NEW STUDY REVEALS OUR IMMUNE SYSTEM ACTIVATES BY ONLY LOOKING AT SICK PEOPLE

In case you needed further proof that the human body is incredibly powerful, scientists have recently shown that our immune systems start working even before we become sick. Our immune systems are activated to prepare to fight off illness simply by seeing illness from a distance.

Coming as a surprise? Given the human inclination to avoid close contact with someone who is obviously ill, this finding would seem obvious. However, a recent study that was published this year in Nature Neuroscience has given us a scientific explanation for this pattern of behaviour.

In this amazing study, participants used virtual reality headsets to view images of faces that appeared either healthy or ill. Researchers recorded participants' immunological responses and brain activity as they were shown these visuals. The findings were astounding: they discovered that the brain has a mechanism for recognising possible health risks, which prompts the immune system to kick in and start battling any possible illnesses.

It is particularly remarkable how quickly external signals, the human brain, and the immune system can communicate. "Our immune system uses fight anticipatory tactics, allowing our organism to react to immune threats not only once they are in the body but also when they overcome the basic functional border of self-environment interaction," according to the study's senior author, Andrea Serino.

This study is in line with how we really prevent or manage illness. In general, if someone appears to be clearly ill, you should avoid approaching them. We now know that it's literally just human nature as well. We may also say that our brains go into flight mode, and our immune systems go into combat mode at the same time.

"Although surprising, our result that simulated illnesses displayed in VR can stimulate immune responses is compatible with the idea of the smoke detector in biological systems," the researchers who wrote this tale say. In addition to providing additional understanding of our body's natural defences, this ground-breaking study demonstrates how precisely adapted our bodies are to defend ourselves, even before we are aware that we require protection.