Fortunately, due to research and new treatments, cancer is no longer an immediate death sentence. Unfortunately, it still claims too many lives.
When you're dealing with a cancer diagnosis, you may look for various treatment paths. One that has risen in popularity is supplements that help strengthen immunity for those who have been diagnosed with cancer. Immune boosting supplements that contain transfer factor have shown a lot of promise.
But what is transfer factor, and how can it help cancer patients? Keep reading to learn more about how this supplement might help.
To put it simply, transfer factor is a small protein molecule that plays a crucial role in our immune system. It is an incredible messenger. It transfers vital information from one immune cell to another.
This allows our immune system to recognize and effectively respond to threats. Some of those threats may include viruses, bacteria, and even cancer cells.
Transfer factors are derived from various sources, including the following:
These natural sources provide us with an abundant supply of these powerful molecules.
Interestingly, transfer factor isn't limited to just humans. It exists across different species and can be transferred between them through various means. For example, through breastfeeding or consuming certain foods.
This suggests that the benefits of transfer factor aren't exclusive to one species alone.
Transfer factor is a powerful immune system modulator. It helps the body recognize and fight against various pathogens, including cancer cells. It works by transferring information from immune cells to educate and enhance the response of other immune cells in the body.
This unique molecule contains small proteins and peptides. These contain vital information about specific antigens. When transfer factor is introduced into the body, it interacts with immune cells.
Once inside immune cells, transfer factors help activate them. They then provide crucial instructions on identifying and destroying harmful invaders. This process leads to an improved overall immune response against cancer.
Transfer factors also play a role in regulating inflammation levels within the body. Modulating these responses can help create an environment where cancer growth is less likely to occur.
Transfer factor is a revolutionary immune system supplement. It has been shown to have the potential to benefit cancer patients.
But how exactly does it work? Let's delve into the details.
Transfer factor boosts the body's natural defense mechanism, the immune system. It contains tiny molecules with vital information to educate and enhance the immune response.
This can be particularly beneficial for cancer patients. Their weakened immune systems often struggle to recognize and fight off cancer cells effectively.
Transfer factor also plays a crucial role in modulating inflammation within the body. Chronic inflammation contributes to tumor growth. However, it also suppresses the overall function of the immune system.
By reducing inflammation, transfer factor aids in creating an environment that is less favorable for cancer development and progression.
Studies have suggested that transfer factor may have direct anti-cancer properties under certain circumstances. Research has shown its ability to potentially increase the chances of survival in patients with certain types of cancer.
Transfer factor supports overall neurological health. This is crucial for cancer patients dealing with symptoms from chemo or radiation. Some of the benefits here can include the following:
If you or someone you know is battling cancer, incorporating transfer factor into your treatment plan could be beneficial. Here are some tips on how to take advantage of the benefits of transfer factor for cancer patients:
Before starting any new supplement or treatment, it's essential to consult with your healthcare team. They can evaluate your situation and guide you on how transfer factor may fit into your overall treatment plan.
Transfer factor supplements come in various forms, such as capsules or liquid extracts. It's crucial to follow the recommended dosage instructions provided.
When selecting a transfer factor supplement, choose a reputable brand. All supplements should be tested for safety and efficacy.
While transfer factor can offer numerous benefits, it should not be used as a standalone treatment for cancer. It is best utilized in combination with conventional medical treatments. Traditional treatments may include the following:
Taking transfer factor supplements isn't enough. It's crucial to maintain an overall healthy lifestyle when managing cancer. This includes the following:
Remember that every individual's journey with cancer is unique. What works well for one person may not work the same way for another.
Always listen to your body. Also, communicate openly with your healthcare team. Let them know about any changes or concerns you experience during your treatment.
Transfer factor has the potential to provide many benefits for cancer patients. At Immune Therapy Research Laboratory, we develop and offer all-natural transfer factor supplement ingredients that help boost your immune system and help prevent immune deficiency syndromes, chronic infections, autoimmune diseases, hypersensitivity reactions, and decline in health due to aging. We strive to retain the trust and loyalty of our clients by the use of superior ingredients, quality service, outstanding customer relations and development of safe and effective nutraceuticals and unique cosmeceuticals.
Are you ready to experience the benefit? Start shopping with us today for high-quality supplements.
]]>Beta-D-Glucan—or more simply, beta glucan—is a form of soluble fiber.
