Immunity: The Science of Staying Well. Live longer and optimise your physical and mental health, with expert advice on sleep, nutrition and exercise

by Jenna Macciochi

The immune system is your constant guardian, fighting around the clock to protect you from disease. There’s a lot you can do to strengthen this first line of defense against all kinds of threats, from COVID-19 to cancer. Immunologist Dr. Jenna Macciochi gives us a crash course on how the immune system actually works—and how to keep yours in shape—with authoritative guidance on the best foods to eat to strengthen your immune system, the importance of movement, and how often to exercise, the essential link between immunity and sleep, and its surprising connection to your mental health.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Science, Medicine, Self Help, Audiobook, Nutrition

345 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 19, 2020

Reviews

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a well written book composed of modern teachings of mainstream Western medicine's views on immunity. That is not to say it's wrong, but it's the sort of things you'd have been taught if you got your PhD in immunology in the past 15 years as the author did. It covers all the typical stuff that most of us who have researched this know -- sleep is vitally important, stress weakens us immensely, antibiotics and antibacterial soaps are causing far more harm than good, you need way more fiber, you need way more vegetables and fruits (and more protein, in some cases, especially as you age), you need to move more (not exercise to death, just move a lot and stop sitting so much), part of it is just in your genes, stop eating processed junk, get enough sunlight and nature, etc.

The start of the book has a very brief bit about Covid-19 since it was published just as that hit, but mostly in a very general sort of set up way since so little was known at that point and you'd need several books just to cover that topic. The rest of the book was chapters on each element -- sleep, movement, food, etc.

Macciochi is very, very mainstream and conventional. She frequently tut-tuts anything about boosting immunity (she says anyone who understands immunity knows you don't want the immune system boosted, which is true but misrepresents what people really mean when they talk about "boosting" it) and she mostly blasts the idea of any food or supplement being good for the immune system other than fish, fiber, and eating a wide variety of plants (this is definitely the new hot topic of health books left and right these days -- aim for a minimum of 30 different plant foods a week for the healthiest gut and most nutrients, some say aim for 50). She gives a reluctant admittance that elderberries, garlic and chicken noodle soup have proven immune benefits, but mostly squashes any other notion of "superfoods" -- even ones with lots of good studies showing benefit such as ginger.

Adaptogens are never mentioned at all, which is kind of staggering for a book about immunity. She doesn't discount them, she just acts as if the topic never existed at all. This is rather disappointing, as adaptogens like ashwagandha and astragalus are well researched and have been found to work very well at helping the body adapt to stress and improve the immune system (dial it down for autoimmunity, rev it up for the opposite). Likewise, many varieties of mushrooms have shown remarkable effects on the immune system but they are never mentioned at all. As I said, the book covers mainstream, Western, well established teachings.

I'm not sure I came away with any new knowledge, other than a few little tidbits like the fact that being exposed to very hot and very cold temperatures together can help our immune systems. I'm not sure I can adapt her policy of ending my showers with cold water, but I did file the information away. Some of the information will be new for other readers, and it's a good primer on the subject.

I read a self-destructing digital ARC of this book for review.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book must have been completed in late 2019 (so no mention of Covid) and was published in March 2020, which is cracking good timing by anyone’s measure. The author is not a medical doctor (though this is implied in the sales pitch) but she is a trained scientist in the field. I know enough about this subject to be able to confirm that it is a decent enough overview of the immune system and the sensible measures one might take to maintain it. In other words, it is not cranky nonsense.

The trouble with books like this is that they are largely read by people who read books like this and who will, therefore, be entirely familiar with the advice given. There is some good information about vaccination, autoimmune conditions, allergies and food intolerances, however, which may be of particular interest to parents.

