Your immune systemIntroduction
The human immune system is an amazing collection of repsonses to attacks from outside the body and, as such, plays a pivotal role in heping the body to deal with diesease and illness. We all have this important internal army which, when it is working efficiently, can destroy bacteria, viruses, fungi, and even cancer cells, very effectively.
And with the relatively recent discovery of strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, it has become apparent that the only way we can defend ourselves is to strengthen our immune system.
How do I know if my immune system is disfunctional?
* Frequent colds and flu
* Cold sore (herpes) outbreaks
* Allergies
* Continual fatigue
* Candida
* Painful joints and muscles
* Parasite infections
* Psoriasis
* Inflammatory disorders
What affects the immune system?
Unfortunately, our poor immune system is suffering from bad nutrition (mainly due to the way our food is processed and manufactured nowadays and the additives contained in it), stress and environmental toxins.
It has only been very recently that we have come to understand our immune system. All our body systems are intricately connected. Even our nervous system is connected to our immune system and this makes us aware of the importance of our thoughts and feelings. We know that loneliness results in immune suppressing action and that laughter and happiness increase and enhance the actions of our immune cells.
Our gut is also surrounded by powerful immune factors that ward off invaders such as bacteria and parasites that enter our body via food. Our skin is the largest immune organ, protecting us when it is intact and excreting immune agents that fight the bacteria when it is wounded. All of the entrances to our body contain potent immune factors in their secretions, to protect us.
We are born with immune cells that quickly destroy offending agents. These include macrophages and natural killer cells (NK cells). Macrophages devour foreign or abnormal looking cells, bacteria and fungi, whilst NK cells target cancer cells and virus infected cells.
We must provide our body's immune system with the fuel to help it fight it's never ending battle. Recommendations include:
- Limiting sugar consumption (one teaspoon of sugar can inhibit immune cells for up to 6 hours!);
- Eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables (organic wherever possible);
- Eliminating the 'bad' (i.e. hydrogenated) fats in margarine etc and eating more of the 'good' fats in oily fish, nuts etc;
- Try to limit our consumption of foods containing traces of pesticides and fungicides, both of which are known to inhibit immune function.
The T cell army
T cells are the generals in our immune army. They include helper T cells, cytotoxic T cells and suppressor T cells. Helper T cells excrete proteins that regulate our immune function. There are two types of helper T cells - Th1 and Th2.
When these two types of cells are in balance we are healthy. When we are sick with CFS/Epstein Barr virus,cancer, colds, flu, or infectious diseases, such as Hepatitis C, HIV and TB, our Th1 cells are suppressed.
When we have allergies, auto-immune disorders (such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, lupus, myasthenia gravis and MS) and inflammatory conditions such as osteo-arthritis and fibromyalgia, our Th2 cells are overactive and secreting too many inflammatory immune factors.
Researchers evaluating plant nutrients have found that plant fats, namely sterols and sterolins (also called phytosterols), optimise immunity by balancing T helper cells. This is a very delicate balancing act. Plant sterols and sterolins are effective at enhancing an underactive immune system or decreasing an overactive one.
In auto-immune conditions (such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis), the immune system becomes confused and starts attacking the body it is meant to protect. Complex sequences of events take place on a minute to minute basis as our immune system tries to protect us from invaders.
It's all about balance
The key to health is keeping these Th1 and Th2 cells in harmonious balance and plant sterols and sterolins appear to naturally balance the activity of these cells. These plant fats keep the Th1 cells functioning at their optimal level and keep the Th2 cells from overproducing antibodies and inflammatory agents. Inflammation decreases, pain subsides and damaged tissues begin to heal.
Your body is now doing the work it is supposed to do in the correct way. It just needed a bit of help! Don't forget that the immune system is programmed for health, not disease.
|
|
