Originally Posted by
cspan37421
It's my understanding (very limited) that vaccines work because they prepare your immune system to recognize a threat of a certain type/structure/composition. When the real threat occurs, the immune system can respond more quickly to stamp it out than if it had not previously encountered similar-looking antigens. The vaccine thus "primes" the immune system. A basic Google search of reliable sources should provide further detail.
I'm not quite sure this is the question you asked, though. You asked about quicker recovery and may not have meant avoidance - I guess that could be a gray area. Maybe the mechanism is the same, though - your immune system springing into action to fight the invader.
One last word for all, I can't resist - items sold that promise to "boost your immune system" aren't necessarily good for you, and may cause harm (if they do what they say). A hyperactive immune system is a BAD thing, because it can result in your body attacking itself, not just harmful bacteria and viruses. There's a whole class of diseases and conditions called autoimmune disorders and trust me, you don't want them. Like many bodily functions, a healthy immune system is a balancing act - you don't want one too weak or too strong. So don't try to "boost" it without a clearly identified medical need.
Thankfully, I guess, to my knowledge there has never been any supplement or herb or vitamin known to mankind that has actually been shown to improve the function of the human immune system one iota, with the possible exception of astragalus, which, at least in vitro, appears to improve the function of certain white blood cells. No clinical studies show it has efficacy in the whole organism, however.
The stuff they sell over the counter as "immune boosting" consists almost entirely of herbs, vitamins, etc. that not only have not been shown to work, but in most cases have been proven to NOT work by scientific studies. Furthermore, a not insignificant portion of the supplements you buy at Vitamin Shoppe, GNC, etc., don't even contain the non-functioning ingredients they claim to have in them.
I totally agree with your larger point, though, that, ideally, the immune system should neither be overactive nor underactive.
"We are not provided with wisdom, we must discover it for ourselves, after a journey through the wilderness which no one else can take for us, an effort which no one can spare us, for our wisdom is the point of view from which we come at last to regard the world." --M. Proust