Daniel Davis: an immune-system user's guide

丹尼尔·戴维斯:《免疫系统使用手册》

Babbage from The Economist

2025-06-12

37 分钟

单集简介 ...

Supermarkets and social-media feeds are bursting with “immune-boosting” products that promise to make you better able to fend off infections. But can orange juice really fight a cold? And will a fancy yoghurt help your microbiome prevent illness? Enter a myth-busting immunologist who helps you to ignore the noise and to think critically about your immune health.   Alok Jha, The Economist's science and technology editor, speaks with Daniel Davis, a professor at Imperial College London and the author of a new guide to immune health, “Self Defence”. Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.
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单集文稿 ...

  • We think we know our immune systems.

  • And in many senses, we do.

  • It's one of our most important barriers against the ravages of a microscopic world that would otherwise do us a lot of harm.

  • We know from the ups and downs of getting ill that our immune systems can affect how we feel or even how we think.

  • Sometimes it does a better job of protecting us than other times.

  • Some people seem to be much better at dealing with external threats than others.

  • And it can also go into overdrive and cause more problems than it solves.

  • So it's no surprise that perhaps after a nasty bout of flu,

  • you often wonder how to keep that barrier strong.

  • Looking at social media,

  • it's clear that a lot of self-appointed health gurus think they have the answers.

  • there's a lot of talk about boosting immunity.

  • So even in the middle of winter,

  • I dive in my mountain stream and it's one of the most powerful immune system boosters,

  • that quick cold.

  • Maybe you don't have a mountain stream to hand, but you could...

  • Mix lemon with garlic and you will never have to go to the doctor again.

  • This kind of folk remedy stuff is really common.

  • And don't forget that well-known over-the-counter drug, gratitude.

  • There are plenty of influencers peddling supplements and pills and drinks for some kind of immune shortcut.