As for the rest? It is all rather predictable fare:
- look after your gut microbes by eating lots of fibre;
- go easy on the antibiotics and the booze;
- obsessive cleanliness is of questionable value;
- get enough sleep;
- keep your stress levels down with meditation and mindfulness;
- get enough exercise but don’t overdo it;
- eat lots of plant foods for the phytonutrients
- get enough sun for the vitamin D
- stay away from fad diets
- get enough protein
- stay away from processed junk food which is full of trans fats and sugar
- the immune system seems to like the odd bit of fasting;
- the Mediterranean diet seems to have it covered.

Some interesting takeaways:
- “Sitting is the new smoking.” Nice.
- The lymphatic system is a much underrated aspect of the immune system and relies on muscle action to pump lymph around the body. Indeed.
- There is some evidence that regular cold bathing is good for the immune system and that a 20 second blast of cold water at the end of each shower is worth considering but I. Just. Can’t. Do it. What a wimp.

I feel a bit of a heel for not praising this book to the skies, for it is well-intentioned but it is also a bit too worthy and earnest, as so many of these books are, and it makes them pretty dull.

[Marzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Macchiochi has produced a detailed book about the immune system. Packed with practical mainstream advice (sleep well, eat well, exercise, avoid stress) and insights into autoimmunity, the volume may be a bit over the heads of those with no background in basic immunology. It does offer a starting point for learning about the basics of innate and acquired selective immunity, and that may be of interest in the era of Covid-19. It also details the role of inflammatory cytokines, with both their purpose as a defense and the problems with these cytokines running amok. As someone with celiac disease, I found her section on celiac and non-celiac gluten sensitivity to be well-written. She also has an interesting section on inflammatory autoimmune disorders like lupus and ankylosing spondylitis and the dysregulation of autophagous signaling linked to inflammatory diseases like Crohn's and lupus.

I received a digital review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Lia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very interesting read! Dr Jenna is right - our immune system is “a silent wonder”, and the whole book proves this point. It is written in a way that anyone would understand which I consider one of the merits of the book. It is full of surprising facts and mind-blowing information about a human body. It also busts some well-known myths about staying healthy as well as confirms some facts that many of us consider a joke like man flu. The importance of heathy habits, good night sleep and mental health is also highlighted.

I felt like I was talking to a friend while reading this book, not to a strict doctor trying to knock some healthy sense into me. And I even felt inspired to withstand that 20-second cold shower after all 😄

[Mafalda Serra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um livro muito, muito interessante!! Mesmo tendo sido escrito antes desta fase pandémica, há tanta informação que podemos transpor para as nossas rotinas do dia-a-dia. Gostei especialmente do enfoque que faz na relação entre o funcionamento do sistema imunitário e o sono, a dieta e a saúde mental. Tem um discurso talvez demasiado técnico para o público em geral. Só não dei 5 estrelas porque, por ser de leitura mais científica, senti alguma necessidade de ir lendo outros livros para "desenjoar".

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

She provide some good advice about the type of lifestyle that supports a healthy immune system. I think I generally agree with most of what she’s saying, I find the old calories in, calories out a bit dated in terms of weight control as well as the idea that exercise can help you lose weight. It is well documented that exercise can help you maintain weight and of course is healthy, but does not actually help you lose weight.

[°°°jouli°°° · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading about diseases isn't my cup of tea, simply because it is over my comfort zone... Anyway, and except from hearing the word evolution every now and then, listening to this book was a nice experience...
In this book, I heard new concepts that I didn't know about before like the oxidative stress...
This kind of reading makes me say: " Glory be the great Creator."
I would give it 3 stars out of 5.

[Oana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative book that educates on a very complex and hot topic these days. It does not promise quick and easy remedies to boost immunity. Good structure, ideas are well organized and explained and I appreciated that on many levels, there was almost never an easy answer to immunity-related questions. The author mostly promotes a holistic approach, especially when it comes to nutrition and life style habits.

[Teri-K · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-organized discussion of many facets of health as specifically relates to the immune system. This book may not contain much new information if you read widely in the field. That's because the author is sticking to things that can be supported by science, she doesn't get into every idea that's been floated or practices that haven't been researched much. I appreciated seeing so much information so well presented.

