Every day, every hour and every second, our immune system fights pathogens. Pathogens are viruses, fungi, parasites (for example, worms), protozoa and bacteria that cause disease. The immune system consists of cells, organs, proteins, and tissues that work together to prevent and fight disease. If a person did not have an immune system, the body would quickly be overwhelmed by pathogens and would succumb to them. This is exactly what happens after a person's death – the body is overwhelmed by pathogens, and it decomposes.

When it comes to immunity, it is important to remember that we can distinguish between innate (nonspecific) and acquired (adaptive, specific) immunity. Nonspecific immunity is inherited, while specific immunity is acquired during life.

So, what exactly is innate or nonspecific immunity? Nonspecific immunity is the genetically determined immunity with which we are born. It provides general protection against pathogens. This general defence system works all the time to prevent infections. It is fast - reacts in minutes or hours. Inherited immunity includes:

• physical barriers, such as skin and mucous membranes,
• antimicrobial enzymes in body fluids (e.g. tears) and stomach acid,
• reflexes such as coughing and sneezing,
• cells such as macrophages, basophils, and natural killer cells (NK cells).

Natural killer cells are a type of leukocytes. Leukocytes are white blood cells that help the body fight infection. NK cells protect the body from cells infected by both tumours and viruses. NK cells recognize foreign or infected cells by their surface molecule, MHC I (major histocompatibility complex). Natural killer cells are activated with the help of interferon - low molecular weight antiviral proteins and have an important task: to help the innate (nonspecific) immune system and the acquired (specific) immune system to communicate with each other. NK cells are the only type of T-cells that are considered nonspecific, and these cells directly attack "invaders".

What is acquired or specific immunity? Specific immunity is formed after the body has been exposed to specific pathogens and can be called a future type of protection. This is how the body remembers what dangers exist and how to fight them. Given that specific immunity is based on pathogens and varies significantly both in different geographical regions and in the human environment in general, the acquired immunity will be very different for a person in Europe compared to a person in Africa or Asia. Babies who have not yet been exposed to any pathogen do not have an acquired immune system.

The main cells that help develop and maintain specific immunity are T lymphocytes (thymus cells) and B lymphocytes (bone marrow cells). T cells are associated with cell-mediated immunity, and B cells with humoral immunity, or antibody production. The function of T and B lymphocytes is to recognize specific foreign antigens that are not normally present in the body.

T lymphocyte subpopulation Th cells (T helper cells) form cytokines that regulate immune processes, while the subpopulation of T cytotoxic cells contains toxic granules that can lead to the death of infected cells. Cytotoxic T cells are like scalpels, killing only the cells for which they are intended and leaving everything else intact. These cells are identified by their antigens.

B cells are specific immune cells and are activated only by specific pathogens. By triggering these cells, they form specific antibodies that react directly to the specific antigen, coat it, and facilitate its recognition and destruction. Antibodies are always part of the specific immune system and are produced for every disease that the body has encountered. After the destruction of the antigen, T and B lymphocytes usually form memory cells, which will accelerate the immune response if in the future the body again encounters a certain antigen.

Th cells (T helper cells) are aptly named because they mainly help stimulate B lymphocytes to produce certain types of antibodies, and then help develop natural killer cells to fight disease.

The main functions of acquired immunity are:

• recognize foreign, specific antigens at the time of their appearance,
• generate a response that is adapted to eliminate to the maximum extent possible the specific pathogens or pathogen-infected cells,
• develop immunological memory, in which pathogens are "marked" through the memory of B and T cells,
• Within 4–7 days, create a significant reaction to the destruction of infected cells, preventing pathogens from multiplying further and sustaining the infection.

To strengthen immunity and respiratory health and to reduce fatigue in adults and children from 12 years of age, we have developed a natural and effective dietary supplement, IMMUNOKLER, which is manufactured in Latvia. It contains black elderberry (Sambucus Nigra L.), yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) 1.3-1.6 beta-glucans, L-glutamine, vitamin C, zinc and vitamin D. The unique formulation of IMMUNOKLER and daily dosage ensure a complete set of vitamins and minerals for the normal functioning of the immune system. No additional use of other products is required.

Find out more about the product here: IMMUNOKLER