Confused immune system?
I’m still reading Ray Strand‘s fascinating book, Bionutrition, and just came across Chapter 8’s closing paragraphs about diseases related to oxidative stress. I was really struck by Strand’s ideas about self and non-self in relation to our immune system.
Let me elaborate: Chapter 8’s final section addresses autoimmune diseases like MS, IBD, Crohn’s, and Rheumatoid Arthritis. In closing, Strand writes, “I was taught in medical school that autoimmune diseases were the result of an overactive immune system, since the body was essentially attacking itself. …Consistent with my training, almost all of the medical therapies that physicians offer patients with an autoimmune disease are based on this premise.” [p.74] Consequently, patients are usually put on chemotherapeutic medications (Methotrexate, Plaquinil, Immuran, and various corticosteroids like Prednisone) – and these medications work to suppress the immune system further, to make it lie down and “behave.”
Strand notes, however, that he has seen great positive results in his patients when he treats them with “an aggressive nutritional supplementation program,” and that all his observations lead him to conclude that his patients aren’t dealing with an over-active immune system (as is traditionally taught in medical school), “but rather a confused immune system.”
It’s a subtle shift in perspective, a bit like Aikido. You can meet your enemy with brute force and pound him into submission, or you can redirect your “enemy” so that “his” energies work to your advantage. In a more traditional and mechanistic view, the immune system has become your “enemy,” and if it’s misbehaving, you have to “make it” behave, perhaps through brute chemotherapeutical force. Of course, you have to wonder how that’s supposed to work in the long term. I guess it doesn’t!
What I call Strand’s “Aikido” approach leads him to the following insights:
The immune system is intended to be our reliable protector. It is always checking for self (one’s own body) while it is looking for non-self (any foreign substance or abnormal cell). When the immune system finds a virus, bacteria, or foreign body it destroys and eliminates it from the body. However, in autoimmune diseases, the immune system actually attacks itself rather than a foreign substance. (…)
In the case of autoimmune diseases, I believe one’s immune system is not able to distinguish self from non-self [emphasis added]. Being confused, the body is essentially destroying itself. In addition to treating my patients who are usually already taking traditional medicine with attempts to suppress and shut down the immune system, I administer potent nutritional supplements. In doing so, I am not only building up their natural antioxidant defense systems, but also I am building up their own natural immune system. I find this helps my patients on both sides of the disease.
I believe their immune system becomes less confused and begins to recognize “self” again [emphasis added]. This means the immune system more readily identifies outside invaders – not attacking “self” as much. [p.75]
The next chapter is all about antioxidants and the immune system. Looking forward to reading it!
Love the pic at the end of this blog.
Comment by Ecommerce Web Designer — August 27, 2010 #
Quote- I was taught in medical school that autoimmune diseases were the result of an overactive immune system, since the body was essentially attacking itself.
THIS QUOTE SHOWS THE LACK OF UNDERSTANDING REGARDING AUTOIMMUNITY BY WHOEVER WROTE THIS.
QUOTE-I was really struck by Strand’s ideas about self and non-self in relation to our immune system.
THEY ARE NOT STRANDS IDEAS AT ALL! THE WHOLE OF MEDICAL SCIENCE KNOWS THAT. THAT IS WHAT THE CELLS OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM DO! THAT IS THE WHOLE FUNCTION OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM. EVERY PERSON TAUGHT IN MEDICAL SCHOOL KNOWS THAT! THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM CELLS IS TO “RECOGNISE” SELF FROM NON -SELF.
READ IN MY WEB LINK HOW EACH OF THESE CELLS ACTUALLY “LEARN” TO DO THAT. THEY “COMMUNICATE” WITH ONE ANOTHER BY “PASSING ON INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE DNA”. SEE WHAT IMMUNITY IS -AND THE CELLS OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM.
AUTOIMMUNITY IS A GENETIC PREDISPOSITION TO EVER HAVING AN ADVERSE IMMUNE RESPONSE, HENCEFORTH REFERRED TO AS AN AUTOIMMUNE RESPONSE TO EITHER SOMETHING OF NON-SELF OR SELF, IT CAN BE A MIXTURE OF BOTH.
This genetic predisposition to the potential of ever having an abnormal immune response, resulting in autoimmune disease, arises from a mutated or faulty gene or genes. Mutations in genes, in turn, cause malfunctions in the pathogenesis, of cells of the immune system, and in combination result in the abnormal immune response and the loss of *self *- tolerance.
ONLY PEOPLE WHO CARRY THIS PREDISPOSING GENE CAN EVER HAVE AN AUTOIMMUNE RESPONSE AND IN CONSEQUENCE OF THAT, THE PATHOGENIC RESULT WHICH IS THE CONDITION MANIFEST IN THEM.
