cell division and the natural stem cell behavior can be affected by four disease conditions, like degenerative, metabolic, cardiovascular, and inflammatory conditions.

8. Regenerative medicine and therapies have arisen as a result of the discovery that defective self-renewal mechanisms in the body are the root cause of malignancies and abnormal cell proliferation. Many disorders are being treated with regenerative medicines based on stem cells. Recent years have seen a significant increase in the use of stem cell treatment to treat a variety of diseases like cancer and disorders including type 1 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, Parkinson’s, burns, osteoarthritis, by regenerating cells, repairing tissues, and transplanting organs.

9. The fact about regenerative medicine is that, though it has helped many patients around the world, the cost of treatment is quite high as the procedure is complicated and the failure rate is high. Human stem cell treatment requires culturing human stem cells in a laboratory setting for a longer period of time, which is quite difficult.

10. The market is flooded with products that promote cell regeneration, anti-aging, and longevity. The lofty claims made by these items are still quite dubious. But it is true that some supplements do work to improve health, lower inflammation, and increase immunity. But in the end, having a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, a calm mind, and exercising regularly is all that’s necessary for good health.

Thanks for reading.

Peace and love 🙏

10 top benefits of music on health 🎧 🎼

by drjurisharma, posted in emotional health, Life

Hello everyone ! Have a wonderful and safe day. 🙋🏻

Whether on purpose or without purpose, music has become a part of our lives. The day starts with a busy schedule, yet we happen to listen to music, maybe while driving to work, a shop, cafe, gas station or wherever we happen to pass by. After a day’s long work, we may intentionally listen to music to calm and rejuvenate our mind. Music is of different genre and variety, loud, hard, soft, calming or with and without lyrics. It is all about individual choices and preferences.

Both in the past and in the present time, studies show the tremendous effect of music on all mental, emotional and overall health.

Ten effects of music influence on health:

1.Mood booster: Listening to music can stimulate the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine which gives a feeling of satisfaction and reward. It makes us repeat the behaviour, that is to continue listening to music. Therefore, it can elevate the mood to pleasure, motivation and enthusiasm. It can strengthen you emotionally by fine-tuning your emotional health.
2.Improves sleep efficiency: Listening to soothing music, stimulates the parasympathetic system, lowers the blood pressure and slows down the physiological functions. It relaxes the mind and body, making it ready to fall asleep. Music has been instrumental in treating sleep disorders.


3.Exercise performance : Studies show that music increases the level of performance, strength, endurance level while exercising. It delays fatigue by boosting the stamina level.
4.Focus: Listening to fine instrumental music helps to capture attention and to focus. So, some people prefer listening to music while on work which allows them to concentrate and increase productivity.
5.Divergent creativity: We all have the same cognitive capacity to think original thoughts and ideas; it’s the area on the right side of the brain, the creative brain. Research shows that listening to lively, happy music helps to stimulate this area of divergent creative thinking.


6.Reduce stress: Listening to calming music of about 60 beats/min can stimulate alpha brain waves which can make you feel calm and conscious. It reduces the cortisol level and releases endorphins which helps you relieve stress. It has been used successfully by many as a stress-reducing technique.


7.Memory: The frontal cortex and hippocampus of the brain are associated with memory. So, revoking memories are challenging in person with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Sometimes, music with a particular tune or lyrics can help significantly to relieve some of the memories in such individual.


8.Immunity: Music stimulate the parasympathetic response in the body which elevates the physiological coherence and promote the immune response. It boosts the release of antibodies and natural killer cells which helps to combat infections and chronic conditions like cancers and autoimmune issues.

9.Improves vascular health: Music helps to ease the anxiety and stress level by bringing the blood pressure and heart rate to the average baseline level. It relaxes the arterial wall and enhances the blood flow, thereby improving vascular health.
10.Weight loss: Music has a visceral effect too. Listening to music helps you to eat slowly, with relaxation. This effect improves our chewing ability and promotes metabolism. As you are eating slowly, you end up eating in a lesser quantity. Moreover, music also helps your exercise performance. So, in the process, you end up losing weight too.

