How does innate immunity influence adaptive immunity?
The immune system fights germs and foreign substances on the skin, in the tissues of the body and in bodily fluids such as blood.
Adaptive immunity is initiated when an innate immune response fails to eliminate a new infection, and antigen and activated antigen-presenting cells are delivered to the draining lymphoid tissues.
Vitamin D is known to affect a number of pathways in our cells that relate to immune function, in part by modifying gene expression. In a recent publication featured in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, researchers looked at the effects of activated vitamin D on human immune cells at different time intervals. They found diverse effects on both the innate and the adaptive immune system, and proposed that this might help us to understand the role of this vitamin in moderating immunity.
With immunity staying in the spotlight for the foreseeable future, research like this helps us consider how our dietary and supplementation choices affect our physiology and our immunity.
For more on the connection between diet and the immune system, head over to our Learning Center for related blog posts.
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Be your best health!
Doc Sage,
Integrative Practitioner