You have probably heard that fiber is good for you – good for your heart and good for your digestive system. All that is true, but beta glucan can also stimulate and support the immune system. Let’s get into a few more details about how beta glucan can work for you.
There are two basic types of fiber—soluble and insoluble. These are both types of carbohydrates. Your body can digest these forms of carbohydrates.
Insoluble fiber won’t dissolve in water but helps “bulk up” food in the digestive system and can help improve and promote regular bowel movements and prevent constipation. Insoluble fiber is found in whole grains and in many vegetables.
Soluble fiber dissolves in water and is found in foods like oats, oatmeal, peas, beans, nuts, beans, lentils, apples, blueberries, citrus fruits, carrots and barley.
Beta glucan is a type of soluble fiber found in high levels in barley, oats, oatmeal, other whole grains, seaweed and especially in mushrooms like reishi, maitake and shitake.
It is especially interesting to know that medicinal mushrooms—like reishi, maitake and shitake mushrooms—have been used for centuries in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and other traditional medical systems to treat infections and cancer. It is believed that the reason these types of mushrooms have been useful in these traditional systems is the high content of beta glucan found in them. Cancer immunotherapy using beta glucan-containing fractions of these medicinal mushrooms have been used in Japan since the 1970s and in China since the 1980s. The types of cancer treated with these beta-glucan based therapies include gastric, esophageal, colorectal, breast and lung cancers. These same therapies have also been investigated in immune deficient diseases like HIV/AIDs and in elderly patients.
Beta glucan has many benefits including:
Beta glucan has not been reported to have any safety issues.
Beta glucans are used around the world as adjuvant cancer therapies and in cancer vaccines—stand by for more information as it becomes available!
]]>Bovine IG—the IG stands for immunoglobulin—is a major portion of colostrum, the pre-milk or first milk produced by mammals.
To understand how bovine IG might help support immunity, lets take a brief look at the history of immunization.
The immune system can be divided into the innate and the acquired (or adaptive) immune systems. The acquired immune system has a sort of memory of (for example) the infections that a person has experienced. It will react specifically and quickly to re-infection by that particular infection.
We use the acquired immune system in immunization procedures—stimulating the formation of an immune memory that, when a person encounters that virus, bacterium or other pathogen, will react quickly and prevent the infection from taking hold. So, if you get a vaccination against polio or the measles, the idea is that your immune system will recognize the polio or measles virus and respond quickly, destroying the virus before you get sick—and before you can infect anyone else.
There are two forms of immunization. The most common one is an active immunization—this is the form that is used for most immunizations. A person is injected with a weakened form of a virus or bacteria and the immune system is allowed to develop a response to that weakened virus or bacteria. Then, if the person is exposed to that same agent, the immune system responds quickly and specifically, destroying the agent before it can spread. Active immunization can provide long-term immunity to various infectious agents.
The other form of immunization is known as passive immunization. In passive immunization, pre-formed antibodies are given to a person. These antibodies provide a more short-term protection against infectious agents. The best-known example of passive immunization is in breastfeeding newborn infants. The mother’s milk contains antibodies to those infectious agents that the mother has been exposed to. She then passively immunizes her newborn against those agents. Another example is the passive immunity that passes between the mother and fetus through the placenta—maternal antibodies pass through the placenta, protecting the fetus before they are born.
Now back to the question—how can bovine IG help fight off infections?
The answer: Bovine IG can help support the immune system using passive immunity, providing a short-term passive immunization against numerous infectious agents because bovine IG is a mixture of antibodies, each specific for a virus or bacteria.
How, exactly, does the bovine IG work? Current research indicates that it does this in a few ways:
Overall, research is providing evidence that bovine IG helps support the immune system by providing antibodies that bind to infectious agents, prevent them from attaching and/or growing and by increasing the activity of macrophages and inflammatory factors that help kill any infectious bacteria or viruses. This likely protects against fungal and parasitic infections as well, be we will have to wait for more research to be certain.
]]>The term “Immunotherapy” is most commonly used around treatments for cancer, but it can refer to any form of therapy that utilizes the inherent nature of a person’s immune system to boost the response to any infection, disease or cancer. Immunotherapy also has a great potential in maintaining health and wellness, treating infections without the worry of antibiotic resistance, treating autoimmune and allergic diseases, improving transplant responses and for the prevention and treatment of various cancers.
