Viva For Your Health

Some people, it seems, are endowed with a healthy immune system. They never seem to get sick and, if they do get the odd cold, they continue their daily routine and snap out of it in no time flat. Then you see others who barely have to hear the word ‘flu or see someone blowing their nose and bam, they’ve got it!
Is it all in the head? Are you born with a strong immune system to fight off disease? Can you do something about it, if you’re not? Anyway, what does it mean to have immunity? Well, a very simple explanation is that there are basically two types: active and passive immunity.
The definition of “immune” is that your body is so strong and resistant to any disease that you will not succumb to it.
Active immunity is considered to be long-lasting and tends to be life-long. If you’re in this category then, whenever you’re exposed to a disease organism, your immune system will instantly start to produce antibodies to that disease. Furthermore, if you should come into contact with that disease in the future, your immune system will identify it and immediately fight it off with the stored antibodies.
Passive immunity is not inherent in your system. It is when you cannot produce enough antibodies to fight off disease, and get an external boost by injection, medication or nutritional supplements.
Healthy people with an active, innate immunity are usually referred to as being resistant to disease in general. The term immunity is usually applied to general protection against a specific organism. Even if you are generally healthy, you may from time to time need a boost in order to help fight off a virulent strain of a specific infection or virus. The more severe the disease producing organism, the more the passive immunity is applied.
The medical profession recommends boosting your inherent immunity with specific antibodies to fight off a potentially dangerous infection or virus.
A good digestion and healthy appetite are indicators of a strong immunity. “Getting better quickly is a better indicator of immune health,” says Dr Dennis Alexander, head of molecular immunology at the Babraham institute in Cambridge.
Immune globulin can be administered to provide immediate protection from specific health threats to those who have a severely impaired or suppressed immune system. For instance, some who may normally have fairly good resistance to disease suddenly realize that their system cannot handle the sudden onslaught of germs in the hospital.
Likewise, the body under stress, i.e. disease or sudden accident, is often not capable to fight off multiple vaccines in one shot.
Judging by the large numbers of people coping with disease, the human system is inherently fragile and cannot handle multiple onslaughts, like the ones discussed above.
Many believe that if you are generally healthy and look after your health, you will only have a mild version of what’s going around. “In truth, there’s no such thing as a normal immune system,” says Angus Dalgleish, professor of oncology at St George’s Hospital, London, who researches cancer vaccines. He says the system is naturally very variable.
The rise of allergies, auto-immune diseases (where the body attacks itself) and inflammatory bowel disease are all indicators of immune resistance performing under par.
Both types of acquired immunity respond to peptide sequences called antigens. Antigens help the acquired immune system recognize invading bacteria, viruses and other harmful organisms (pathogens).
Leftovers, non-organic foods, and foods laced with preservatives can severely tax the digestive system. This can, in turn, clog your circulation, and create a sluggish, compromised immune system.
Going to be late, working at night, irregular eating habits, sleeping during the day, and exposing the body to stress and fatigue can all affect the digestion and body rhythms and thus compromise your resistance.
Therefore, be good to yourself. Eating nutritiously and keeping an active, happy lifestyle will go a long way to boosting your immune system. Don’t worry; be happy because “a merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” (Prov. 17: 22)

The immune system is under attacks more now than ever in the history of mankind. Reduced to simplest terms, the immune system has tow functions: identify self from non-self and to destroy or eliminate non-self. This can only work when the immune system functions optimally. With an intact immune system there can be no chronic or severe disease. In the hostile environment in which we live, we need protection from the multitude of microorganisms and toxins that are omnipresent. Our sole protection against them is our immune system.

Then, why is there so much sickness and disease running rampant through our society? Why our senior citizens die from viruses that they have successfully combated their entire lives? Why there are deaths caused by bacteria (e.coli) from improperly treated water? Why is there so much sickness and disease running rampant through our society? SARS is killing hundred worldwide. The public is being warned at large against bird flu and West Nile virus. The answer is easy…jeopardized immune systems.

If we are distinct as an individual and separate entity is because of our immune system. Medical research has established that every severe and chronic disease is directly associated with immune dysfunction. Also, research has shown that decreased NK (Natural Killer) cell activity levels are present with almost all illnesses. There are over one hundred and eighty-seven cell types identified with the immune system. Cells known as helper T cells are the brain of the immune system. They coordinate the response to any immune threat. B cells lead to an antibody response to bacterial and viral invasion. Cytotoxic T cells respond to viruses and cancer. Suppressor T cells are used to diminish the actions of the immune system after the threat has been eliminated. Macrophages are involved in all aspects of the immune response. Natural killer cells function to kill tumor and virus cells, bacteria and parasites on contact without need of direction from the immune system. This combat between self and non-self can only work when immune system functions optimally.

Complications arise when our immune system

- incorrectly identifies an invader and/or attacks “self” (auto-immune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and many more), pure example of disease when the body attacks itself;

- fails to identify an invader (or wrongly manufactured cell such as cancer);

- is compromised due to poor nutrition, toxicity or stress to the extent that it is unable to overcome immune insult.

All these errors result in some form of disease. There are several areas that can stress the immune system and most of these can be affected beneficially by our actions.

Since nutritional deficiencies decrease a person’s capacity of his immune system, in that case to boost the immune system is a must to protect himself from diseases .Choosing food wisely can help., but the vast majority of the population consumes less than 66% of the recommended daily allowance for one or more nutrients. Since our food sources have been deficient in both vitamins and minerals and since that it is almost impossible to get adequate nutrition from our current food supply, there is ample evidence to suggest that the public will benefit from the adoption of healthy dietary patterns and healthy lifestyle habits including the regular use of nutritional supplements. There is ample evidence that supplementation can replace what is missing to better support our immune system and decrease risk of diseases.

Gilles Coulombe B.A. B.LL D.S.A.

For more information, go to My Site