What is the Immune System and How Does it Work?

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Drinking +Vital Immunity

We all know we have an immune system and why it’s important. It’s our body’s natural defense against anything that threatens our health, after all. But what is it exactly, and how does it keep us safe?

Like many complex processes in the body, we often rely on metaphors to break the body’s immune response down into something easier to understand. For example, you could imagine the immune system as your body’s personal team of first responders, ready to leap into action at the first sign of trouble. Or, you can even picture it as a buff bouncer at an exclusive nightclub, ruthlessly deciding who is allowed in and who must stay outside.

No matter how you envision it, the point is the same: the immune system plays a huge role in protecting us from harm—sometimes before we even know something's wrong.

The Innate and Adaptive Immune Systems—The Dynamic Duo of Immune Response

The interesting thing about your immune system is that you don’t have one, exactly. You have two! These two immune systems are called innate and adaptive.

Basically, the innate system is the one you were born with. The innate system jumps to action as soon as it senses a problem. It's the first line of defense, always ready 24/7 and always on the lookout for any dangerous invaders trying to sneak into your body. The innate system includes physical barriers like your skin—which acts as a literal shield—and internal defenders, like your white blood cells. You can imagine these as essentially your body’s emergency responders. At the first sign of trouble, white blood cells rush to the scene to neutralize potential threats before they can spread (and cause problems).

And that leads us to the second system. Unlike the innate system, the adaptive system is, well, adaptive. That is, it’s something you develop over time. This system has a memory better than an elephant's, constantly learning from experience to adapt based on what your body has been exposed to. White blood cells are also part of the adaptive system, as they help create antibodies to fight off specific invaders after your body’s encountered them before.

Man blowing nose

Experiencing Your Immune System in Action

Even though most immune responses happen on an invisible, microscopic level, there are times when you can definitely feel it at work. When you get injured, for instance, you might notice redness, swelling, and heat around the site of the injury. That right there is your immune system kicking into gear—ramping up blood flow to send white blood cells and other fluids to the injured area to kick-start your body’s healing process.

Interestingly, this is why fevers and inflammation aren’t always bad signs. In fact, they’re often proof that your immune system is doing exactly what Mother Nature intended—fighting off infection and injury to ensure you can properly heal.

The Heart of Your Immune System? Your Gut.

Surprising but true: a whopping 70% of your immune system is found in your gut. Yes, you read that right—70%! Suffice it to say, your gut plays an enormous role in your body’s immune response. (Not to mention, gut health is deeply connected to your overall well-being.

Really, your gut goes above and beyond to protect you from the inside out. To that break it down a little more:

A strong gut barrier physically defends against invaders, pathogens, and inflammatory particles. Basically, it’s your personal shield to keep harmful substances at bay and prevent them from entering your bloodstream to go on and cause bigger problems. (This is where the nightclub metaphor is especially helpful.) When this barrier is strong, it keeps harmful substances out while allowing good stuff in. But when it’s compromised, it can let more things through, including less-than-ideal substances—leading to increased risk of inflammation, infection, disease, and chronic illness.

A diverse gut microbiome ensures immune health regulation by maintaining balance and harmony in your body, especially in regard to the trillions of good bacteria and other microbes a healthy gut needs to truly thrive (and support a strong immune response!)

Just like any natural ecosystem, balance is critical in your microbiome and is especially important for your immune response. Because when your gut’s microbiome is thriving, so is your immune system. But if things get out of balance (say, from a poor diet or overuse of antibiotics), it can lead to a weakened immune response.

A healthy gut ensures proper absorption of nutrients to keep your whole body well.

It may sound simple, but making sure you get the right nutrients, your gut is doing a major job to help support your immune system and response—and the rest of your overall well-being, to boot.

+Vital Immunity on the go

Supporting Your Immune System with +Vital Immunity

Understanding the critical connection between gut health and your immune system is exactly what inspired the creation of +Vital Immunity. This all-natural drink mix was formulated with a special focus on supporting the gut-immune connection. By prioritizing gut health, +Vital Immunity helps you build a stronger immune system. It’s packed with whole botanicals and potent adaptogens (which are natural substances that help your body adapt to stress), making it a wellness powerhouse.

What makes +Vital Immunity different from other immune-boosting products? It works synergistically with ION* Gut Support, which strengthens your gut at the cellular level. Together, these two products create a powerful defense system that supports not just your immune health but your overall wellness.

(And here’s a bonus: having a healthy immune system means you’ll recover faster. Think of it as giving yourself a soft landing when you need it most.)

The Nature-Inspired Science Behind +Vital Immunity

+Vital Immunity is a blend of carefully selected ingredients, including Elderberry, NAC, Licorice Root, Astragalus, and KSM-66® Ashwagandha, all mindfully chosen for their proven ability to support immune function and overall cellular health—not just as singular ingredients, but also because of how they amplify one another when combined.

Elderberry, for example, is known for helping your body adapt to stress, while Astragalus has immune-boosting properties that are even more effective when combined with Licorice.

+Vital Immunity and ION* Gut Support

Really Want To Give Your Immune System A Boost? Pair +Vital Immunity With ION* Gut Support.

It’s not just the ingredients within +Vital Immunity that were given careful thought during its creation. +Vital Immunity was also specially formulated to work synergistically with ION* Gut Support to take your wellness routine to the next level.

While +Vital Immunity strengthens your overall immune system, ION* Gut Support goes straight to the source, improving gut health at the cellular level.

ION* Gut Support is all-natural and backed by science, proven to strengthen your gut in as little as 16 minutes. It works with your body, without adding anything new to it. Unlike other probiotics, prebiotics, or other narrowly-focused gut wellness products, ION* Gut Support is completely different. ION* works by sealing cell junctions in the gut lining—even in the presence of harmful toxins like glyphosate. By supporting your gut on this foundational level, you’re doing so much more than strengthening your gut, you’re also protecting your immune system, improving digestion, supporting a healthy microbiome, and more.

By making both +Vital Immunity and Gut Support part of your daily wellness ritual, you’re giving your immune system a robust, all-natural boost so you can bounce back quicker, and feel your absolute best.

And making it part of your routine is easy. +Vital Immunity comes in convenient, travel-friendly, compostable package sticks packs and Gut Support is a super simple liquid supplement. They’re the perfect combo—not just because they’re an incredible natural boost to your wellbeing, but also because they fit into even the busiest routines.

Experience how taking care of yourself on the most foundational level can boost your health holistically from head to toe and help you stay well.

Try pairing +Vital Immunity with ION* Gut Support today!

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