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Here’s today’s summary of health research published since February 21 and my reactions:
Now, I definitely have to keep playing soccer until I’m 70:
Soccer reduces risk of falls and bone fractures
Regular participation in soccer increases both bone mass and bone density, causes a significant improvement in standing postural balance and improves muscle strength.
Posted in Diet and Exercise 
Tags: Bone Density, Bone Mass, Bone Mineral Density, Cancer Risk, Cells Of The Immune System, Health Posts, Immune Cells, Immune Defenses, Kidney Cancer, Killer Cells, Latest Health, Muscle Strength, Playing Soccer, Recreational Basis, Similar Group, Soccer Players, T Cells, University Of Copenhagen, Vitamin D, World Cup Soccer 
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Scientists at the University of Copenhagen have discovered that Vitamin D is crucial to activating our immune defenses and that without sufficient intake of the vitamin, the killer cells of the immune system – T cells – will not be able to react to and fight off serious infections in the body.
For T cells to detect and kill foreign pathogens such as clumps of bacteria or viruses, the cells must first be ‘triggered’ into action and ‘transform’ from inactive and harmless immune cells into killer cells that are primed to seek out and destroy all traces of a foreign pathogen.
The researchers found that the T cells rely on vitamin D in order to activate and they would remain dormant, ‘naïve’ to the possibility of threat if vitamin D is lacking in the blood.
Chemical Reaction that Enables Activation
In order for the specialized immune cells (T cells) to protect the body from dangerous viruses or bacteria, the T cells must first be exposed to traces of the foreign pathogen.
Click to continue reading “Vitamin D Crucial To Activating Immune Defenses”
Posted in Diet and Exercise Tags: Cell Fragments, Cells Of The Immune System, Chemical Changes, Chemical Reaction, Clumps, Dangerous Viruses, Geisler, Immune Cell, Immune Cells, Immune Defenses, Immune Response, International Health, Killer Cells, Macrophages, Pathogen Type, Pathogens, T Cell, T Cells, University Of Copenhagen, Vitamin D Comments OffInterferons (IFNs) are natural proteins produced by the cells of the immune system of most vertebrates in response to challenges by foreign agents such as viruses, parasites and tumor cells.
Posted in Diseases Tags: Antigen Presentation, Bacterial Flagella, Cell Surface Receptor, Cells Of The Immune System, Double Stranded Rna, Glycoproteins, Host Cells, Interferon, Interferons, Macrophage, Macrophages, Natural Killer Cells, Natural Proteins, T Cells, Tumor Cells, Vertebrates, Viral Infection, Viral Replication, Viral Rna, Viruses And Bacteria Comments Off
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