Bacteria that Boost the Immune System - Essay Example

? Running Head: BACTERIA THAT BOOST THE IMMUNE SYSTEM Bacteria that Boost the Immune System Human Anatomy of you Introduction In the field of cellular biology, science and technology has made its tremendous advancement in the society and apply its changes in the produce of nature without compromising the safety to offer alternatives that assist healing take its natural course to make the body healthy (Immune Systems, 2011). Bacteria are damaging organisms that are known to cause simple to life threatening diseases in the human beings and animals. They are known for their various characteristics such as extreme flexibility, its ability to reproduce, and capacity to grow rapidly. Certain bacteria such as actinomycetes produce antibiotics; and others are identified to naturally inhabit and live symbiotically in some parts of the human body. The intestine of human is loaded with certain types of balanced bacteria that support the function of immune system. However, there are times when an imbalance of bacteria takes place after antibiotics are administered for certain types of infection in the body that result to overgrowth of “bad” bacteria which eventually suppressed the immune function of the body. The requirement of the system for nutrients is met when the environment and circumstance are normal. On the other hand, nutritional deficiencies are identified when a person is under stress. This paper aims to discuss the importance of bacteria and the effect of boosting the immune system of the human body. Definition Bacteria Bacteria are group of single – cell, microscopic living things, not classified as plants and animals (MedExpert, 2011). Immune System Immune system is defined as a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs working together as a defense of the body against foreign invader attacks. The body provides an environment ideal for microbes to live in, and since these microbes eventually cause infections, it is the duty of the immune system to attack and destroy these microbes (Immune System, 2011 and National Institute of Allergy and Immune Disease, 2011). Background Biology of Bacteria Bacteria are single – celled microscopic prokaryote organism, and is known as the oldest and simplest specie that appeared on earth. They are basically made up of three different shapes, namely: rod or stick, cocci or ball shape and helical or spiral shape (American Museum of Natural History, 1998). Bacteria reproduce through asexual reproduction, and are not enclosed by a cell membrane but by a rigid cell wall known as peptidoglycan (Kimball, 2011). They proved themselves to be symbiotic and harmless to the existence of human beings; however, in some cases, they were established to be accountable to cause diseases around us that may result to untimely death (American Museum of Natural History, 1998). Bacteria play a great role in the ecosystem and are considered to be very important in the field of medicine because of its ability to help make drugs, hormones, and antibodies (American Museum of Natural History, 1998). Bacteria and its effect in the immune system is relevant in the current trend of medicine in view of the fact that it became the basis in the development of the antibiotics and its innovation holds a great purpose in the disease process and its treatment. Biology of Immune System Scientist continuously ignores the healthy issues and goes on with their study on the defense of the body against invading microorganisms, infected cells and tumors. As a result, scientists’ new technologies to identify the immune cells of individuals were able to unravel rapidly the genetic blueprints that direct the immune response of human beings. As a result of the advance information on the new technology and genetic information, more information about protection of the body from diseases is no doubt revealed (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, 2011). Issue about Bacteria and Immune System Jaret (2005) discusses in his article entitled “Boost your immunity” the different types of food and conditions that can help a person stay away from being sick and boost immunity to help him fight against common colds and flu. At the beginning of his article, Jaret (2005) mentioned several medicinal plants and herbs that contain substances known to be active in fighting against certain bacteria and certain types of viruses. He noted that to get away from its unpleasant taste, honey, sugar, and lemon can be added to make the concoction taste better. Several herbal plants are mentioned that helps in treating colds and flu by boosting the immune system of an individual. These include the andrographis, astragalus, elderberry, honeysuckle and forsythia, and pelargonium siloides. Other than medicinal herbs and plants, Jaret (2005) also mentioned friendly bacteria that turn milk to yogurt. In the lining of the digestive tract, live antibodies are noted to have been produced by around 70 percent of immune cells present. People who regularly keep their immune system up by taking this probiotics in at least three months