Amino acids and the immune system

Everyone is talking about the immune system, but how does it actually work?

Amino acids and the immune system

Before we discuss the very important role of each amino acid in the immune system, here is a brief overview of the structure and function of the immune system.

Without an immune system, there is no survival. Without an immune system, death from external invaders, i.e. infections, is inevitable.
Some cells, first and foremost the lymphocytes, have very important functions within this system. They have the task of distinguishing between friend and foe. They therefore learn to recognize an almost endless number of foreign invaders and develop a great memory in this direction. They recognize old enemies and even after a long time a second time and the same intruder has no chance.

In practice, this means that we are immune to many infections that we once had, so we never get them again. For us, a matter of course, but nevertheless a remarkable achievement of the body.

Different types of immune systems:

  • Innate immune system
  • Acquired immune system

1. the innate immune system

Consists essentially of the following components:

Natural barriersformed by the top layer of cells in the respiratory and digestive tracts.

White blood cellsThese are lymphocytes, granulocytes and monocytes. These then act as scavenger cells and surround an intruder and render it harmless.

Humoral factors, these are diverse proteins produced in response to invaders, such as interferons and lysozymes.

Dendritic cellsThese bind antigens and present them to the special defense cells, to which they can react specifically.

The innate immune system reacts very quicklybut is not specific and has no memory effect. If this means that an indentation cannot be fully detected, the -> Acquired immune system on the plan

2. the acquired immune system

The acquired immune system consists of the following components:

T lymphocytes: They form special antibodies called immunoglobulins that can neutralize invading microorganisms.

B lymphocytes: These can eliminate invaders by toxins, e.g. activate cytokines or other immune cells

Der Großteil dieser beiden Zellarten ist in der Milz und den Lymphknoten abgespeichert. Einige dieser Zellen leben besonders lange, da sie sich als sogenannte Gedächtniszellen bestimmte Eindringlinge merken und sofort auf diese Art eliminieren. Beide Immunsysteme können nur funktionieren, wenn ausreichend Aminosäuren für die Synthese der Abwehr-Proteine vorhanden sind.

For a well-functioning immune system a sufficient amino acid supply is important

Die Abwehrkräfte stehen besonders in der kalten Jahreszeit unter einer Dauerbelastung und werden zu Höchstleistung gefordert. Jeden Tag attackieren uns feindliche Bakterien und Viren. Auch wenn wir essen oder trinken, strömen unzählige Krankheitserreger in unseren Körper. Jede Berührung kann uns mit schädlichen Mirkoorganismen in Kontakt bringen.

The immune system is our body's own protective force, which watches day and night to ensure that invaders do no harm to our body. However, the body must also be able to render enemies from within, such as degenerate cells, harmless. The immune system can recognize such foreign and unwanted cells, render them harmless and expel them from the body.

With frequently recurring infections, the body signals to us that the immune system is overtaxed. An important prerequisite for its good functioning can be created simply by providing the organism with sufficient building materials for the diverse tasks.

Amino acids play an important role for the immune system

Here it depends on a balanced composition and sophisticated dosage.

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