Immune System Support

Explore and shop for herbs that provide natural support for a healthy immune system.

Our immune system is an amazing network of protection designed to keep us healthy and prevent infection. Unlike the digestive system or cardiovascular system that are easily distinguishable, the immune system uses the body’s organs, tissues, and cells to protect us from, bacteria, parasites, microbes, toxins, foreign bodies and are own defective cells.

All immune cells come from bone marrow and mature into different types of cells depending in the part of the body they are in. These parts of the body include:

Skin: The skin is the first line of defense to keeping disease and illness out of our body. It provides a barrier and secretes antimicrobial proteins and immune cells.

Bone Marrow: This is where our immune cells that fight disease and infection begin. Bone marrow contains the common myeloid stem cells which produce immediate response immune cells. Immediate response immune cells include neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, mast cells, monocytes, dendritic cells, and macrophages immune cells. Lymphoid progenitor stem cells are also found in bone marrow and produce adaptive immune cells that may be retained as a memory cell. These immune cells include B cells, T cells, and Natural Killer cells (NK Cells).

Blood stream: The circulatory system provides the transport for the immune cells (also referred to as white blood cells) that constantly patrol our bodies looking for issues.

Thymus: This is the organ where T cells mature.

Lymphatic System: The lymphatic system is a network of ducts filled with extracellular fluid and lymphoid organs call lymph nodes, it is the communication network between the blood stream and the rest of the body. This system also carries immune cells which congregate in the lymph nodes and inspect information coming from the rest of the body. It a problem is found the cells replicate and leave the lymph nodes to address the problem.

Spleen: The spleen processes information from the blood steam and enriches immune cells. When a blood pathogen is found it activates the immune cells.

Mucosal Tissue: Mucosal tissue is located at strategic entry points, such as in the respiratory tract and gut. Specialized immune hubs are located in the mucosal tissue to combat any pathogens that may try to enter.

Below is a selection of herbs that benefit the function of the immune system. We encourage you to research their properties and seek guidance from your doctor, acupuncturist, or herbalist to determine which herbs or herbal combinations are right for your situation.

References
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320101#the-immune-response
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immune_system
https://www.niaid.nih.gov/research/immune-system-overview