Tuesday 12 May 2020

What is Cytokine Storm?

The phase "cytokine storm" has been popping up in the news regarding COVID-19.

Some people are calling it an"overblown immune system response," while others are saying it happens due to the immune system being too "strong."

First, let us understand what is the immune system?
The immune system is our body's army. A healthy immune system - it detects invaders, such as viruses and bacteria, and mounts and attack strong enough to neutralize them. When our immune system is healthy, when the defense job is done, the army rests until the next enemy comes along.

What are cytokines?
Cytokines are small proteins that different immune cells use for communication. For example, pro-inflammatory cytokines call upon the immune army to attack, while anti-inflammatory cytokines tell the immune system that the job is done and to back off.

Are cytokines bad?
Cytokines are not inherently bad. The immune system needs cytokines to work properly. When the immune system is healthy, is functioning perfectly, pro-inflammatory cytokines and anti-inflammatory cytokines work together to neutralize an invader - first by attacking it, and then, by backing off, so immune system is not perpetually in attack mode.

Thus for cytokines storm, what happened was immune system was malfunctions, it cannot control itself, it doesn't know when to back off, cannot stop attacking even after defeating enemy. This resulting collateral damage affects the body's own cells, tissues and organs.

In the other words, people who suffered cytokines storm, they have a defect in their immune system that tells it to keep attacking when it by right should be stopped.

It is like having the gas pedal in a car pressed to the floor while brakes are broken, the car keep running and cannot stop. It is not an issue of the car's horsepower being too high.

There are many factors to trigger cytokines storm, not necessarily only Covid-19 virus. Thus, keep our immune system in a balance and healthy state, not too strong or too weak. What we need is a healthy immune system.









https://health.clevelandclinic.org/can-immune-system-go-haywire-falter/



Now we understand cytokines storm is due to immune system malfunction, immune system malfunction could be due to many reasons, including unhealthy diets, lifestyle, stress and etc.

This is what NI lifestyle has been advocating for too. A healthy diet, adequate of exercise, sufficient of rest & stable emotion.

When coming to food, is there any food can helps us to handle stress better?





We are blessed not only we get to know NI, but get to enjoy NI food to look after our immune system too.

Other than Soypro has ginseng in it to help to us to handle stress better, this month we have 2 awesome promotions too, coming in to help us handle stress better, so we can keep our immune system healthy and balance.


https://nutritionalimmunologylifestyle.blogspot.com/2020/05/yes-may-is-here-we-have-series-of.html

Life is beautiful, when we have a solution not only for ourselves, but able to share out too :)


Jinny Lim
Excellence Lifestyle Coach
Mobile number: +65-92963562

Follow me on my FB & IG too!
IG: jinny_923

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