Non-specific immune stimulators represent a wide array of naturally produced cellular molecules known as cytokines, growth factors and other molecules that can stimulate cells of the immune system—this can be used to evoke all arms of the immune system, both the innate and the acquired immune systems. Non-specific immune stimulators can also be immunomodulating drugs (also known as biological response modifiers) and include Thalidomide (Thalomid®), Lenalidomide (Revlimid®), Pomalidomide (Pomalyst®) and Imiquimod (Aldara®, Zyclara®). Naturally produced immune stimulators include:
Immunotherapy is based on the concept that the immune system constantly surveils the body for cancer cells. In theory, cancer cells develop quite commonly—and a good portion of those cancer cells are killed off by the immune system—we just never really know it is happening. However, cancer cells have lots of ways to evade the immune system and immunotherapy strategies depend on stopping this evasion. Immunotherapy tries to find ways to overcome these different evasive tactics by enlisting elements of the immune system.
There are lots of different approaches to immunotherapy—this is one of the advantages a complex immune system gives us! Here are some of the most common approaches:
Transfer factor is a complex mixture of factors derived from T-helper cells. In animal studies, transfer factor (TF) “transfers” some forms of immunity to the recipient, can increase the numbers of T cells and can shrink some tumors. Recent studies with transfer factor indicates that it may be useful in controlling autoimmune diseases, disorders associated with a suppressed immune response and with the development of immune memory. Other studies indicate that TF may be useful in the treatment of “cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, hepatis and other major diseases”
Interest in TF as a non-specific immune stimulator has grown in recent years and may be useful in many different forms of cancer—and in maintaining health and wellness.
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Obesity—defined as being 20% over an ideal weight—and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016 (NHANES 2016) statistics showed that almost 40% of American adults were obese.
Does obesity affect the immune system? Yes—oh yes, it does.
The effects of obesity on the immune system occurs in multiple ways, but it all comes down to inflammation—and obesity is both the cause and effect of inflammation!
Obesity is considered a chronic disease—and what’s more, it is considered to be a chronic inflammatory disease.
Obesity is also a form of malnutrition—and as with any form of malnutrition, the immune system is impaired. Obesity is a risk factor for many disorders including autoimmune disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, gall bladder disease, osteoarthritis, heart disease, GERD and many others.
The question might occur to you—how does inflammation, a normal part of the immune system—end up harming the immune system? And what does obesity have to do with inflammation anyway? Let’s look at the second question first.
We are just beginning to understand this question.
When you increase the number of calories you ingest over the amount of calories you put out—by exercising and staying physically active—the body responds by storing those excess calories in fat cells (adipose tissue). It turns out that fat cells also play a role in controlling appetite—and the more you eat, the more your body tends to produce leptin—the “hunger hormone”…and leptin is an inflammatory substance produced by the fat cells.
Immune cells may also be related to fat cells—they may come from the same early stem cell.
It is a “chicken or egg” type of question though—the more weight a person gains, the more the immune system is impacted—and the more the immune system is affected, the easier it is to gain weight! In science, the chicken or egg question is known as a positive feedback loop—and obesity is a perfect example!
Leptin is not the only inflammatory substance produced in obesity—other pro-inflammatory substances are produced as well. In the long run, this means that the immune system begins to lose its ability to self-regulate. When that happens, autoimmune diseases can occur. Inflammation can directly affect individual immune cells—after all, the inflammatory immune cells are “right in the thick of it”!
In obesity, there are often high blood levels of fatty acids—and depending on the type of fatty acids, these can be used to build even more inflammatory substances. This is the reason many nutritionists and other health professionals recommend that people increase the amounts of omega-3 fatty acids in their diet. The omega-3 fatty acids tend to be funneled into making anti- inflammatory substances while the omega-6 fatty acids tend to make those pro-inflammatory substances.
Also, chronic inflammation directly damages those cells that are subject to its effects—if, for example, inflammation occurs around an organ, that organ can be damaged leading to heart, liver, gall bladder and other organ dysfunctions. In type 2 diabetes, cells become resistant to the effects of insulin and the person with diabetes cannot control the levels of their blood sugars.
Obesity is never an easy problem to deal with, partly at least because of the positive feedback loop mentioned earlier. The only good answer is simple—but getting it to work is much harder. You have to decrease the calories you take in and increase the calories you put out. Easier said than done—but you can also work to decrease your inflammation by adding anti-inflammatory supplements to your daily routine—especially supplements like ImmunoCillin, ImmunoBiotics and Oramune Gold which can help support the immune system while decreasing inflammation.