[Angela Mcowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got more from this than I’d anticipated. There were a few parts that I skimmed through, but overall it was informative, accessible and I’ve bookmarked lots of pages to go back to.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The range of topics is actually broader than only immunity - it's a comprehensive, science-based health book. Includes quite a bit of theory and also practical tips on nutrition and supplements, what to do during a cold etc.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very high-level overview of general health advice, pushed from an immunity angle but not dissimilar from most other health books: eat more vegetables, get plenty of sleep, more exercise — nothing unusual. Generally I was disappointed with lack of medical or technical details, but that’s just my style. If you're just getting started, this is a good overview.

[Bibi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dit boek was gecompliceerd. Het begin vond ik heel rommelig, veel te veel verschillende informatie en titels die niet aansloten op wat er werd gezegd in het hoofdstuk.
Vanaf hoofdstuk 4 vond ik het echter steeds beter worden. Titels sloten aan bij de informatie die in de hoofdstukken werden gezegd en het werd steeds aangenamer om te lezen.

Wel zaten er onwijs veel verwijzingen naar andere hoofdstukken in, met name in het begin van het boek. Dit vond ik persoonlijk erg vervelend omdat ik bij hoofdstuk 1 vaak werd verwezen naar hoofdstuk 6 of 7 waarbij ik de stukken in hoofdstuk 1 niet goed kon snappen omdat ik nog niet genoeg informatie had.

Informatief goed, maar rommelig door de vele verwijzingen en het springen van de hak op de tak in de eerste hoofdstukken.

[Noraa Sii · Rating 5 out of 5]

"This mighty system protects our health by resisting uninvited infections, maintaining order and balance in our bodies, and healing wounds. It is our foundation to wellbeing."

"When it comes to maintaining good health, the immune system is our most precious asset, yet we rarely appreciate our essential defences until something goes wrong. We thank our immune system when we catch a cold and scramble for vitamin C supplements in the winter months."

"We have an obsession with looking healthy and being well, and yet we are sicker and unhappier than ever before. That's because our delicately balanced immunity is easily compromised by our ever-accelerating pace of life, with its relentless stress, pollution, overconsuming and under-moving. What modern life deems 'healthy' may not actually be so. Today, we're more likely to die from a lifestyle-related disease than any other cause, and many of these would be preventable if we took better care of our health."

"The immune system is a whole galaxy of cells know as white blood cells (leukocytes). Immunity also includes lymphatic organs (such as lymph nodes, bone marrow and spleen), molecules (cytokines) and their collective array of biological functions."

"An immune system that doesn't produce a huge variety of unique T and B lymphocytes will probably miss or 'not see' certain germs or viruses, and these could go on, unchallenged, to cause disease."

"Tregs control or suppress other cells in the immune system, fighting substantial fires and making sure the other cells toe the line. Tregs are designed to send a signal that immunity should withdraw, pause and attack and stand down. Tregs are crucial to the overall balance of our immunity."

"Insufficient immunity (too many Tregs) may increase incidence of infections and cancer, while excessive 'friendly fire' (too few Tregs) may lead to damage to our own cells and organs."

"Humans are incredibly similar but also fundamentally diverse, and compatibility genes are the key to our individuality. Simply put, if all our immune defence systems were identical, a single deadly disease could come along and wipe us all out."

"Like our fingerprints, immunity makes us truly individual. The inherent diversity in how our immune systems respond to different diseases is an entirely deliberate design by mother nature without hierarchy. No one has a better or worse set. It's the collective diversity that's crucial."

"As I mentioned, it's quite normal to get up to four minor infections (like a cold) each year. But as infections are beaten back by modern-day sanitation, vaccination and antibiotics, we now have huge increases in 'non-infectious', lifestyle-related diseases."

"Take rhinovirus, the cause of the common cold, for instance. Roughly one in five people carries the rhinovirus at any given time in the tissues of their nasal passages (the prefix 'rhin' in Greek literally means 'the nose').

