Oct 5, 2021
The thymus gland is a small pinkish-gray organ located behind your breastbone. It plays critical role in the immune system, especially in stimulating the development of disease-fighting T cells.
The thymus actually starts working before you’re born and as you grow into puberty it becomes gradually replaced by fatty tissue. It becomes completely replaced as more move into your 70s.
When the thymus is active, it helps your body protect itself against autoimmunity, which happens when the immune system fights against itself. Hence, the thymus plays a crucial role in the lymphatic system (your body’s internal drainage system that helps remove toxins and waste from your body).
From the fetus stage to the childhood stage, the thymus is mainly involved in the production and maturation of T-cells or T-lymphocytes- a white blood cell type responsible for protecting the body against certain threats, including infections and viruses.
The thymus gland produces a hormone called thymosin, which is needed for the production and development of T cells.
However, don’t forget that the thymus is at its largest in children, and as you reach the puberty stage, it starts to slowly shrink. At the age of 75, your thymus is a little more than fatty tissue.
But the good part is that by the time you reach puberty, the thymus gland has reached its maximum weight (about 1 ounce) and it has produced all of your T cells.
Thymus gland: Production of Thymosin
The thymus gland secretes thymosin which stimulates the development of T cells. White blood cells called lymphocytes actually pass through the thymus throughout your childhood years, and as they pass through this organ, they are transformed into T cells.
After maturation in the thymus, the T cells migrate to the lymph nodes (collection of immune system cells located at different parts of the body), where they help the immune system in fighting pathogens and diseases.
The mature T cells play roles in:
Immunity
The mature T cells support immunity in that they isolate foreign bodies or cells, lock them onto the cell and kill it. This is also called cell-mediated immunity as it involves the action of immune cells in fighting infections.
Autoimmunity
T cells generally have barricades at their cortex to prevent them from being sensitized to the body’s own cells. However, cells that accidentally become sensitized to “self” are often cleared by the process of negative selection in the medulla. This helps to prevent the development of autoimmune disorders.
If your thymus gland is removed early in life, you are at a high risk of developing autoimmune disorders.
How to stimulate the thymus to work better
You can support your thymus to keep pumping out T-cells with the following measures:
- Ramp up your antioxidant intake: Studies have shown that antioxidants like vitamin C help to protect the thymus from free radicals and age-related shrinkage.
- Stay away from artificial sweeteners: Artificial sweeteners like sucralose have been studied to cause shrinkage of the thymus glands.
- Get enough zinc: Zinc is the most important mineral needed by your thymus gland to stay healthy.
- Thymex: a fantastic product from Standard Process
Some interesting research shows that thymus extract, like thymomodulin, helps to boost the immune system against respiratory infections such as asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis, and hay fever. These conditions are often triggered by an overactive immune system, so the process of calming the immune system reduces the severity of such attacks.
The functioning of the thymus gland both as a lymphatic organ and an endocrine organ plays a crucial role in your long-term health and wellbeing.
You can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic office at Elizabeth City to learn more about natural ways to stimulate your thymus to work better in boosting your immune system.