Internal Communiqués Medical science now generally agrees that the greatest part of the immune system resides in the gut. “We need those trillions of bacteria that live in the digestive tract. Without them, we are unable to defend ourselves from all types of assaults, includ- ing the autoimmune diseases, in which the body turns upon itself,” says Ji. “Te immune system lines the large
and small intestines,” says Dr. Susan Blum, of Rye Brook, New York, author of Te Immune System Recovery Plan: A Doctor’s 4-Step Program to Treat Autoimmune Disease. “Te microbes in the gut lining speak to the immune system. Anything that alters the microbes in negative ways—like antibiotics or viral illness, among others—can also negatively alter the immune system.”
Unavoidable Toxin We can’t avoid the toxic exposure that underlies much of the immune dysfunction we are experiencing today, says Wendy Myers, a functional diagnostic nutritionist in Los Angeles, California, and author of Limitless Energy: How to Detox Toxic Metals to End Exhaustion and Chronic Fatigue. “Toxins, especially heavy metals like lead and mercury, are in the air, water and soil. Since we can’t escape them, we need to know how they are affecting us and work to neutralize them.” Experts agree that immune challenges
can be neutralized and overcome with the right diet and lifestyle, stress management and appropriate supplements to restore and maintain the whole system balance needed to flourish in a world of our own making that stresses us on every level.
The Right Food Eliminating wheat and dairy can end half of current immune system dysfunction through helping to repair the microbi- ome and healing the immune system, Ji believes. As one example, “If my mom had known I was allergic to cow’s milk when I was a child, I wouldn’t have suffered for 20 years with bronchial asthma,” he says. An anti-inflammatory diet also
speeds gut healing and strengthens the immune system, says Blum. Highlights of her program for a basic clean-up include
eliminating anything white (sugar and all products made with flour); eating quality fats (cold-pressed vegetable oils, nuts and seeds); protein (grass-fed beef, organic and free-range poultry, wild game and wild- caught fish); organic fruits and vegetables as much as possible and fermented foods daily; limiting and preferably eliminating dairy; and reading labels and banishing additives, chemicals and processed foods. According to CDC statistics, almost
everyone has some level of immune dysfunction, so this clean-up diet will benefit most of us, Blum says. Aſter a basic regimen of three weeks or longer, she recommends exploring an elimination and
challenge diet in which gluten, dairy, corn, soy and eggs are all eliminated for three weeks. People with arthritis should also eliminate nightshades like tomatoes and potatoes. “Ten add back in the eliminated foods one at a time and carefully note the body’s reaction. It’s not that hard to get a clear picture of what aggravates inflamma- tion such as arthritis pain,” Blum says.
The Right Supplements
Multivitamins: “High-quality vitamin and mineral supplements are foundational to immune health,” Murray says. “Vitamins C, E and B and selenium are especially important.”
Digestive enzymes: “Digestive enzymes are key to restoring gut health, and thereby healing the immune system. Tey’re useful in reducing immune- mediated inflammation in autoimmune disorders,” Murray explains. Australian research from the Garvan
Institute of Medical Research confirms that supporting the immune system helps heal inflammation and autoimmune dis- eases. Instead, these are commonly treated with immune system suppressants that leave the patient with diminished resis- tance to other diseases. Raw foods, especially pineapple and
papaya, are good sources of digestive en- zymes. Tey’re also available as supplements.
Prebiotics and probiotics: Prebiotics, plant fibers that ferment in the colon help- ing to increase desirable bacteria in the gut, and probiotics, live beneficial bacteria, help restore balance in the microbiome, effectively feeding and strengthening the immune system. Myers suggests that declining levels of friendly bacteria in the gut may actually mark the onset of chronic degenerative disease.
Vitamin D: Several studies, including one from Israel, have shown that people with the highest vitamin D levels have the lowest number of upper respiratory infec- tions. “To ensure optimal vitamin D status, many health advocates, myself included, are recently advocating daily dosages of 2,000 to 5,000 international units (IU), even in apparently healthy adults,” Murray says.
November 2018 21
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