"Bacteria are passed to everything we touch. But simply being a thorough hand-washer with good personal hygiene helps you stay healthy and avoid illness-causing bacteria. And while we can't account for how infected people behave around us and we can't control for the immunity genes that we have inherited, we do have some control over the various lifestyle levers we can pull to get the best out of our defences."

"Various environmental factors can alter our methylation pattern, such as smoking, poor diet, air pollutants and alcohol. Adjustments in our epigenetic patterning can derail some of our vital immune responses. The metaphor used by scientists is: 'Your genes load the gun, but environment pulls the trigger.' Despite the prominent role played by genetics, immunity is not fixed by our genes."

"Just because you have mild symptoms doesn't mean the virus is mild. It may just mean that you lucked out with your compatibility genes for that particular germ and your immune system is able to control the infection."

"A common misconception, however, is that flue is caused by cold temperatures. This is not quite true. Flue is caused by the influenza virus. Cold temperature simply create conditions that make it easier for the virus to spread. Scientist now know that the influenza virus is transmitted best at cooler temperatures and low humidity. So the viruses that cause the flu survive better in winter and are able to infect more people. Another reason is the lack of sunlight and the different lifestyles we lead in winter. Lack of sunlight leads to low levels of vitamin D, a key immune-nourishing nutrient. Having less vitamin D decreases our immunity's ability to fight the virus."

"'Put on a jacket or you'll catch a cold.' I'm sure you were told this as a child, but nowadays it is usually dismissed as an age-old misconception. It has been shown that when you are exposed to the cold for a prolonged time you may not be able to launch the most robust immune attack. Wearing a scarf in winter does warm the air in the back of your throat, making it less hospitable for those seasonal viruses that prefer cool air."

"Through evolution, we developed fever as a response to infection. Raising your temperature makes most germs less efficient at multiplying and helps your immune cells work more effectively. There is evidence too that fever even improves the ability of antibiotics to kill bacteria. There is actually little evidence that fever itself, even a high one, is harmful. Unless you are really uncomfortable, have difficulty breathing or have a fever lasting more than a few days it's normally wise to avoid fever-reducing medications like paracetamol or ibuprofen as they are not without side effects. The immune system can still get its job done if you take medicine to reduce fever, but slightly less effectively - and taking it won't speed up the process."

"Our ancestors didn't suffer from allergies, and anyone from Generation X will recognise that they were extremely rare even a few decades ago. In fact, before the 1990s, peanut allergies were so rare that there was barely and data on them. Our collective population genes have changed little over relatively short period of time, so can't be to blame. It is likely that these modern-day epidemics are due to an environment and lifestyle that do not allow our immune system to properly calibrate."

"While there is much evidence that exercise and healthy living can reduce the risk of certain cancers, reducing is not preventing. You cannot remove all risk. The older you get, the more likely it is that you will have it, and you might not even know it. And not all cancers have known lifestyle components. Even with the 'perfect' diet and lifestyle you are still at risk. But this doesn't mean that making healthy choices is futile. In fact, around 1 in 4 cases of cancer could be prevented in the UK each year largely through lifestyle changes including stopping smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, eating a healthy diet, enjoying the sun safely, protecting against certain infections and cutting back on alcohol. When it comes to cancer, the good news is that taking care of your health will help you get through treatment and recover in better shape than your less health-conscious peers."

"Placebo effect - The idea that your brain can convince your body a fake treatment is the real thing and thus stimulate healing has been around for millennia. Now science has found that in the right circumstances, a placebo can be just as effective as traditional treatments."

"Put simply, evolution only really cares about passing on genes. So reducing immune defences when women are at their most fertile is the body's cunning ploy to increase the chances of pregnancy."

"A foetus, with half of the father's DNA, is chock full of genetically 'foreign' material, so the maternal immune system has to be restrained throughout pregnancy to stop it from rejecting the half-foreign baby in utero."