Thanks for reading.

Blessings and much love to all 💐

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 😔

by drjurisharma, posted in health, Life, mental health, nature, Science, wellness

Hello everyone! Have a wonderful and safe day 🙋🏻

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: It is a disorder, relatively unknown to the public and even to the medical fraternity. It is a progressive, multi-system functional disorder involving the Neurological, Immune, Endocrine and digestive systems. As more and more cases are emerging, the diagnosis has now been established. This condition is also known as Myalgia Encephalomyelitis or systemic exertion intolerance disease (SEID). The syndrome slowly progresses to functional impairment. It can affect any age group, even in children. But mostly, common in women, more than men in the age group of 40-60 years.

Symptoms: Different individual is affected with different range of severity.
1.Extreme fatigue even after long hours of rest.
2.Progressive loss of stamina, both physically and mentally.
3.Loss of concentration
4.Loss of memory
5.Headache
6.Sensitivity to food, odours, chemicals
7.Unexplained joint pain.
8.Sleep disorders
9.Enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or the armpits.

Causes: The exact cause is yet unknown. But, in more and more case studies, certain contributing factors are being identified:

1.Viral infections: Like Rubella, Epstein Barr, Human herpes, Ross River viral infection can precipitate such a condition.
2.Bacterial infection like Chlamydia Pneumonia
3.Genetic Predisposition
4.Mental issues like childhood trauma, emotional trauma, stress
5.Hormonal imbalance.

Diagnosis: The diagnosis is difficult to confirm as the condition has symptoms similar to many other conditions. To make a diagnosis, doctors mainly rely on a thorough medical history, and different tests are being done to rule out other conditions. Some individual with this condition has been found to have an inadequate response to immune cells like T cells and have autoantibodies in the blood. Tests like laboratory tests, exercise tests, sleep study are done to exclude other conditions.

Management: There is as such no cure. The aim of managing such cases is to relief the individual from the symptoms.

1. Eliminate food sensitivity like common allergens nuts (peanuts, tree nuts), shellfish, gluten (wheat, rye, barley), dairy. Avoiding such food may sometimes work towards improving the symptoms.


2. Exercise and Yoga is recommended to improve physical mobility.
3. Mindfulness session to improve sleep issue.
4. Acupuncture to improve pain.

 


5. Improve diet and Supplementation with vitamin B complex, potassium, magnesium.

6. Bone Broth as a collagen booster


7. Meditation, nature walk to improve mental health, reduce stress and peace of mind.
8.Social support: Support from loved ones and friends is vital.

Thanks for reading.

Blessings and much love to all 💐

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boron: Benefits 🙌

by drjurisharma, posted in food, Life, nature

Hello everyone ! Have a wonderful week ahead 🙋🏻

Boron is an underappreciated mineral which we have hardly known in the past. It is a trace mineral which is usually absorbed by our body from different dietary sources. As the soil is depleted from many trace minerals, including boron, we have started to realize it’s relevance. Its role is quite significant in our body as it takes part in many vital functions besides its essential health benefits.

The essential health benefits of boron:
1.Boron is necessary for the uptake of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus in the body, thereby improves the bone strength and health. It boosts the activity of the bone-building cells called the osteoblasts.
2.Boron is essential to increase the status of vitamin D3 in the body. Vitamin D3 is a steroid which is synthesized from cholesterol when exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D3 is necessary for bone mass and prevention of heart disease and depression.
3.Since it has a robust anti-inflammatory effect; it helps to lower the risk of cancer development. Research has shown that dietary boron intake is inversely correlated to the incidence of lung cancers, breast and cervical cancers and Prostate cancers too. Because of this anti-inflammatory property, boron supplementation, when recommended in the case of osteoarthritis, have shown drastic improvement.


4.It’s daily intake can improve the overall brain functions associated with attention, perception, memory, encoding and eye-hand coordination.
5.Boron helps to boost the sex hormones in the body. In the case of women, it helps to maintain the optimal level of estrogen in the body. In the case of men, it can help to increase the free testosterone level by lowering the level of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG).
6.It facilitate and improve the metabolism of iron in the body, thereby preventing and improving Anaemia.
7.It helps to increase energy production and supports the immune system.

