The thymus could be the key to a long and healthy life

Look after your thymus—it could well be the key to living a long and healthy life.

The thymus is an important organ in our immune response, and yet it shrinks as we get older and stops producing T lymphocytes, white blood cells that combat pathogens and eliminate cells that start to become cancerous.

It’s a “small but mighty organ” say researchers from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) who are among the first to uncover the vital role the thymus plays, and the reasons it shrinks.  Using advanced imaging technology, they detected two cell types that attack the thymus.  The cells, which are seen only in the defective thymus of older people, form clusters around areas of the thymus that produce T cells.  These clusters also leave scars in the thymus which prevented the organ from regenerating.

Although the WEHI researchers were unable to suggest ways to restore thymus function, a general diet that supports the immune system—high levels of vitamins C and A, zinc, selenium and turmeric—may help.

What do you think? Start a conversation over on the... WDDTY Community