]]>Colostrum is nutrient dense pre-milk material that is high in immune substances such as secretory IgA(sIgA), IgG and IgM, white blood cells, white blood cell products (cytokines) and in factors such as epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I and IGF-II) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Colostrum is also high in non-specific immune modulators including lactoferrin, lactadherin, various mucins and bile salt stimulating lipase (BSSL). It is low in carbohydrates but does contain trace amounts of lactose. Colostrum is also low in calories and fat and rich in minerals and vitamins A, C and K and beta-carotenes (giving colostrum its golden color) and with variable amounts of Vitamins D and E depending on maternal status.
Colostrum—besides providing nutrients, vitamins and minerals needed for early growth and development—has several other very important functions in the newborn:
Good question! Here are some answers.
Overall, more studies would certainly be welcome, but there appear to be very few side effects associated with using bovine colostrum as a supplement. It may cause some digestive upset for some.
However, those who are allergic to milk should avoid colostrum. Some lower-quality colostrum may contain antibiotics, hormones and pesticides—these should be avoided as well.
You should also ensure that your colostrum is properly handled and processed to avoid any bacterial contamination.
]]>The common cold is mostly caused by rhinoviruses, but can also be caused by the parainfluenza, respiratory syncytial (sin-si-sheal) and corona- viruses. The flu is caused by one of three flu viruses, influenza A, B and C. Influenza types A and B are the ones that cause the annual flu season, though Influenza C plays a role too, though it is usually a mild form of flu. There is also an influenza D virus—that that one affects cows and does not infect people….yet.
Why “yet”? We say “yet” because history shows us that viruses that affect one type of animal—like birds or pigs—can sometimes mutate and then infect humans. This has happened before—in 1918 with the Spanish flu, the 1957-58 Asian flu, the 1968-69 Hong Kong flu and the 2009 Swine flu. These can be particularly dangerous because since these are new viruses, humans don’t have acquired immunity to them, and we have to rely on our innate immunity—and on our overall health, diet and how we support our immune systems.
Influenza A is the one that commonly causes flu epidemics—this virus is divided into subtypes based on two surface proteins—the hemagglutinin (H) and the neuraminidase (N)…this is where the names H1N1 or H7N9 come from. The influenza B viruses—somewhat less common than influenza A—are either from the Victoria subtype or the Yamagata subtype.
There are no effective vaccinations against the common cold—there are over 250 different types of viruses that can cause a cold—too many to make a vaccine against.
Currently, the CDC recommends that everyone over the age of 6 months should get vaccinated against the flu—this is considered to be especially important for those at high risk—anyone over the age of 65, pregnant women, young children, anyone with a chronic lung disease (eg. asthma or COPD), diabetes, cancer, HIV/AIDs or people with neurologic conditions.
But is that the only approach? Or can you also help prevent a cold or the flu in other ways? The answer is yes—whether or not you get vaccinated—a discussion you should have with your doctor—there are other steps you can take to reduce your risk of getting a cold or the flu.
Here are 5 easy steps you can take!
Staying well-hydrated means your mucus membranes—in your mouth and nose—are well-hydrated. This is one of the most important ways to keep that barrier—that first line of defense against viruses intact!
Eating well can support your immune system by providing it with the nutrients it needs to build and sustain an effective immune response
Studies have shown that your immune system needs food and water – but it also needs rest! Try to get at least 7-9 hours of sleep every night!
Studies have also shown that depressed people get sick more often—and get sicker than people who are not depressed!
You can recognize most enzymes because their name ends in “ase”. Lysozyme is named a bit differently—maybe because it was one of the first enzymes described—it was the first enzyme structure to be determined using X-ray crystallography and the 2nd enzyme structure ever described.
You may have heard about digestive enzymes—these are enzymes that break down (digest) various types of foods. Proteases break down proteins, amylases break down carbohydrates and lipases break down fats—all to provide your body with nutrients it needs.
Lysozyme is another sort of digestive enzyme found in your body—but lysozyme digests cells walls, and in the process, kills off bacteria, viruses and fungi.
So, what exactly, does lysozyme do and how does it do it?