The daily requirement of boron is about 1 mg which can be consumed from dietary sources of fruits and vegetables. Boron supplementation is required when clinically recommended, usually in case of elderly or in inflammatory conditions like osteoarthritis.

Sources are Fruits, tubers, legumes, Avocados, seeds, nuts, mushrooms, raisins, Shellfish.

Thanks for reading.

Blessings and much love to all 💐

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10 rules of clean eating 🙌

by drjurisharma, posted in Life, nature

Hello everyone! Have a wonderful day 🙋🏻‍♀️

Courtesy: Prevention.com (Pinterest)

Thanks for reading.

Blessings and much love to all 💐

Is gluten bad ? 😇

by drjurisharma, posted in healing, health, Life, mental health, Science, wellness

Hello everyone ! Have a wonderful and safe day 🙋🏻

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What is Gluten? Wheat is a grain that contains carbohydrate, protein and lots of nutrients. The protein found in wheat is called gluten. Gluten is also found in rye and barley. Gluten is not only used in bread, cakes, pizzas, pasta but also ketchup, sauces, spreads and even in some cosmetic products like lipsticks.

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It is used widely in various products because it provides the structure and is an excellent stabilizing agent. Structurally, gluten contains a protein network of Glutenin and Gliadin. It also contains starch (carbohydrate) molecules and gas bubbles.

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How the body reacts to gluten?
Generally, having a carbohydrate-rich diet spike up blood sugar, leading to various weight issues and insulin resistance. Whenever gluten enters the body, the body’s immune system mistaken them for foreign bacteria, and start reacting against the intruders (gluten particles). This immune response provokes inflammations. Typically, inflammation is temporary and is supposed to stop when the bacteria or foreign body is expelled. But when the process of inflammation becomes chronic, every organ system is affected, and various diseases may occur over time.

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There is another effect of gluten concerning the body. Zonulin is a protein which is naturally present in our body which modulates the Intestinal barrier functions. It maintains the permeability of the tight junctions in the intestinal lining, preventing any particles from the gut to leak into the bloodstream. Gluten is found to interfere in the function of Zonulin. This phenomenon was first discovered by a great researcher Alessio Fasano. He has also found that the modern variety of wheat, which are hybrid types, affecting human health is on the rise. Therefore, the human body is not equipped to eat a massive amount of gluten every day. So, having more and more gluten is taking a toll on the health of many people.

Coeliac disease or celiac disease

Celiac disease: In Celiac disease, the body’s immune system reacts strongly to the gluten particles causing a damaging effect on the small intestine. The leaky gut syndrome is quite common in these cases. The symptoms are mainly chronic diarrhoea, abdominal distention and pain, brain fog, joint pain and weight loss. The incidence of Celiac disease is increasing day by day. Many of the cases remain undiagnosed, which may end up in other types of Autoimmune diseases, inflammatory diseases or even cancers. The condition can be screened by a blood test and small intestinal biopsy. Such people are strictly recommended for a gluten-free diet.

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Gluten sensitivity: Another condition emerging is Gluten sensitivity. Such condition is also called Non-Celiac disease gluten sensitivity because these people are negative of Celiac disease. When gluten is removed from their diet, most of the symptoms get resolved. Researches are still going on to confirm the actual cause of immune response in these people. If not gluten, maybe other triggers like fructans (starch) molecules called FODMAPs can be the reason. These cases are challenging to diagnose.

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Gluten-free diet: When we walk down the aisle of a Supermarket, we get to see plenty of products with gluten-free tags. Not all gluten-free products are healthy. Since gluten is removed, they use other binding agents or synthetic compounds to compensate for the structure and palatability of the product. Moreover, a gluten-free diet is found to have low micronutrients like folate and iron. So, a gluten-free diet should be adopted only if clinically advised.

Gluten-free for whom?
Celiac disease; People diagnosed with Celiac disease should ultimately adopt a gluten-free diet.
Gluten sensitivity: May benefit from a gluten-free diet but should make arrangements to compensate for nutritional deficiencies.

