Relieve Stress, Become More Centered and Supercharge Your Immune System

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It's at this time of year we tend to get run down and stressed, a perfect time for that pesky cold or flu to attack.  With only 1 minute 2 - 3 times a day, or anytime you feel stress, you can help your body fight back.  Simply tap or knock on your chest above your sternum just below your collar bone to stimulate the thymus gland. This will stimulate the production of important T cells. These cells will attack and eliminate invading cells and reduce stress.  It's just that easy, no medicine, trips to the doctor or magic potions.  

Here's the more scientific explanation of the thymus gland and its function in our bodies:

The thymus is a specialized organ of the immune system. The thymus produces and "educates" T-lymphocytes (T cells), which are critical cells of the adaptive immune system.

EachT cell attacksa foreign substance which it identifies with its receptor. T cells have receptors which are generated by randomly shuffling gene segments. Each T cell attacks a different substance. T cells that attack the body's own proteins are eliminated in the thymus. Thymic epithelial cells express major proteins from elsewhere in the body, and T cells that respond to those proteins are eliminated through cell suicide (apoptosis).

The thymus is composed of two identical lobes and is located anatomically in the anterior superior mediastinum, in front of the heart and behind the sternum.

Histologically, the thymus can be divided into a central medulla and a peripheral cortex which is surrounded by an outer capsule.  The cortex and medulla play different roles in the development of T-cells.  Cells in the thymus can be divided into thymic stromal cells and cells of hematopoietic origin (derived from bone marrow resident hematopoietic stem cells).  Developing T-cells are referred to as thymocytes and are of hematopoietic origin.  Stromal cells include thymic cortical epithelial cells, thymic medullary epithelial cells, and dendritic cells.

The thymus provides an inductive environment for development of T-lymphocytes from hematopoietic progenitor cells.  In addition, thymic stromal cells allow for the selection of a functional and self-tolerant T-cell repertoire.  Therefore, one of the most important roles of the thymus is the induction of central tolerance.

The thymus is largest and most active during the neonatal and pre-adolescent periods.  By the early teens, the thymus begins to atrophy and thymic stroma is replaced by adipose (fat) tissue.  Nevertheless, residual T lymphopoiesis continues throughout adult life.

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