"With huge fluctuations over a relatively short period of time, almost half of women who develop an autoimmune disease do so in the first year after pregnancy. Hormones are the key trigger for this unfortunate legacy of carrying a child. The spikes and dips of the postpartum rollercoaster or perimenopausal oestrogen can drive the autoimmune disease wild. For this reason, it's important to pay attention to your cycles and seek help if you are concerned that your hormones are out of whack."

"If Mum and Dad are genetically different enough in their compatibility genes, this seems to stimulate specific pregnancy Tregs to tolerate the baby, guiding a healthy pregnancy to completion. Nature has a reason to try to reject an embryo in couples with similar compatibility genes. Being too similar would eliminate the ability to diversify, which would not be in the best interests of our immunity."

"A normal number of illnesses for pre-schoolers is up to eight per year. The figure may be even higher for children in the day care or those who have older siblings. If a child experiences 12-14 illnesses annually, this is a hint that something might not be right - for example, a possible nutritional deficiency or something else going on that you need to talk to your doctor about."

"The key concept when it comes to understanding the importance of vaccination is something called 'herd immunity'. This is how vaccine keep these pathogens out of the general population, protecting those with less hearty immune systems from getting deathly sick. The more people who get vaccinated, the less likely it is that an outbreak will occur. That's because vaccinated people can't infect others."

"Worry about mercury in vaccines arose because some vaccines used to contain the preservative thimerosal, which breaks down into ethylmercury. We now know that ethylmercury doesn't accumulate in the body (unlike methylmercury, which does). Even so, thimerosal has been removed from all infant vaccines since 2001 as a precaution."

"Flue is particularly tricky. The vaccine's effectiveness depends on the strains the public-health agencies pick - and sometimes they got it wrong. The 2018 vaccine was only 23 per cent effective at preventing flue."

"So it turns out that having a healthy body weight actually contributes to a stronger immunity. Get this delicate weight balance wrong - in either direction - and you could be opening yourself up to health risks. It is generally accepted that the belly is the most dangerous place to carry excess body fat, so waist circumferences has recently become a popular extra measure to determine whether you have a healthy level of body fat."

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone with a seriously compromised immune system, I was particularly happy to receive a copy of Immunity by Dr. Jenna Macciochi from NetGalley and The Experiment. With a subtitle “The Science of Staying Well — The Definitive Guide to Caring For Your Immune System,” I was hoping to learn…well, anything to boost my health, really.

The book has lots of helpful information on the GOOD things to focus on (sleep, sunlight/nature, movement — not necessarily “exercise” — and eating nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables). Fairly standard stuff in Western medicine/treatment. She also points out the not-so-good things, including antibiotics (including antibacterial soaps/washes) and stress. There are some common sense mentions of myths around boosting immunity, and a generally positive approach to health and well-being.

Not much on adaptogens such as herbs and mushrooms, which was not surprising as she is a Western-trained PhD. TBH, I found her website extremely helpful and informative, and would recommend both to someone looking into the topic of immunity — oh, wait, with the current pandemic, that’s everyone! Four stars.

[Bernie Gourley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about how to keep one’s immune system firing on all cylinders, and it reports on the scientific findings about how a range of lifestyle activities (e.g. exercise, sleep, and nutrition) impact upon the robustness of one’s immune response. The book was exceedingly timely, having been put out last spring in the early days of the pandemic [though I was delinquent in getting to my review until now.]

The book consists of just seven chapters, though they are substantial in length and extent of discussion of the respective topics. The first chapter offers a primer on the immune system, its components, and how it does its crucial job. This chapter also explains how vaccinations work, what autoimmune diseases and allergies are, and what role genetics (nature) and lifestyle / environment (nurture) play in immunity.

Chapter two investigates a range of topics at the nexus of lifecycle and immunity, including: differences between male and female immune responses, pregnancy and immunity, and the effects of aging and menopause on immune system activity.

Chapter three is about our intestinal microbiomes and immunity. If this seems like a strange topic to devote an entire chapter to, you probably haven’t been following the voluminous outpouring of research findings about how our helpful microbiological lifeforms are being shown to have a profound impact on all aspects of human health and well-being from mental health to, well, immune system robustness.