Lysozyme is an important part of the innate immune system because it breaks up (digests) components of the cells walls of bacteria. In other words, lysozyme acts as an anti-bacterial enzyme. It uses at least two different mechanisms to kill bacteria—it digests the bacterial or fungal cell wall and it punches holes into that cell wall, causing the contents to leak out of the bacteria. Lysozyme also appears to break up virus particles in a similar way.
Lysozyme is naturally found in body secretions like tears, saliva, breast milk and mucus. It is also stored in tiny sacs within cells that form part of the innate immune system. It is in macrophages—the large cells that literally eat up bacteria and in polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs), a type of white blood cell. The PMNs eat up bacteria too—plus they can signal other immune cells to the site of the infection and are part of the normal inflammatory process needed to destroy the bacteria.
Lysozyme does even more than show anti-bacterial activity—it is also an effective anti-viral and anti-fungal substance.
Lysozyme deficiency has been associated with an increased susceptibility to infections such as ear infections. Lower than normal levels are found in liver diseases such as cirrhosis and hepatitis. Higher than normal levels of lysozyme are considered to be inflammatory markers as well as markers of bacterial infection.
Lysozyme has long been used as a natural preservative and anti-bacterial agent in foods. It is also added to baby formula to help babies digest the formula. It is also added in skin care to treat acne and other infectious or inflammatory skin conditions. As an anti-bacterial enzyme, lysozyme also promote wound repair.
Recently, lysozyme has been used to prevent worsening of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Lysozyme also appears to modulate the immune response—it first acts by increasing the inflammatory response to a bacterial infection—but it also limits, for example, the inflammation associated with Crohn’s disease.
Lysozyme can be an effective way to reduce your risk of bacterial, viral and fungal infections, especially when combined with other “immune booster” ingredients. If you are at a higher risk for any infection—or just concerned that you may need to support your immune system, consider Immunocillin which contains, in addition to lysozyme, other immune support substances like lactoferrin, bovine immunoglobulins (antibodies) and olive leaf extract.
]]>Transfer Factor (TF) was originally described by Dr. HS Lawrence in 1955. Today, TF is often known as “dialysable leukocyte extracts” or DLE.
The earliest studies on TF indicated that TF could produce benefits in patients with infectious diseases including chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis, chronic coccidioidomycosis and progressive primary tuberculosis and in children with immunodeficiency.
It was relatively easy to find donors who had immune memory for responses to infectious agents—but when it came to cancer, the early studies ran into problems—primarily finding individuals genetically close enough to patients who could donate TF with properties that allowed the TF to function against the recipient’s tumor. Another issue during the 1980’s was the concern over the transmission of the virus responsible for HIV.
The technical problems took several years to solve, but purification methods and other approaches ensured that TF could be studied in the expectation that it could provide benefit to cancer patients. Several different studies indicated that TF could reduce the size of tumors, increase survival rates, and increase the immune response to a variety of tumors including prostate, bone, lung and brain cancer. As one review put it “To conclude, Transfer Factor is an immune enhancing molecule produced naturally by our immune system aiding immunological memory of recipient.”
Continuing research in TF has led to conclusions that TF may be of clinical benefit in the treatment of various cancers, infectious diseases, allergies, in fungal and parasitic diseases and in veterinary medicine. Studies on animals has also provided evidence that TF may be useful in the prevention of many diseases including cancer, immune deficiency disorders, autoimmune disease, infectious and parasitic diseases.
We always like to know how things work, don’t we? The same is true for scientists.
Recent studies have indicated that TF may act in several different ways to slow down tumor growth and help fight off infections.
First, TF induces the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. How is that important? Because these cytokines—small molecules that serve as cell-to-cell messengers—increase the amount of local inflammation. That inflammatory environment is the main function of the immune system and is vital to kill off or decrease the number of tumor cells or of infected cells. These pro-inflammatory cytokines include interleukins 10 and 12 (IL-10, IL-12). It also includes Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α). TNF-α causes necrosis (premature cell death) in tumor cells.
Second, TF activates members of a family of receptors that play a critical role in innate immunity, the Toll-like receptors (TLRs). You may remember that innate immunity is the most ancient arm of the immune system—every multicellular organism has some form of innate immunity. The TLRs are receptors found on the surface of immune cells and function as a switch to turn on the immune system. Think of receptors like TLRs as the lock of a door. Certain molecules on the surface of microbes and tumor cells act as keys to that lock. In the case of TF, binding to the TLR unlocks the door and allows the immune system to react and begin to kill off tumor cells and cells infected with bacteria, viruses, fungi and other parasites.
