Page 47 - ELITE PLUS MAGAZINE VOL11

And just like a healthy diet, exercise can contribute to general good health and to a healthy immune systempillars of healthy living. It improves cardiovascular health, lowers blood pressure, helps control body weight and protects against disease. And just like a healthy diet, exercise can contribute to general good health and to a healthy immune system. It may contribute even more directly by improving blood circulation, allowing cells and substances of the immune system to move through the body and do their job efficiently. Even though a direct beneficial link hasn’t been established yet, it is reasonable to consider regular moderate exercise as an essential part of healthy living, keeping the immune system and other body functions healthy. Moderate exercise is not difficult to incorporate, since a daily 30-minute walk will satisfy most requirements and help the immune system fight infection. If we don’t exercise regularly, we are more likely to get colds. Exercise can alsoboost body chemicals and help us sleep better.Ageing and immunityResearchers believe that the ageing process leads to a poorer immune response, in turn leading to more infections, inflammatory diseases and serious conditions such as cancer. As life expectancy in developed countries has increased, so too has the incidence of age-related problems. Investigating the ageing process can benefit all of us.Although some people age well, many studies have shown that the elderly are far more prone to infectious diseases. Respiratory tract infections, influenza and more serious ailments such as pneumonia are leading causes of death in those over 65.Many researchers are looking at the connection between nutrition and immunity in the elderly. A formof malnutrition that is surprisingly common even in affluent countries is “micronutrient malnutrition”, a deficiency in certain essential vitamins and trace minerals normally obtained from or supplemented by diet. This can be common in the elderly. Older people tend to eat less often and have less variety in their diets. On the other hand, macronutrients consisting of proteins, carbohydrates and fats are unlikely to be an issue since they are well represented in a normal diet. To combat micronutrient deficiency in the elderly, it is recommended to take a multivitamin and mineral tablet to secure the daily requirements. This kind of common dietary supplement may help older people maintain a healthy immune system and boost quality of life in their later years.Elite+ 45