Is Your Immune System Old before Its Time?

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Byline: NIC FLEMING

WE'RE all familiar with the inevitable signs of ageing -- creaky knees, grey hair, and crow's feet to name a few. But now scientists say it's not just our skin and joints that show wear through the years.

Our immune system ages, too -- becoming less efficient at warding off bugs.

This process is called immunosenescence, and it even causes our immune system to lose its 'memory' and forget it has encountered certain bugs before.

Poor immunity puts you at risk of conditions ranging from norovirus, the winter vomiting bug -- which is up by a quarter already compared with last year due to the recent cold weather -- to cancer.

But just as some people get grey hair before others, some people's immune systems deteriorate more rapidly than others. A person in their 50s could have the immune system of an 80-year-old, for example.

However, research has highlighted methods of turning back the clock. Here we reveal the latest thinking on the immune system -- and how you can stop it ageing... JABS DON'T WORK AS WELL IF YOU'RE OVER 40 OUR immune system protects us from viruses, bacteria and parasites, and consists of many different types of cells …