A third mechanism—there may be more yet to discover—is that TF helps induce a group of regulatory T cells known as helper cells known as TH-1 that are involved in the activation of immune cells. These T-helper cells start a cascade of events that end up with other T cells killing off tumor cells or infected cells and can stimulate the production of antibodies that can help clear out tumor cells or infected cells and can also stimulate those immune cells that literally eat up tumors and infections. (FYI—those cells are known as macrophages—macro means large and phage comes from the Greek word “phagein” that means “eat”.)
TF has been used in clinical settings around the world and has been shown to have very few adverse reactions—and those adverse reactions have been mostly non-serious and included headache, rash, a runny nose, cough and fatigue. These reactions also tended to be short-term.
]]>The human innate immune system is the “first line of defense” against infectious agents. It is like a hammer or a scatter gun because it is non-specific and just tries to smash an invasion of any infectious agent—a bacteria, fungus, parasite or virus—enters the body. The hammer of the innate immune system occurs immediately after an infection and uses a variety of cells and cellular products (cytokines) to protect against the infection.
The cells involved in the innate immune system can include natural killer cells (NK cells), dendritic cells, macrophages and neutrophils. These cells destroy (NK cells) and literally eat the invading pathogen.
The cellular products—the complement system, histamine, prostaglandins, interferons, interleukins, tumor necrosis factor, transfer factor, lysozyme, lactoferrin, and other products such as beta-glucan as well as components found in colostrum—work in different ways to help support the innate immune system.
The quick answer is—not all that much, because it is a virus that just months ago seems to have crossed over from. We do know that most people (~80%) have a mild-moderate form of infection, that there are many who are asymptomatic or unknowing carriers—and that older people, those with underlying chronic disease and those with immune-compromised systems are at higher risk for hospitalization and death. We also seem to be learning that while people do seem to mount an immune response, just as with most infectious diseases, some people’s immune system —but we don’t know the how’s and why’s of this response.
Coronaviruses cause some cases of “the common cold”, the croup and lower respiratory tract infections as well as the more serious Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle (MERS-CoV).
They are called coronaviruses because the envelope proteins surrounding the viral RNA have spikes that look like the sun’s corona or halo under an electron microscope.
Because this is a new type of coronavirus, there is currently no known treatment. So, the question becomes, is there a rational way to protect yourself from a coronavirus infection? Understanding that there are no clinical studies and this is a theoretical discussion, the answer is—maybe. It may be that harnessing the non-specific, yet effective factors of the innate immune system may be protective.
There are several ingredients that may support the innate immune system.
Probiotics—the healthy bacteria that reside in your digestive tract—have long been seen as vital to a healthy immune response. While in the early stages, probiotics such as those found in ImmunoBiotics appear to be useful in treating respiratory infections as well.
Products such as ImmunoCillin which contain lysozyme may also be helpful in viral infections. Lysozyme physically breaks apart the protein envelope that surrounds viruses like the coronavirus, limiting the virus’ ability to infect cells. ImmunoCillin also contains lactoferrin and olive leaf extract, both shown to help support a healthy immune response.
Oramune Max and Oramune TF both contain transfer factor (TF). TF may act in several different ways to help support an anti-viral response:
While we often talk about specific immune responses, in the current situation, it is not unreasonable to think that a non-specific boost to the immune response may be beneficial as well. There are no guarantees, but supporting your innate immune system appears to be a rational and evidence-based approach during this pandemic.
]]>Read on to find out effective ways to support your immune system’s fight against a viral infection.
]]>Whether you live in a Coronavirus “hot spot” or not, you are likely very concerned. What practical approaches can you take to support your immune system and the immune systems of the people you live with and care about? Read on to find out practical and effective ways to support your immune system’s fight against a viral infection.
There are several very effective preventive measures that you can do that can protect you, your family, friends and neighbors. These are simple steps—but understand that they DO work.
There is also a new phrase we are all using—social distancing. Social distancing means that you stay 4-6 feet away from people and stay away from large crowds (usually considered groups of more than 100 people). To see what 4-6 feet away means within arm’s reach. For preventing infection, no other person should be within the circle made by your outstretched hands.
Other preventive measures include coughing into a disposable tissue, handkerchief or the inner part of your elbow. That is useful—but it is MOST useful when you also properly dispose of the used tissue immediately, place the handkerchief in the wash immediately and put any clothing into the wash immediately. Clean surfaces like countertops, cell phones, computer keyboards, doorknobs, handles etc often and well.