Chapter four explores how immune system activity is compromised by lack of sleep or poor-quality sleep. However, it also looks more broadly at how our immune system responds to the various cycles in which it finds itself -- from the daily cycle of days and nights to the yearly seasonal cycle.

Chapter five considers the nexus of mental health and immune response. As was mentioned with respect to the gut, the connections between physiological activity and mental health are becoming ever more apparent – though there remains much to be understood.

The penultimate chapter is about fitness and physical activity and what is know about why exercise is so good for one’s immune response. Of course, there seem to be diminishing marginal returns (less benefit for a given additional workout) and even diminishing returns (negative outcomes) if one goes too crazy with one’s exercise regiment and doesn’t give one’s body adequate amounts of rest.

The final chapter is about the role of nutrition in immune system activity. The approach is very much accord with my own beliefs which are that if one eats right, there is little need for supplements, and no volume of supplements will save you from a poor diet. The emphasis is upon a high-fiber diet rich in plant nutrients and balanced to provide all necessary macro- and micronutrients, while debunking fads and dietary myths. There is discussion of many of the foods that are traditionally associated with immunity (echinacea, elderberry, turmeric, etc.,) and what claims seem to hold and which are unproven.

If you don’t know a lot about the science of healthy lifestyles, this book offers an additional benefit in that it approaches the topic from a quite basic level. That is, it provides a lot of background information that would be useful for a complete neophyte to understand the points about immune activity. So, for example, the author lays out rudimentary explanations of micronutrients or sleep cycles before getting into the relevant information about how these impact on immunity. Of course, the flip side is that for those who have studied this science, it may take some skimming because there is a lot of material that will probably be elementary to those who practice healthy living.

I found this to be an extremely beneficial book. Its focus upon what one can do to improve immune robustness makes it tremendously useful for the average reader. It presents the science without getting too deep in the weeds of detailed physiological activity. I felt the author did an excellent job of walking the line to produce a book that is useful, readable, and digestible.

[Matej yangwao · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty great overview if you're exploring potentially downsides of not caring about immune system and what the it can cause.

Interesting fact was as I thought before is to keep lower stress levels on long-term basis.
Like at Garmin since I've aimed under 25/100 I definitely feel well, more relaxed and take way more qualified and quality long term decisions which begins self-propelled and thus being more relaxed, yet it goes 🦥 slow!

>Germs can be present on the hands without any grime or dirt visible to the naked eye. Handwashing is the only way to make sure that you’re not harboring any unwanted visitors!

≥Hand-washing remains a cornerstone of modern-day infection control.

≥To wash your hands correctly, you should lather with soap and scrub for at least 20 seconds.

≥Your microbiota needs to be looked after and cared for. It’s not a tiny feature; your microbes make up around 2kg of your body weight! So, it should be treated as your private health army.

≥Taking antibiotics too frequently can reduce their effectiveness and have a very negative effect on your natural immunity.

≥such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), proton-pump inhibitors, and even Metformin can cause problems with your healthy bacteria

≥Eating fresh, organic produce.
• Having a good intake of fermented food, such as kefir, kimchi, or sauerkraut.
• Focusing on eating plant-based foods.
• Learning to read food labels to avoid foods that contain too much salt, fat, or sugar.

≥The shorter you sleep, the shorter your life.

≥Avoid anything with caffeine in it after midday.

≥Declutter your bedroom to create a calm environment for sleep.

≥Soak up some sun in the morning to give you a good hit of vitamin D.

≥Stress is a massive problem in today’s society, and it’s something we need to focus on reducing. Stress causes inflammation, worsening of allergies, and mental health issues.


≥Reduce stress by exercising regularly, talking about problems, sleeping well, and socializing with those you care about.

≥Start a journal and write down anything that is bothering you on a daily basis.

