What Does It Even Mean to Have a Healthy Immune System?
The basics are complex.
We've all got friends and family who brag about their immune systems. Online, there's no end to the trolls who cite "diet and exercise" as their secret weapon against every disease. They have cabinets filled with supplements and extracts. And yet, parents everywhere are scrambling for something in a bottle to keep their kids from getting sick so often.
Does anyone in your family know what a lymphocyte is?
Probably not.
I've spent my entire life hearing phrases like "strong immune system," but I never really knew what that meant. Then I got a lymphocyte panel done. I figured out how to interpret the results, and they fit with my experiences. I have a decidedly average immune system. I have one that's prone to an inflammatory response, and it doesn't have a great memory. It tends to forget what it saw recently, and it launches an all-out assault. In a strange way, it's comforting to see what you've lived reflected in actual lab results.
If I had to grade my immune system, I'd give it a…