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People like rest of us who have no regular symptoms or never had prominent abdominal issues can have gluten in a fair amount in the form of whole-grain food as long as we have a balanced diet with plenty of vegetables and fruits.

Thanks for reading.

Blessings and much love to all 💐

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Gut Health 🙌

by drjurisharma, posted in Life

Hello everyone ! Have a wonderful and safe day 🙋🏻

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Why is gut health so relevant these days ? Because, in the majority of the diseases, researches have shown that the underlying cause is due to an unhealthy gut.

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Most of us are not aware of the fact that within the twist and turn of the internal coils, that is the intestines, there is often a war between the good and bad bacteria. This struggle results in gut imbalance and thereby cause several health issues like autoimmune diseases, hormonal imbalances, mental health issues, metabolic diseases and even skin problems like acne, depigmentation and psoriasis.

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As we must have already known, the digestive tract carries millions of colonies of bacteria. The right bacterial flora within the coiling of the intestines is bestowed upon many functions to perform to maintain a healthy body. They are responsible for breaking down food into energy, eliminate waste and toxins, and most important is to support the immune system. So, our gut health is under immense pressure to perform well.

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The gut, when encountered with a burst of harmful bacteria from any food sources, there is a war between the good and the harmful bacteria, and a sudden state of imbalance arises. Therefore, this gut imbalance may lead to different health issues, as mentioned above.

Common symptoms and diseases of improper functioning of the gut are:

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1. Slowing of metabolism: This may result in decreased energy production, less absorption of nutrients and deposition of toxins in the different parts of the body. So, there is a lack of energy, tiredness and fatiguability. We may suffer from vitamin and mineral deficiencies as absorption of nutrients is poor.

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2. Digestive issues like gas bloating, diarrhoea as the good bacteria are continuously struggling to restore the balance. Irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflux, colitis are some symptoms of invasion of harmful bacteria.

Man having problems/ insomnia, laying in bed

3. Mental health issues like depression, anxiety, mood fluctuation may occur. As toxins get deposited in different parts of the body due to the harmful bacteria, they may interfere with the production of happy hormones like serotonin and other neurotransmitters that can elevate the mood.
4.Lack of sleep: The gut imbalance causes hormonal imbalance, and the serotonin cycle, which regulates the sleep cycle gets wholly disrupted. So, the person with gut issues may suffer from sleep disturbances.

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5. Autoimmune diseases like Lupus, Crohn’s diseases, rheumatoid arthritis appear where the underlying issue can be an unhealthy gut.
6.Skin issues: When gut inflammation start spreading to other areas of the body, including the skin, there are issues of acne, eczema, psoriasis, complexion disorders, especially on the face.
7. Metabolic problems like diabetes type 2, stubborn weight gain, and obesity are common with gut issues.

Some useful ways to keep a healthy gut:

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1. Eating less or no sugar at all as the sugar becomes the medium of growth of harmful bacteria.
2. Drinking lots of water dramatically helps to eliminate the toxins and also facilitate the digestive process.
3. Chewing food with each bite, about 30- 50 times. Though it may sound tedious, this mastication process may help the food to digest and absorb the nutrients properly.
4. Consuming more fibrous food help to form the stool bulk and help eliminate waste and toxins.

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5. Mono meals as preparing a single meal with combining many food ingredients which allows the body to digest food better.

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6. Consuming fermented food (pickled vegetables) and probiotics help to flourish and restore the good bacterial flora.

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7. Effective foods are bone broth (contain collagen which cleanses the gut), ginger, blueberries, peppermint oil, healthy fats like omega-three fatty acids, all benefit the gut.

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8. Low impact exercises: Low intensity exercises like rebounding, stretching, walking, yoga and low impact cardiac workout can be helpful for gut health.

Thanks for reading.