[Renee(Reneesramblings) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written before the global pandemic, but the author does address Covid-19 at the beginning of the book
I lost my spleen in an accident right before my eighteenth birthday. Of all my injuries( and there were many), numerous things would continue to impact my health. I don't know if it was just because other issues were more critical, but I was never told and never thought about the fact that I would always have a compromised immune system.
For years I was sick all the time. Colds, the flu, pneumonia, you name it, I had it, and it lasted longer than anyone around me. Fast forward to my stumbling across a lack of spleen and immunity issues, and I became a firm believer in handwashing and Lysol disinfectant( among other things). I have now gone five years without a cold or the flu, and I owe it to understanding my immune system.
This was a well-written guide to what is known about the immune system(from the perspective of Western medicine). What I liked was the fact that that author didn't talk down to me with a ton of scientific jargon that I would need another book to understand. Topics included why you want a healthy diet, why overuse of antibacterial hand soaps is negative, how a lack of sleep is another negative, vaccines, diseases, and a whole lot more.
I was familiar with quite a bit that was covered, but I think for anyone who doesn't have a lot of knowledge about the immune system, this would be a good place to start. I even picked up a couple of new concepts that I was not familiar with.

[Dr Ufaque Batool · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this Book, Dr. Jenna Macciochi tells about the science around immunity. She has given answers to questions like, how to boost immunity and stay well in the modern world. Being a Ph.D. in immunology she has beautifully narrated her experience with scientific proofs and references. You will find this book lacking the key answer which you wanted from this book, and that is about how one can build up immunity, but seriously it's not something which can be achieved in one go, it is a slow and long process, which require many things, and this book will help you in sorting out those things. Other than immunity, things like diet, health, mental stress, oxidative stress, diseases, and many more important matters are well narrated and discussed by the author. Moreover, this book is written in a very easy and accessible style which makes it a book for everyone, you don't need to have a connection with medical or science to read and understand this book. Dr. Jenna would have discussed corona as well if this book was not published before 2019. Because of what I have seen in people near me, how covid has triggered inflammation, how some had a very bad flare up after vaccines. The author has given a range of suggestions for restoring optimum health. Go get your copy, if you want to know those suggestions 😏

[MrBuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr Jenna w tym tytule zabiera nas w podróż poprzez układ immunologiczny człowieka oraz pokazuje sposoby jak go wspomóc i go wyregulować a nie koniecznie sprawić aby był "super odporny" lub ultra wzmocniony.
Na początku musimy przejść przez budowę, funkcjonowanie i złożoność naszego układu odpornościowego aby po tym trochę przyciężkim wstępnym rozdziale (-łach (?)), dojść do metod dbania o naszą odporność i o to co na nią wpływa, wymienię na prędko co pamiętam:
- dbałość o jakość snu
- odpowiednie żywienie
- dobrostan psychiczny
- wpływ stresu
- wpływ ćwiczeń fizycznych
Aby zakończyć książkę dietą wzmacniającą odporność, czyli rola witamin, fitoskładników, przypraw, potraw, roślin, suplementów.

Książka pisana przyjemnym językiem, jeśli już przebrniesz przez ten masakrycznie naukowy początek. Mógłbym tą książkę czytać nawet jeśli by miała 1000+ stron i każdy aspekt roli czynników wpływających na odporność byłby maksymalnie rozwinięty, tak jest ciekawa!

Niemniej jeśli chcesz poznać co mówi nauka w jaki sposób polepszyć odporność i nie dać się wirusom i bakterią oraz nawet pasożytom oraz uświadomić sobie w sposób konkretny co dla nas jest dobre bez malkontenctwa - książka dla ciebie!

[Ashwini · Rating 5 out of 5]

My understanding of immunity was, 'like any other system in the body it can be improved and manipulated'. After reading this book, i now understand how complex this system is. It is probably the most complex system in the human body. Jenna has explained this so beautifully, it is an equal dose of 'rocket' science with easy to understand dos and dont's. I loved reading this book. In our pursuit of perfection and fads, we have given up on the most essential things that are needed to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Humans have evolved over 1000's of years, for 1000's of years we were close to earth and nature, the human system has thus evolved to support this very premise. We have 'prospered' in the last 500 yrs or so only, and we expect the evolution to suddenly change a lane or a switch and abide by the current sad realities, with my limited understanding of evolution, it does not work so fast. Mutations happen, the more evolved an organism the longer it takes. The message in the book is very clear, stay close to nature and its various food sources and treat your body well. This is almost the whole battle won.

