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

Transcriber:

譯者: hu lim 審譯者: Yi-Ping Cho (Marssi)

Turmeric ginger shots, elderberry syrup, vitamin C tablets.

薑黃生薑特調、 接骨木糖漿、維他命C片。

No one likes to be sick,

沒有人想身體不舒服，

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

不難理解為甚麼人們這麼熱衷

by products that promise to boost our immune system.

保證能提高免疫系統的食品。

(Music)

（音樂）

[Body Stuff with Dr. Jen Gunter]

[珍·剛特博士的身體教室]

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

問題在於我們常用錯誤的方式 看待免疫系統。

We think of it like a muscle that we can strengthen

我們以為多食用 一些抗氧化劑跟保健食品，

by feeding it lots of antioxidants and supplements.

它就能像肌肉一樣越練越猛。

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

但這恰好不是免疫系統的運作方式。

While the immune system can be suppressed

免疫系統是會被抑制的，

and can be less effective --

也可能變得更無用。

for example, in people receiving chemotherapy --

比如，當一個人在接受化療時，

the reverse, strengthening the system overall,

並不會增強你的免疫系統，

just doesn't happen.

這不會發生的。

Our immune system is what protects us

免疫系統是用來保護我們

from the bacteria, viruses, fungi and toxins

免於日常生活中會遇到的

we encounter on a constant basis.

細菌、病毒、黴菌、毒素侵擾。

It also plays an integral part in wound healing.

它也是傷口癒合不可或缺的一部分。

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

它是將細胞、組織、器官

all working together.

優雅連結在一起運作的網絡。

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

你可以將免疫系統分成兩大類：

innate immunity and adaptive immunity.

先天性免疫系統及後天性免疫系統。

Innate immunity means nonspecific defense mechanisms,

先天性免疫系統是非特定防禦機制，

and this is our first line of protection.

同時也是我們的第一道防護線。

It helps fight off pathogens before they cause a problem.

能夠在病原體造成問題前擊退它們，

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

就像夜店門口的保鑣一樣。

The innate immunity keeps invaders out

先天性免疫系統將入侵者趕跑，

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

或者快速地在他們進入後中和它們

讓它們不必在裡面戰鬥。

It can only recognize self,

它只能辨識自己人

meaning what's allowed in the club,

──也就是被允許待在裡面的──

and nonself,

跟其他人

meaning what's not allowed inside.

──也就是不被允許待在裡面的。

Think the physical barriers of our skin,

想一下我們身上的毛髮，

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

或者鼻毛、能夠阻擋灰塵的睫毛，

even vaginal discharge that prevents infections.

甚至是能夠預防感染的陰道分泌物。

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

現在，如果病原體

真能通過我們的第一道防線，

we have another layer of protection,

我們還有另一層防護，

the adaptive immune system,

後天性免疫系統。

which is more complex and targeted than our bouncer.

它比我們的保鑣

更加複雜、更能瞄準目標。

The adaptive immune system responds to antigens.

它會對抗原產生反應。

Antigens are unique proteins on the surface of pathogens,

抗原是病原體表層的特殊蛋白質，

which helps identify what kind of pathogen it is.

幫助辨別這是哪一類的病原體。

Kind of like a name tag.

就像是名牌一樣。

Your immune system is constantly reading name tags,

免疫系統會不斷地讀這些名牌，

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

當它辨識出對方 是在不可進入的名單時，

the adaptive immune system creates special immune cells to attack,

後天性免疫系統會製造

獨特的免疫細胞去攻擊它。

which are specialized white blood cells called lymphocytes.

這些特殊的白血球稱為淋巴細胞。

Here's what's really amazing:

來說點神奇的事：

our immune system remembers this process.

免疫系統會記得這項過程。

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

所以當下一次遇到同樣的病原體時，

our immune system recognizes it

免疫系統能夠辨別它，

and remembers how to respond.

而且記得該如何應對。

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

雖然我們不確定能夠辨別多少抗原，

some scientists think that we produce over a billion antibodies.

一些科學家認為

我們能夠產出超過十億個抗體。

But the important thing to remember

但需銘記在心的是

is that our immune system has many different parts

免疫系統有許多不同部分

playing many different roles.

在扮演不同的角色。

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

這也是為甚麼「增強」

這個概念會有問題。

When people say "boost the immune system,"

當有人說「增強免疫系統」時，

what do they even mean?

他們到底在說什麼？

Do they mean boost the histamine

他們是說碰到毒藤時

that's released when exposed to poison ivy?

多分泌一些組織胺？

Well, that would you itch a lot more.

呃，那會讓你癢更久一點。

Do they mean supercharge your T and B cells?

他們是指強化你的T細胞跟B細胞嗎？

Might that lead your body to attack its own cells,

這可能讓你的身體去攻擊自身的細胞，

as we see with autoimmune conditions?

就像那些自體免疫疾病。

Instead of thinking of a muscle that you can strengthen

比起將它想成做些簡單運動

with one simple exercise,

就能增強的肌肉，

a better analogy may be a garden.

不如說是像一座花園。

Your immune system has many components,

你的免疫系統有許多成員，

just like a garden has many kinds of plants.

就像一座花園有許多植物。

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

每一株植物需要

恰好的陽光、陰影及水分。

Too much sun might help one plant but destroys another.

太多陽光可能有助某些植物生長，

但反而會摧毀別的植物。

Increasing any single element

增強任何單一元素，

can throw off the balance of the ecosystem overall.

就可能摧毀整個生態系的平衡。

If you're getting all the nutrients you need

如果你從健康、均衡的飲食中

from a healthy, balanced diet,

獲取到了你所需的營養，

taking more of a single vitamin

多吃任何一種維他命

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

都不會有助於你的免疫系統運作。

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

如果你攝取某些維他命過多，

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

你的身體只會將它們當作垃圾清掉。

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

維他命補充品只在你真的缺乏時需要。

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

事實上，有些研究告訴我們，

when they're not medically needed,

維他命跟保健食品在非醫學需要時，

may have negative effects.

反而會造成負面效果。

Things can go wrong with our immune system for sure,

我們的免疫系統可能會出狀況， 此事不假，

like allergies or autoimmune conditions

就像過敏或自體免疫疾病，

and failure to catch abnormal cells.

以及未能捕捉到不正常的細胞。

But the reasons for each of these things

但這些東西的原因

are complex and often not fully understood.

往往很複雜而且還未能被完全理解。

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

而且他們肯定不能

被某些增強免疫系統萬靈丹解決。

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

然而有件事不斷透過事實證明，

to be incredible for your immune system.

對免疫系統超棒：

Vaccines.

疫苗。

Vaccines are truly genius.

疫苗真的很不可思議。

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

疫苗含有減弱或非活性的病原體， 比如說像是流感，

that includes its antigen name tag.

上面帶有抗原名牌。

They trigger the body into making antibodies

它們促使身體製造抗體，

without needing to get sick from an illness first.

而不讓身體先受到疾病感染。

Instead of boosting the immune system overall,

疫苗不是全面增強免疫系統，

they give the system exactly what it needs to respond

而是給予免疫系統剛剛好

to a specific pathogen quickly and aggressively.

需要的特定病原體，

讓它能快速且積極處理它。

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

所以好好接受預防接種， 每年乖乖去打流感疫苗。

Eat a healthy, balanced diet.

吃健康，均衡的飲食。

If you want a healthy immune system,

如果你想要一個健康的免疫系統，

don't smoke and try to get enough sleep.

不要抽菸，盡量睡眠充足。

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

除此之外，放你的免疫系統好好運作。