will experience a reduced duration of common colds and flu. Certain food supplements such as vitamin c and zinc are known to combat common colds and flu by fighting against it and shorten its duration. Lastly, Jaret (2005) mentioned that getting away from stressful environment and conditions; regular healthy food intake, moderate exercise, and drinking lots of fluids help someone boost his immune system. Another article by Ibrahim, et al. (2010) noted that cheese can act as a carrier of a certain type of probiotic, and was discovered to preserve and enhance the elderly immune system by scientist in Finland. Immunosenescene, a certain type of age - related deterioration in the immune response can be prevented by daily intake of a probiotic present in cheese. Ibrahim, et al. (2010) reported that a study was done among aged individuals in the nursing home by a Dr. Ibrahim and his team particularly on the gastrointestinal tract, where 70 percent of immunoglobulin vital in the body are created, and after the study, blood tests were extracted. Extracted blood revealed that an increase in the immune system was noted after letting the subject eat the probiotic Gouda cheese compared to individuals who were not given the cheese. They therefore concluded that regular probiotic cheese intake had improved and helped boost the immune system among elderly individuals in the nursing home (Ibrahim, et al., 2010). Organic Nutrition (2009) stated that it is necessary and strongly recommended to boost the immune system of individuals because a good strong immune system is absolutely vital to fight against all types of diseases and infections. Every day, we encounter conditions such as poor diet and lack of sleep, inability or lack of exercise, too much stress and many other factors that may result to deterioration of our immune system (Organic Nutrition, 2009). To counteract this phenomenon, Organic Nutrition (2009) recommended that laughter and cheerful outlook in life accompanied with daily exercise and eating herbal foods help strengthen the immune system of individuals. Echinacea, Astragalus, Ginseng, Barberry and Ginger are also known for its immune boosting capacity (Organic Nutrition, 2009). Lastly, a reprinted article from World Journal of Gastroenterology stated that the health effects exerted by the probiotics is still unclear to date; however, this study that investigates the immunomodulatory effects of probiotics in healthy individuals revealed that an anti – inflammatory effect of probiotics was observed among healthy adults (Kekkonen, et al. 2008). Conclusion From various articles reviewed, it was found out that 70 percent of certain types of good microorganisms or bacteria are present in the gastrointestinal tract of human that help boost the immune system of human beings protecting them from the simplest type of infection such as colds and flu to the most deadly form of immune deficiency such as cancer. We also found out that taking antibiotics which are designed to kill microorganisms, not only kill bad bacteria present in the gastrointestinal tract, but most especially, the good microorganisms present in the GIT. Hence, for us not to get sick or get caught by infections, it is highly recommended that we should not only take food supplements but also eat healthy foods and beverages and live a happy and healthy lifestyle. References American Museum of Natural History, 1998, Bacteria, http://www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/youngnaturalistawards/1998/bacteria.html Ibrahim, F., Ruvio, S., Granlund, L. Salminen, S., and Viitanen, M. 2010. Probiotics and immunosenescence: cheese as a carrier. FEMS Immunology & Medical Microbiology, 59 (1): 53 – 59. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1574-695X.2010.00658.x/full Immune System, 2011, Immune System, http://immunedisorders.homestead.com/index.html Jaret, P. 2005. Boost you Immunity. Retrieved November Kekkonen, R., Lummela, N., and Karjalainen, H. (2008). Probiotic intervention has strain-specific anti-inflammatory effects in healthy adults. World Journal of Gastroenterology, 14(13): 2029 – 2036. Retrieved from http://www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/14/2029.asp Kimball, J. 2011. Bacteria. Retrieved on November 15, 2011, from http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/E/Eubacteria.html MedExpert. 2011. Interesting Facts about Antibiotics. Retrieved November 15, 2011, from http://www.emedexpert.com/tips/antibiotics-facts.shtml National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. 2011. Immune System. Retrieved on November 16, 2011, from http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/immuneSystem/Pages/default.aspx Organic Nutrition. 2009. A Strong Immune System will help you to Fight off all Manner of Disease, Cold, and Flu’s. Retrieved on November 15, 2011, from http://www.organicnutrition.co.uk/articles/immune.htm Wiley, J. 2010. Cheese -- Acting as 'Carrier' for Probiotic Bacteria -- Found to Improve Immune Response of Elderly. Retrieved on November 16, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100513071957.htm Read More