It is impossible to talk about wellness without considering your immune health.  While the phrase wellness can mean something different to everyone, at its core being well is about nourishing the body so you can thrive at all stages of life.  Your immune system is the foundation that supports that journey.

Immune cells work hard every day, constantly making decisions and taking action to protect you against environmental threats and pathogens.  But lifestyle factors, especially nutrition, play a huge part in how well it functions.

If wellness is a priority for you, learning about these five critical nutrients is an essential first step.

How does your immune system keep you healthy?

A well-functioning immune system means that your body can defend itself against anything that could adversely affect your health.

The immune system is comprised of two parts:

• Innate: The innate immune system acts as a first responder to protect you against perceived threats like viruses, bacteria, or toxins. While it cannot differentiate between various pathogens, it works by sending a message to your immune cells to respond quickly to take care of the problem.
• The adaptive immune system kicks in after recognizing specific threats and responds with targeted antibodies.

A simple way to think about the adaptive immune system is to consider children who attend daycare early.  The first few months are often miserable as they pick up every bug they are exposed to.  Over time, their immune system wakes up, recognizes the same germs or antigens, and can fight back.  This is the adaptive (with help from the innate) immune system at work.

Both branches of your immune system depend on proper nutrition, especially micronutrients, to function optimally. Research clearly tells us that less-than-optimal nutrition status can lead to a compromised immune system.