Can you actually boost your immune system? Here's the truth | Body Stuff with Dr. Jen Gunter

Transcriber:

翻译人员: 新 陈 校对人员: Yanyan Hong

Turmeric ginger shots, elderberry syrup, vitamin C tablets.

姜黄生姜饮料、 接骨木糖浆、维C片。

No one likes to be sick,

没人喜欢生病，

so it’s 100 percent understandable why we’re all intrigued

因此，那些宣称能增强免疫力 产品总能吸引我们，

by products that promise to boost our immune system.

完全可以理解。

(Music)

（音乐）

[ 珍·冈特博士（Dr. Jen Gunter） 《关于身体的那些事》]

[Body Stuff with Dr. Jen Gunter]

The problem is that we often think about the immune system in the wrong way.

问题在于我们常常 对免疫系统有错误的看法。

We think of it like a muscle that we can strengthen

我们以为它像是一块肌肉，

通过补充抗氧化剂和补品 就能强化它的力量，

by feeding it lots of antioxidants and supplements.

But that's just not how the immune system works.

但是免疫系统并不是这么运作的。

While the immune system can be suppressed

虽然免疫系统可能会受抑制，

and can be less effective --

并降低功效——

for example, in people receiving chemotherapy --

以在人们接受化疗时为例——

the reverse, strengthening the system overall,

但总体而言，免疫系统

just doesn't happen.

并不会因此增强。

Our immune system is what protects us

我们的免疫系统

保护我们免受常见的一些

from the bacteria, viruses, fungi and toxins

细菌、病毒、真菌和毒素的侵害。

we encounter on a constant basis.

It also plays an integral part in wound healing.

它在我们的伤口愈合过程中 发挥着不可或缺的作用。

It’s an elegant network of cells, tissues and organs,

它是一个精细网络，

细胞、组织以及器官 在其中一起运作。

all working together.

You can think of the immune system in two broad terms,

免疫系统可以大致分为两部分，

innate immunity and adaptive immunity.

先天免疫系统和适应性免疫系统。

Innate immunity means nonspecific defense mechanisms,

先天免疫系统防御， 是非特异性的防御机制，

and this is our first line of protection.

也是我们的第一道防线。

It helps fight off pathogens before they cause a problem.

它的作用是 在病原体引发问题前将其击退。

It's like a bouncer at the door of a club.

它就像是俱乐部门口站岗的保安。

The innate immunity keeps invaders out

先天免疫系统 在入侵者进入之后的短时间内

就将这些入侵者清除或中和了，

or neutralizes them shortly after entry so they don't start a fight inside.

因此它们不会在内部发起战斗。

It can only recognize self,

它只能识别自身抗原，

meaning what's allowed in the club,

也就是被允许进入俱乐部的，

and nonself,

以及非自身抗原，

meaning what's not allowed inside.

也就是不允许进入俱乐部的。

Think the physical barriers of our skin,

想想我们的皮肤、鼻毛，

the hairs in our nose, the eyelashes that blink out dirt,

以及避免灰尘进入的睫毛，

even vaginal discharge that prevents infections.

甚至是起防止感染作用的 阴道分泌物，

所做出的物理防御。

Now if a pathogen does manage to get past the first line of defense,

如果病原体冲破了第一道防线，

we have another layer of protection,

我们还有一道防线，

the adaptive immune system,

适应性免疫系统，可以发挥作用，

which is more complex and targeted than our bouncer.

它比我们的第一道防线 更加复杂，也更有靶向性。

The adaptive immune system responds to antigens.

适应性免疫系统对抗原做出反应，

Antigens are unique proteins on the surface of pathogens,

抗原是病原体表面的特殊蛋白质，

which helps identify what kind of pathogen it is.

用来识别具体是哪种病原体，

Kind of like a name tag.

作用有点像姓名牌。

Your immune system is constantly reading name tags,

你的免疫系统 一直在读取这些姓名牌，

and when one is recognized as being on the no-entry list,

当它识别到一个 不在准入名单上的姓名牌时，

the adaptive immune system creates special immune cells to attack,

就会产生特殊的免疫细胞 发起攻击，

which are specialized white blood cells called lymphocytes.

这些免疫细胞是 特殊类型的白细胞，

称为淋巴细胞。

Here's what's really amazing:

真正让人惊叹的是：

our immune system remembers this process.

我们的免疫系统 形成了对这一过程的记忆。

So the next time we're exposed to that same pathogen,

再次遇到同样的病原体时，

our immune system recognizes it

我们的免疫系统会识别出它，

and remembers how to respond.