Blessings and much love 💐

Thymus: Forgotten yet most crucial 🙌

by drjurisharma, posted in Life

Hello everyone ! Have a wonderful and safe day 🙋🏻

solei-himmelvid-1618523-unsplash

This Coronavirus Pandemic has created havoc within us in these couple of weeks. Thousands of people are affected and already killed by the virus. In today’s world, it has created an atmosphere of panic, fearfulness which has greatly affected our mental health. We were never prepared for such Pandemic. It’s also true, that we can never avoid such naturally acquired disaster. But, we can at least armed our bodies better by start building up a strong, powerful immune system.

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Therefore, to take proper care for our body, we need to be more aware and more informative about how our body’s natural defence system function. Concerning our immunity and the immune system, Thymus is an important gland that plays a vital role. This lymphoid gland seems to be an underrated gland that is hardly discussed. People know or give very little importance about this gland. But this gland plays the most significant role in building immunity in our body by supporting the immune system. This is a small gland which lies behind the sternum (the chest bone). It usually atrophies as ageing progresses. But its function remains intact lifelong. Its main function is that it supplies the defence cells of the White blood cells army of Immune system which are responsible to fight against viruses and cancers cells.

img_0746Certain type of precursor cells originate from the stem cells in the bone marrow of bones and go through the bloodstream to the thymus gland where they mature and are trained to perform their specific functions of defence. Thymus secretes hormones like Thymosine which helps in the development and maturation of these cells. Not all cells produced mature and make through a very specific selection and training process. Many of them die within the thymus. Only 1-2 % of the cells become ready to perform their function of defending against harmful pathogens and cancer cells. Therefore, these matured and trained cells are released in the lymphatic system to perform their specific functions. The different cells released from the thymus are categorised as T (thymus) cells and B (bone marrow) cells. The T-cells mainly fight against antigens and cancer cells.

T-cell types :
#Natural killer T-cells fight against viral infections. They release certain chemicals like Cytokines which can kill the viruses or other pathogens along with the affected cells.
#Helper T-cells not necessarily kill the viruses but tagged them as ‘harmful’ so that the natural killer cells can eliminate these antigens. So, the helper T- cells help in coordinating the immune system.
#Regulatory T- cells mainly control and regulate the immune system. it naturally keeps the balance. If this is not done, then T-cells will attack the body’s own tissues leading to autoimmune conditions. The body may suffer from different autoimmune conditions like various inflammations and allergies. So, the function of this regulatory cell is very important to balance the immune defence system.

B-cells mainly produced antibodies. There are a variety of antibodies. The antibodies do not kill the pathogens but instead, they tag and segregate them as harmful viruses, bacteria, fungi or parasites. So, the natural killer cells can destroy them. Our body can produce as many as millions of antibodies which can identify different specific pathogens and tagged them accordingly.

Fortunately, it is amazing to know that our body has been naturally equipped with such a powerful strong immune system with Thymus playing an important role. We are gifted with a very sophisticated defence immune system. But, as we age, the thymus gland slowly atrophied, become smaller and smaller in size. So the release of matured and trained T-cells and B-cells from the Thymus is slowly reduced too. Therefore, our immune system gets weaker and weaker and we become susceptible to diseases and infections.

So, how do we maintain and keep our immune system function intact and powerful? To support the thymus gland and the immune system from functioning at their optimal potential, we need to adopt a healthy lifestyle: Healthy eating, low-stress level and meditation, exercise.

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1 Vitamin D: This particular vitamin is anti-inflammatory and is very useful in the development and maturation of Helper and Regulatory T cells which are integral in the immunity defence army of cells. Dietary sources are best and supplements only given under clinical recommendation. Not to forget, sunlight is an important source of vitamin D. So, being in the sun for at least 15 mins a day can be very beneficial.

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2. Iodine is important because it helps in the process and maturation of Natural Killer cells.

3. Zinc: Another important mineral which greatly supports the immune system and defends us from the invasion of pathogens. Food chart is given in my previous post on Zinc: https://wordpress.com/post/healthhappinesshealing.org/3137

Stress Management mind map
Stress Management mind map, business concept background

4. Stress: Enough has been talked and written about stress which may harm our body and the immune system. Therefore, we need to control our stress level every day by adopting different stress-relieving tips and keep ourselves calm.

Thanks for reading.

