New Study Finds A Way To Read Our Immune "Clock" — Here's What That Means

We think about age in terms of years on earth, how many times we've gone around the sun on this particular rock in space. But that doesn't mean we all age the same way or at the same pace. Other systems, like metabolic age, attempt to account for those differences by basing the "age" on a calculation that uses measurements we can quantify on an individual basis—in the case of metabolic age, that metric is our basal metabolic rate (or BMR).

To understand the immune system clock the researchers found, we have to start by talking about the link between inflammation and the immune response. Though inflammation may sound like a bad thing, normal (acute, not chronic) inflammation is actually a critical mechanism used by our cells during a healthy immune response. And the mechanisms that control inflammation are a key part of what the researchers measured in this study.

Whether young or old, bolstering your defenses (i.e., innate and adaptive immune systems) can be a priority. From immune cell development and function to promoting immune resilience as we age, healthy lifestyle choices and targeted approaches like science-backed supplements can strengthen our body's natural defense mechanisms.*

Four of the biggest lifestyle things you can do to support immune function actually seem small, when it really comes down to it: getting enough sleep, finding time to move your body each day, managing stress levels, and, of course, washing your hands. Those first three have major benefits beyond just immune health, too. In the kitchen, zinc-rich foods, vitamin-C-rich foods, and quercetin-rich foods are your friends for nurturing a strong immune system.*