并且依照记忆做出相应的反应。

While we're not sure how many different antigens we can recognize,

我们尚不清楚 人体能识别出多少抗原，

some scientists think that we produce over a billion antibodies.

但是一些科学家认为 人体产生的抗体数目超过十亿。

But the important thing to remember

需要记住重要的一点是，

is that our immune system has many different parts

我们的免疫系统分为不同的部分，

playing many different roles.

每个部分发挥着不同的作用。

That's what makes this concept of "boosting" so problematic.

因此，“增强”这个说法 是漏洞百出的，

When people say "boost the immune system,"

当人们说 “增强免疫系统”的时候，

what do they even mean?

他们真正说的是什么呢？

Do they mean boost the histamine

他们是在说，

that's released when exposed to poison ivy?

强化身体碰到毒漆藤时 做出免疫反应释放出的组胺吗？

Well, that would you itch a lot more.

那样的话，你不是会觉得更痒吗？

Do they mean supercharge your T and B cells?

他们说的是增强 你的 T 细胞和 B 细胞免疫功能吗？

那会使你的身体 像进行自体免疫时那样，

Might that lead your body to attack its own cells,

as we see with autoimmune conditions?

攻击自身的细胞吗？

Instead of thinking of a muscle that you can strengthen

与其将它想象成一块

经一次简简单单锻炼 就能强化的肌肉，

with one simple exercise,

a better analogy may be a garden.

倒不如将它想象成一个花园。

Your immune system has many components,

你的免疫系统有很多的组成部分，

just like a garden has many kinds of plants.

就像一个花园 有很多不同种类的植物。

Each plant needs just the right amount of sun, shade and water.

每种植物需要 适当的光照、荫蔽和水分。

Too much sun might help one plant but destroys another.

过多的光照可能 对某一植物的生长起促进作用，

对另一个植物， 可能就会造成毁灭性的影响。

Increasing any single element

任何一个要素过量，

can throw off the balance of the ecosystem overall.

可能就会破坏 整个生态系统的平衡。

If you're getting all the nutrients you need

如果健康均衡的膳食

from a healthy, balanced diet,

已经保证了你所需要的所有营养，

taking more of a single vitamin

过多摄入某一种维生素

won't help your immune system function any better overall.

并不会使你的整体免疫系统 变得更好。

For some vitamins, if you take in more than you need,

对于某些维生素来说，

如果你摄入的量 超过你所需要的量，

your body will just get rid of the excess as waste.

多余的维生素只会 以废物的形式从你体内排出。

Vitamin supplements are only needed if you have a true real deficiency.

只有你真有免疫缺陷时 才需要服用维生素补充剂。

In fact, some studies tell us that vitamins and supplements,

事实上，有些研究表明，

when they're not medically needed,

如果不是治疗需要，

may have negative effects.

维生素和补充剂可能有副作用。

Things can go wrong with our immune system for sure,

当然，我们的免疫系统自身 可能也会出现问题，

like allergies or autoimmune conditions

如过敏症，自体免疫，

and failure to catch abnormal cells.

以及无法捕捉变异细胞。

But the reasons for each of these things

但是，发生这些情况的原因 十分复杂，

are complex and often not fully understood.

人们往往对此也不甚清楚。

And they certainly won't be solved by some immune-boosting miracle pill.

然而号称有提升免疫力功能的神奇药片

是不能解决这些问题的。

There is however, one thing that has been shown again and again

但是，有一个不断被证明

to be incredible for your immune system.

对你的免疫系统非常好的东西，

Vaccines.

那就是疫苗。

Vaccines are truly genius.

疫苗真的太厉害了。

They contain a weakened or inactive part of a pathogen, like the flu,

疫苗中有某种病原体（如流感）中 减毒或灭活的部分，

that includes its antigen name tag.

那一部分就说明了 它是自身抗原还是非自身抗原。

They trigger the body into making antibodies

疫苗可以使身体 无需通过得某种疾病，

便能产生某种抗体。

without needing to get sick from an illness first.

Instead of boosting the immune system overall,

它们并没有增强整体免疫系统，

they give the system exactly what it needs to respond

但是它们给予免疫系统的，

to a specific pathogen quickly and aggressively.

正是系统要快速应对某一特定病原体

并做出攻击反应的必需品。

So get your immunizations and get your flu shot every year.

所以我们要接种疫苗， 每年接种流感疫苗。

Eat a healthy, balanced diet.

保持健康均衡膳食。

If you want a healthy immune system,

如果你想拥有一个健康的免疫系统，

别吸烟，尽量保证充足的睡眠，

don't smoke and try to get enough sleep.

And otherwise, just let your immune system do its thing.

而余下的事 就交给你的免疫系统吧。