Blessings and much love to all 💐

Zinc: 10 vital uses 🙌

by drjurisharma, posted in healing, health, Life, mental health, Science, wellness

Hello everyone! Have a wonderful and safe day 🙋🏻

Human population studies have shown that almost about 2 billion population suffer from Zinc deficiency in the world. Zinc is a trace mineral which is most vital for many of our body’s natural processes. It is not produced in the body but has to be supplemented by food sources and supplements.

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The body’s vital processes where zinc plays a significant role are :
1. Zinc acts as a co-factor in almost 1000 enzymes in protein synthesis.
It plays a role in cell division and DNA synthesis.

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2. It supports the immune system. Zinc reduces the oxidative stress and stimulates the particular immune cells like the mast cells which helps in fighting bacterial infections, viruses and promotes the immune response. So, it reduces the infection course in common cold. Also, because of it’s antioxidant properties, it helps in reducing inflammations in the body. In the present scenario of COVID 19 pandemic, Zinc is very effective in the prevention and management of COVID 19. Therefore, it is wise for us to daily have Zinc intake through food sources to have a strong and powerful immune system especially these days. 
3. It plays a vital role in the growth and development in-utero (during pregnancy), during childhood and adolescence. It plays a vital role in cell proliferation, metabolism. It helps in cognitive functions and learning.
4. It is essential for the proper functioning of the smell and taste senses.
5. It promotes wound healing. Because of anti-inflammatory property and its role in collagen synthesis, zinc is very essential in the healing of burns, ulcers and other skin injuries.

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6. Another important function of zinc is that it plays a very important role in neural functioning. It helps to control the brain body’s response to stress. Researches have shown that zinc supplements along with antidepressants given to depressed patients have dramatically improved symptoms.

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7. It plays an important role in skin health. It is widely distributed through the layers of the skin. Zinc acts as a transporter in the cells of the skin. Therefore, it’s deficiency causes a lot of skin problems like acne, eczema, dermatitis, rosacea, hyperpigmentation and also alopecia.
8. It is important for prostate health. Zinc concentration is highest in the prostate tissue. It helps in the synthesis of testosterone. Its deficiency can lead to hypogonadism.


9. Zinc helps in the storage of insulin in the beta cells of Pancrease. It is essential in the conversion of proinsulin to insulin. Therefore, zinc is significant in both the production and storage of insulin. Because of it’s, antioxidant properties, Zinc helps in lowering the oxidative damage caused by free radicals and reduces the effects of diabetes-induced complications. So, Zinc supplementation is very important in diabetics patients.

10. Zinc plays a vital role in the synthesis of melanin which is a protective pigment for the eyes. It helps to transport Vitamin A from the liver to the retina and helps in the production of melanin. Zinc deficiency can lead to poor or impaired vision.

So, this magical mineral has tremendous health benefits to talk about. Deficiency can lead to numerous health issues. To name a few like,

Delayed or retarded growth, various skin problems, weakened immune system, chronic diarrhoea, delayed sexual maturity, delayed healing of wounds, early ageing, poor vision and behavioural issues.

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Mineral food zinc supplements. Large medical capsule with Zinc letters and many small pills. 3d illustration.

Ideally, Zinc required for daily intake in a normal adult is 10 mg/day from food sources. Supplementation of 15-30mg/day is clinically recommended if deficient in Zinc related issues. But higher doses of daily consumption of about 60mg/day for about 10 weeks can lead to Zinc toxicity. Zinc supplementation is given in the form of Zinc acetate, Zinc sulphate, Zinc gluconate, Zinc citrate. Supplementation should be taken always under clinical supervision.

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Both plant and animal food sources of Zinc can be absorbed in the body. But, whole grains, legumes, cereals contains phytate which may inhibit the Zinc absorption in the body. This is a fact that needs to be aware of in case of a vegetarian diet. Fortified grains, cereals can be the substitute if deficiency issues arise. Other food sources of Zinc are :

Healthy product sources of zinc.
Healthy product sources of zinc. Food rich in Zn

Thanks for reading.

Blessings and much love to all 💐