The contents of these lessons are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. These presentations do not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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Our immune system is complex beyond our understanding. Our knowledge of its function is continuously evolving. We will limit the scope of our discussion to concepts that are useful to our goal of maintaining immunologic balance.
Balanced immune function is essential to health and well being. The world of alternative medicine, from homeopathy to herbalism aims to utilize general strategies to optimize immune balance including tending to the Foundation Issues of Health and Healing such as good diet, moderate exercise, adequate sleep and stress reduction through psychological balance, the maintenance of healthy relationships and cultivating our spiritual life.
Diet: Immune cell function is impaired for hours after sugar ingestion. Inadequate protein intake is a common cause for immune dysfunction. A balanced vitamin and mineral supplement has been shown to improve immune function in elderly people.
Exercise: Regular exercise enhances immune function. Gentle aerobic exercise is known to improve immune function. Yoga, Tai Chi and Chi Gong are exercise and meditative disciplines from Asia that have been demonstrated to improve immune function.
Sleep and Restorative Rest: Chronic sleep disturbance is linked to an increased susceptibility to infection and cancer.
Stress and Immune Function: Psychoneuroimmunology is a field of medicine that has developed over the last 30 years. It has begun to document the incredible relationship between immunologic function and social issues such as nurturing, community support, self-esteem and abusive relationships.
In The Functional Basis for Health and Healing, we have discussed the importance of gastrointestinal function, hepatic function, toxic load and hormonal balance. There is a close relationship between immunologic balance and each of these related functional areas.
Gastrointestinal Function: Two thirds of our immune cells reside in and around our gastrointestinal tract. These cells protect us from the toxic content of our gut. They allow us to receive the benefit of the food we ingest without being injured by the contaminants of the food.
The immune cells in our intestinal tract interact with the immune cells throughout our bodies via chemical messages. Gastrointestinal health is a key component of immunologic balance.
Hepatic Function: The liver provides a secondary barrier function after the gastrointestinal tract. Improper liver function will result in the accumulation of toxins that impair immunologic balance.
Toxic Load: The accumulation of foreign chemicals in our body will result in immunologic impairment. Heavy metals are particularly problematic in this regard. Reduction of total toxic load is an important component of restoring immunologic balance.
Hormonal Balance: Hormonal balance is critical to immunologic balance. As we age there is an excess of the catabolic hormones (cortisone and insulin) and a relative deficiency of the anabolic hormones (DHEA, sex hormones, growth hormone). This imbalance creates a tendency to suppression of the TH1 system with an increase in autoimmune disease, infectious disease and cancer. Sleep deprivation impairs melatonin production from the pineal gland. Melatonin is important in the TH1 immune cell function. Thyroid deficiency impairs immunologic balance. Diabetes is associated with an increase risk to infectious diseases, arteriosclerosis and cancer.
Products that support general balance include probiotics , enzymes, essential fatty acids, trace minerals and others.
In the next several sections, we will look at some of the important areas mentioned here in more details. We will also go into the fun things you can do Right. Now. to start protecting, strengthening and supporting your immune system.
Oh, and you’ll always find fun bonus videos and PDF’s with each of the sections, for your added benefit. See you on the next section.