Put simply, your immune system defends your body against illness and disease. This complex system comprises the skin cells, blood, bone marrow, tissues, and organs that — when working the way they should — protect your body against potentially harmful pathogens (like bacteria and viruses), and limit damage from noninfectious agents (like sunburn or cancer), according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Think of the immune system as an orchestra. For the best performance, you want every instrument and every musician in the orchestra to perform at their best. You don’t necessarily want one musician to perform at double speed or one instrument to suddenly produce sound at twice the volume it usually does. You want every part to perform exactly according to the score.
The same goes for your immune system. To best protect your body from harm, every component of your immune system needs to perform exactly according to plan. The best way you can ensure this happens is to practice the good-for-you behaviors your immune system runs on every day. Here are seven key ones.
To read about the key behaviors your immune system runs on click here.