Finally—if you think you are sick, as difficult as it may be, stay home! This is not always easy, but in the long run, it may save yours and other people’s health.
Find more information on prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
One of the best approaches to maintaining a strong and balanced immune system is a wholesome, nutritious diet consisting of whole grains, lots of vegetables and fruit, fish, lean poultry and meats, nuts, and seeds. It is critical that you provide yourself and all your loved ones with all the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that your immune system needs to function. You should also drink lots of water. Beyond prevention, diet and hydration—there is even more that you can do!
The importance of exercise, rest, relaxation and sleep to a healthy immune system can’t be emphasized enough. Why? Because all these can help you reduce stress, and stress of any kind can significantly depress your immune response. Not being physically active can stress your immune system as well as your heart, blood vessels and your nervous system. Not getting enough exercise, rest, relaxation and sleep is also a stressor for your whole body. Any form of stress depresses the immune system because chronic stress result in the release of cortisol—and cortisol decreases the number of immune cells available to react to any virus. When you don’t get enough exercise, rest, relaxation and sleep, your risk for obesity increases along with your risk of a suppressed or depressed immune system.
There’s lots of “hype” out there, especially now, about the coronavirus. While it is true that this is a novel (new) virus and there is much we don’t know, we know quite a lot more about the immune system and how to support a healthy immune system.
When you step back and take a look at what the immune system does and how it works—well, it can be pretty stunning!
Broadly speaking, the immune system protects us (“self”) against anything it detects as not belonging to us (“non-self”). The immune system also plays a role in wound healing.
Functionally, this means that the immune system protects us from viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites—and may also protect us from cancer. It recognizes what “bits” come from our own bodies (self) and what “bits” come from outside our bodies (non-self). That can go wrong at times—and when the immune system gets confused and reacts against a self-bit, autoimmune disease may result. When the immune system overreacts to non-self, an allergy may result. Finally, if the immune system has trouble recognizing non-self, frequent infections can be the result. The immune system is also involved in transplant rejections. Inflammation is part of the immune response also and when the control over inflammation is lost, chronic diseases like arthritis, obesity, diabetes, heart disease and others can occur—inflammation is a significant part of nearly all chronic disease.
The immune system can be divided into the innate and the acquired immune system. The innate system is ancient, responds quickly in a general (non-specific) way and is most active on the skin and on mucous membranes, the most important barrier between us and the outside world.
The acquired immune system is a more recent evolutionary development and responds more slowly but in a very specific way. The acquired immune system also “remembers” what it has encountered in the past—and on the second appearance, responds more quickly because of this memory.
Both the innate and the acquired immune systems consist of cellular components and soluble blood factors that function to kill invading pathogens. The innate immune system utilizes inflammatory cells, a series of proteins known as the complement system and natural killer (NK) cells. The NK cells seek out and destroy infected cells and cancer cells, using substances known as cytotoxins to literally dissolve the infected or cancerous cells. Complement consists of a series of proteins that mark infected cells, identifying them so that inflammatory cells can come, find them and destroy them—quite literally, eating the infected cells right up! Complement can also directly attack bacteria and viruses.
The innate immune system acts a bit like a scatter gun while the acquired immune system works much more precisely. The acquired immune system also gets more complicated and includes specialized cells.
Let’s say viruses or bacteria enter the body through the air or through a cut in the skin. First—the “rapid response team” that is the innate immune system responds. The innate system sends in the complement system, marking the infected cells for…well, dinner. The inflammatory cells and the NK cells arrive and eat up the marked cells. If the infection or cancer cell survives, the acquired immune system gets to work, identifying the infected or malignant cells, sending out B cells and their antibodies and the various T cells to finish the job. If you have experienced that specific type of infection before, the acquired immune system joins in right from the start because the memory T cells have been activated.
Complexity can be a great thing—and it can be a problem. It can be a problem because mistakes can be made resulting in autoimmunity, other immune diseases or in immune suppression.
But—when it comes to supporting the immune system, the complexity is a great thing because it allows us many different possibilities for boosting the immune response overall to help protect us from infections and diseases like cancer. These possibilities include the use of substances like transfer factor, colostrum, probiotics, herbs like olive leaf, nutritionally important substances like vitamins and minerals needed by the immune system and enzymes to support a healthy immune system.
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