How to Improve Immunity in Children?

The immune system, which consists of a large number of white blood cells, helps protect your child from various diseases and infections. It identifies harmful microorganisms and substances as foreign materials and acts to eliminate them. However, children have a higher risk of getting infections compared to adults because their immunity is still developing. The immune system can memorise various microorganisms and substances, to which your child has previously exposed. Then, it is able to act vigorously against the particular foreign material following a subsequent exposure. Your child acquires immunity against various pathogens and substances with time. Therefore, the risk of getting illnesses decreases gradually. Anyway, some simple habits and measures can boost their immunity.

Facts About Vitiligo

Vitiligo is a common condition, which affects about one per cent of people. Some areas of the skin lose the normal pigment (depigmentation) and become white. It occurs due to loss of melanocytes in the affected areas. Melanocytes are cells, which are in the skin and produce the pigment known as melanin. This pigment gives the skin its normal colour. Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease. Sometimes, the immune system of your body may produce antibodies against the melanocytes. Therefore, these antibodies destroy the melanocytes in some areas of the skin. Then, the skin cannot sufficiently produce melanin.

Vitiligo occurs in women and men from all races evenly. However, it can be easily identified in individuals with dark skins. Vitiligo can affect people of any age. However, about 50 % of the patients get it before 20 years. It doesn’t spread to others. About 20 % of individuals with vitiligo have a family member with the same disease. The exact mechanism of inheritance has not been recognised yet. If a person has vitiligo, it doesn’t mean that his or her kids are going to have it too. There is no association between vitiligo and your diet.

Exercise and Arthritis in Your Knees

Arthritis is characterised by the joint inflammation, resulting in pain, swelling, and decreased movements of the affected joint. It is among the leading causes of disability in people over 55 years of age. In arthritis, the affected joint and the muscles, which move the particular joint, become painful, weak, and stiff.

Arthritis in the knee results in painful, weak, stiff knee joint, and the quadriceps femoris muscle. This quadriceps muscle, which has four parts or heads and runs from the hip to the knee, is the main protector of your knee joint. It is at the front part of the thigh and helps straighten the leg. Arthritis in your knee joint causes difficulty in bending, walking, and participating in exercise, sports, and daily physical activities. However, certain stretching and strengthening exercises help offer some relief.

Yoghurt for Losing Weight

Obesity and being overweight are big issues in modern populations. People, who diet to lose their body weight, usually fail to keep up their weight goals for a long period. However, regular exercise and calorie restriction with a balanced healthy diet help achieve your weight goals effectively. They are the key factors of a healthy weight loss.

A group of researchers from the University of Tennessee carried out a research to see an association between body weight loss and the yoghurt consumption. They published their results in International Journal of Obesity in January 2005. The researchers found that those who used to consume three portions of low-fat yoghurt daily shed more body weight, especially belly fat, compared to those who dieted and didn’t consume yoghurt.

Exercise and Your Nervous System

Your nervous system is among the two primary control systems of your body. Other control system is your endocrine system. The nervous system regulates the voluntary and involuntary activities and functions of the body. Therefore, it works with other organ systems in a coordinated manner and regulates their functions. It helps respond to challenges like exercise, sports, physical activities, and diseases. Your nervous system can be easily divided into central and peripheral nervous systems. However, these two parts work together closely. The central nervous system basically consists of the brain and the spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system mainly contains sensory (afferent) and motor (efferent) nerve fibres (these nerve fibres arise from the central nervous system) as well as the motor end plates on muscle fibres, and sensory receptors.

Exercise and Your Digestive System

Your digestive system (gastrointestinal system) helps absorb micronutrients, macronutrients, electrolytes, and water from the food you consume. Therefore, it is important for your health as well as the normal functions. The macronutrients include carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. The micronutrients are minerals and vitamins. These nutrients are essential to create the basic structure of your body and regulate the normal functions of cells and tissues. Without adequate amounts of nutrients, you cannot keep up your health, perform exercise and physical activities, and train for athletic and sport competition.

Exercise and Your Urinary System

Your urinary system mainly contains two kidneys, two ureters, the urinary bladder, and the urethra. Each kidney connects to the urinary bladder through a ureter, which is a tube-like structure. The bladder is a muscular hollow, and elastic organ, which can store urine temporarily. It connects to the outside via the urethra, which is a tube. A renal artery supplies the blood, oxygen, and the nutrients to each kidney. A renal vein carries blood from each kidney.

The urinary system basically helps eliminate waste products from your body and regulate the volume, electrolyte concentration, and the acidity (pH value) of the body fluids (in the blood, cells, and the tissues) within the normal range. It controls long-term acid-base balance, because changes in the metabolism cause alterations of the acidity (pH value) in the body. Therefore, it keeps up the internal environment stable. During the metabolism, the cells produce various waste and toxic substances. Your urinary system removes most of them (except for carbon dioxide and some others) via urine. It mainly helps regulate the volume and osmolarity (a measure of electrolyte concentration) of your body fluids by handling water and sodium balance within the body.

Exercise and Your Respiratory System

Your respiratory system mainly consists of the airways, the lungs, and the respiratory muscles. The respiratory muscles include the muscles of your chest wall (internal and external intercostal muscles) and the diaphragm. Sometimes, the neck and the abdominal muscles also help breathe. The respiratory muscles produce respiratory movements hence the inhalation and exhalation. During inhalation (inspiration), they help expand your lungs and create a low pressure within the lungs compared with the environment. Therefore, the air moves into the lungs from the outside. While in exhalation (expiration), the respiratory muscles reduce the expansion of your lungs, increasing the pressure within the lungs than the environment. Consequently, the air moves to the outside from your lungs.

Exercise and Your Cardiovascular System

Your cardiovascular system basically contains the heart, blood vessels (arteries, veins, and capillaries), and the blood. It takes oxygen from your lungs and helps transport oxygen, nutrients, other substances via the blood to all tissues throughout your body. It also facilitates nutrient absorption from your gastrointestinal tract as well as the elimination of waste products from the tissues. Your heart muscle (myocardium) rhythmically contracts to pump the blood throughout your body. This rhythmical activity is regulated by the nervous system and the endocrine system.