[Tereza · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great for anyone looking to change their lifestyle and live a healthier life.

All of the advice in this book can be easily altered to anyone's needs and it nicely combines tradition with modern findings and methods. I personally really liked how much the author talked about the importance of common sense when taking advice on immunity. Especially now that there's a lot of misinformation and fake cures going around. I definitely learnt new things when it comes to sleep, nutrition and especially the importance of movement in our lives.

The only downside to this book is that it's quite heavy with the amount of information. In attempt to simplify immunology into few pages we are overwhelmed with information, which could be a problem for anyone, who doesn't have basic knowledge about the immune system.

[Kirsty Keddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book an extremely well written and engaging read on a topic that’s all too relevant right now. With food deliberately relegated to the final chapter, the author presents what science currently knows about immunity in an easy to understand way. I really learned something from this book, especially about the individual genetic fingerprint’ that determines the nature of our personal immunity and ensures the human race as a whole cannot be wiped out by a single virus. This explains more than any other factor why some people experience only the most mild of symptoms whilst others become seriously ill. Fascinating and informative, a must read in these times!

[Elaine Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although written before Covid19 hit our world, the book is very relevant in helping us to stay well. I am very interested in my health and especially my immune system. Macciochi is a researcher who debunked certain myths I had held and gave me greater understanding of what I can do to improve my own immunity. I liked her well-balanced view and that she covered food at the end of the book, as immunity is not just about what we eat, but also how we live. Stress, lack of sleep and exercise affect our immunity just as much as what we eat. There are a number of takeaways for me and I shall return to the book at sometime in the future as I am sure I will pick up other takeaways at a different point in my life.

[Erin Sugarman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! Dr. Maccioci writes about the function of our immune system, how we can improve its functioning, as well as sources of immunosuppression that could compromise our immune functioning. The book is very academically rigorous but manages to also be accessible to the average reader, which is often hard to find in health books like these, which are often watered down or based in pseudoscience.

[Yan Lobau · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book contains a lot of theoretical and practical moments about your health in general and immune system in particular. Plot is well logically built, starting from basics and going deeper, describing connections between immune and other systems as sleeping and digestion. Some things are quite obvious, but some are tricky like HIIT or ice bath. I believe this book is a must read for anyone who wants keeping himself healthy over many years.

[Shanna Barnicle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stumbled on this book while searching for David Kazzie’s “The Immune”. Two books could not be further apart! But I loved this one — solid advice about a topic I wasn’t even aware I was interested in.

I am the sort of person who already follows most of the advice in this book, but I found her recommendations of supplements for sleeping to be quite useful and I loved the explanations. Very worth reading!

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice overview of healthy habits to help improve immunity. Most of it was pretty straight forward info that I already knew, but it covered the topic fairly well. I would have liked to see more talk about adaptogens to improve health as I utilize these and know that they personally improve my health and immune system. I thought it was a very enjoyable read though!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5*
Inhoudelijk goed boek. Hier en daar interessante, nieuwe info opgedaan. Omdat ik al wat boeken rond immuniteit en gezondheid heb gelezen, was het overgrote deel van het boek een opfrisser/ herhaling. Dat de voetnoten en de bibliografie niet in het boek vermeld staan, maar op te zoeken zijn op de site van de uitgever vind ik raar en zelfs storend.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Immunity is the hottest topic of the year! There’s so much hyperbole and craziness around the issue right now, that I found the author’s clear, scientific and thorough explanations reassuring. My only gripe about the book is her total disregard for food intolerances which she basically chalks up to a form of mental illness.