blood tests can provide clues to strengthen your immune system

In the face of emerging health threats like the coronavirus, one question stands out: How prepared is my immune system? Interestingly, the key to understanding and boosting your immunity might be a simple blood test. Let's delve into how it works and the revolutionary microsampling device making it easier than ever.

Understanding the Role of Immunity

A robust immune system is our body's army against viruses, bacteria, fungi, and other pathogens. When contagions like COVID-19 threatened global health, it became evident that a stronger immune system could lead to milder symptoms. And the cornerstone to fortifying it? Knowledge. By understanding where your immune system stands, you can adopt strategies to enhance it.

Strengthening Defenses Against Pathogens

It's not the mere exposure to contagions that makes you sick but their ability to breach your body's defenses. These defenses comprise immune cells needing vital substances like amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. If you could find out where your immune system needs bolstering, wouldn't you want to?

The Gut-Immunity Connection

According to an article by nutritionist Jennifer Ann Steinort in Germany, more than 80% of your immune cells are located in your stomach and intestinal system. Steinort advises that if you want to strengthen your immune system, you should definitely pay more attention to your gut health. Eating foods like Greek yogurt, which contains live cultures and probiotics, can help. In addition to improving your gut health, you can strengthen your immune system by taking these steps:

• At-Home Blood Testing: Get a simple blood test to identify weak components of your immune system. Devices like Mitra^® are included in at-home blood sampling kits from for you eHealth that test for 15 immunity biomarkers. These give insights into your body's levels of essential amino acids, minerals, and vitamins.

• Supplement Strategically: Fortify your immune cells with nutritional supplements tailored for immune enhancement.

• Follow the 3 Pillars of Immunity: Engage in regular physical activity, maintain a nutritious diet, and ensure restful sleep. Each pillar is crucial for optimal immunity.

Using an At-Home Health Kit to Screen Your Immune System

Health kits that enable you to collect your own blood sample at home for analysis in a lab can help you determine the strength of your immune system. The Germany-based for you eHealth offers an at-home immune system kit that includes the Neoteryx^® Mitra^® device for remote blood collection from Trajan Scientific and Medical.

Customers order the at-home "immunsystem-test" online, which ships to customers in Europe in two days. The customer uses the Mitra devices included in the kit to collect a small blood sample using a simple finger-stick method. Blood samples are placed inside the provided packaging and sent to the designated laboratory for testing.

The lab analyzes the blood samples and sends results via a secure online interface to the company, which then privately imports the results and notifies their customer via email that test results are ready. The customer logs into a personal health account to get their test results and the recommendations for strengthening their immunity based on their results. For those interested, this company also offers a self-test kit that screens gut health.

Fortifying Your Body’s Immune Cells

If you often feel tired or get sick a lot, you may have a weak immune system that is deficient in certain vitamins, minerals and amino acids. According to the wellness team at for you eHealth, taking an individualized regimen of supplements can improve your immune system by bolstering these properties, including amino acids such as:

• Isoleucine & valine — these supply energy, maintain muscles, and protect immunity.
• leucine — protects the liver, guards against fatigue and depression, improves immune response.
• lysine — has antiviral properties that boost immunity and inhibit viral infections.
• methionine — has antioxidant, stress-relieving properties that positively impact the immune system and lowers histamine levels to help alleviate allergies.
• phenylalanine — relieves pain, improves mood and supports the body in the production of vital substances that improve immunity and well-being.
• threonine — supports the production of antibodies and immunoglobulins, keeps the blood vessels young and elastic, protects the stomach and intestines, and is essential for connective tissue and bones.
• tryptophan — plays a role in the production of serotonin and melatonin, which affects sleep quality and hormonal balance, which are needed to guard against illness and infection.

Reinforce the 3 Pillars of Immunity

1. It should come as no surprise that the traditional tenets of good health—plenty of exercise, good nutrition, and plenty of rest—are also the pillars of a strong immune system. First, if you can exercise daily, whether that means walking or engaging in sports, the physical activity will keep your immune system functioning at a higher level.
   
   
2. Try to eat a fresh and varied menu that includes five servings of whole fruits and vegetables daily. Drink eight glasses of mineral water or herbal tea every day and try to eat more high-fiber foods. Consider reducing your alcohol intake, since it weakens the immune system.
   
   
3. Make sure you get at least 6-8 hours of quality sleep every night, and also find ways to reduce your stress every day. Sleep is the time when your body heals itself. During the night, your body releases immunologically active substances to replenish your system. Too much stress and too little sleep equate to lowered immunity, so do what you can to rest and relax as much as possible.

In this new age of “Super Bugs,” a strong immune system is our best defense against disease. For people with strong immunity, most pathogens are destroyed before causing illness. Or, if an illness develops, it is usually mild and doesn’t require medical intervention. For people who wish to avoid unnecessary exposure to contagions, remote blood collection and home health kits can help protect them from disease as they manage their health. 

All content provided by Neoteryx, including without limitation all information discussed herein, is furnished for informational purposes only and does not constitute or replace medical advice obtained from your medical practitioner. Readers and listeners of our content understand and acknowledge their responsibility to obtain medical care, treatment, and guidance from their physician or other medical practitioner. Never delay or disregard professional medical advice or treatment based on information provided in our blogs, podcasts or other materials at www.neoteryx.com.