The big ideas of the Immune System and Nutritional Therapy…

1. Always begin with the foundations first.  Healthy digestion is key to healthy immunity.  
2. To improve immune function, strengthen the defenses and remove the stressors.
3. To resolve food intolerances- address the true allergies along with the sensitivities.  

DIET:

• The most common food allergens include gluten, soy, corn, peanuts, nitrates, dairy, eggs, tree nuts and fish/shellfish.

DIGESTION:  

• the HCL in our stomach digests bacteria, viruses, parasites, prions ect.
• 70-80% of our immune system is in our gut via the Peyers Patches (lympathic system)
• “Leaky Guts” contribute to allergies, inflammation, auto-immune diseases and progressive degeneration
• Healthy bowel flora is critical to keep the pathogenic bacteria in check (good gut flora feeds off of digestion leftovers and make vitamins B1, B2, B12 and butryic acid).

BLOOD SUGAR HANDLING:

• An increase in blood sugar levels activates the adrenal glands as an “emergency”
• Any type of stressor- the body responds by activating the adrenal glands which takes priority over immune functions – thus dampens the immune system.
• Consistently high blood sugar levels decrease the white blood cell (WBC) activity and depresses the immune system

FATTY ACID:

• The appropriate balance of fatty acids are important for the management of inflammation
• We need a balance of Omega 3 (Alpha Linolenic Acid), Omega 6 (Linoleic Acid) and Saturated Fats to balance the inflammatory and anti-inflammatory response (prostaglandins)
• An imbalance of the proper fatty acids actually assists in the formation of inappropriate antibodies (food allergies)

MINERAL BALANCE:

• Ionized calcium increases white blood cell activity (WBC- immune system)
• Zinc is a component of the enyzmes required to heal wounds and provides general boost to the immune system.
• Zinc also helps protect against free radicals
• Iodine is a anti-viral and natural anti-bacterial agent.

HYDRATION:

• Water is needed for the lungs- part of the first line of defense to keep air passages moist and prevent them from drying out as you breathe.
• Hydration supports good lympathtic flow and proper viscosity
• Dehydration can exaggerate histamine activity for the purposes of water regulation that play a role in asthma and allergies.

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