NOT EVERY MEMBER OF A FAMILY CARRYING THIS PREDISPOSING GENE WILL EVER HAVE AN AUTOIMMUNE RESPONSE, THEY ARE JUST MORE LIKELY TO.
THE SAME PATHOGENIC RESULT (IE: THE CONDITION MANIFEST) WILL NOT BE THE SAME IN EVERY PERSON OF A FAMILY EVEN, WHO CARRY THIS GENE, FOR EXAMPLE I HAVE IGA EBA, AND MY NEICE HAS HS .
A PERSON CAN ALSO HAVE MORE THAN ONE AUTOIMMUNE CONDITION, BECAUSE THEY MAY HAVE MULTIPLE AUTOIMMUNE RESPONSES.
FOR EXAMPLE, THEY MAY HAVE AN IMMUNE RESPONSE TO A VIRUS. THIS PARTICULAR VIRUS JUST HAPPENS TO TRIGGER THIS PREDISPOSING GENE, AND AS THE DNA IN THAT GENE IS FAULTY, THE PATHOGENISIS OF THAT TRANSCRIPTION WILL PRODUCE FAULTY MESSAGE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE IMMUNE CELLS WITHIN THAT SINGLE RESPONSE, THE PATHOGENESIS RESULTS IN THE IMMUNE CELLS BECOMING MIS-DIRECTED TO CELLS CARRYING THE MARKERS OF “SELF”. THIS WILL PRODUCE A CONDITION MANIFEST. NB:(MESSENGER CELLS ARE (mRNA) AND THE ORGANELLES KNOWN AS “RIBOSOMES” IN CELLS, TRANSCRIBE THE INFO’ FROM RNA’S)
IT CAN OCCUR AGAIN POSSIBLY TRIGGERED BY SOMETHING OF SELF, HORMONE MALFUNCTION FOR EXAMPLE, OR SIMPLY HORMONE CHANGES. THAT IS WHY MORE WOMEN ARE AFFECTED THAN MEN AND THESE GENES ARE OFTEN TRIGGERED AT PUBERTY , OR CEASE FOREVER AT PUBERTY (IF CONDITIONS ARE MANIFEST THRO’ CHILDHOOD), ALSO MENOPAUSE ETC. THE PATHOGENIC RESULT OF THAT SECOND AUTOIMMUNE RESPONSE WILL PRODUCE YET ANOTHER CONDITION (THERE ARE OVER 90 KNOWN CONDITIONS).
SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE THIS PREDISPOSING GENE ALSO CARRY AN HEREDITARY GENE TO A SPECIFIC DISEASE ITSELF, FOR EXAMPLE PSORIASIS AND ITS PHENOTYPES SUCH AS PPP, OR DIABETES. (a PHENOTYPE may derive, at least in part, from variations in mitochondrial DNA)
NO FOOD , ABSTINENCE FROM CERTAIN FOODS ( UNLESS THE PERSON HAS AN ALLERGY OR AN ATOPIC SENSITIVITY TO CERTAIN NON-SELF (EXOGENOUS- OUT OF THE BODY) SUBSTANCES, WILL EVER CURE OR REMOVE THIS GENETIC PREDISPOSITION. THE ONLY WAY TO REMOVE IT IS PHYSICALLY BY A BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT, WHICH OF COURSE IT FAR TOO DANGEROUS WHEN IN FACT MOST PEOPLE CAN COPE ON A DAILY BASIS WITH THEIR AUTOIMMUNE CONDITIONS, OR TO HAVE SOME OF THEIR OWN STEM CELLS REMOVED AND ALTERED IN THE LABORATORY AND THEN PUT BACK INTO THE PATIENT. THIS PROCEDURE IS NOW BEING CARRIED OUT IN SOME HOSPITALS IN THE UK. IT IS STILL IN EXPERIMENTAL STAGES. FOOD OR ANY VITAMIN SUPLEMENT CANNOT ALTER A GENE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE! CERTAIN DIETS MAY EASE THE SYMPTOMS OF AN ALREADY MANIFESTING CONDITION WHICH IS THE PATHOGENEIC RESYULT OF HAVING AN AUTOIMMUNE RESPONSE, BUT ONLY IF THE PERSON HAS A SENSITIVITY TO THESE FOODS OR EXOGENOUS SUBSTANCES. IT WILL NOT REMOVE OR ALTER THE GENETIC PREDISPOSITION TO ACTUALLY HAVING AN AUTOIMMUNE RESPONSE. CHEMO AND TRANSPLANT DRUGS ONLY SUPPRESS THE IMMUNE CELLS WHICH ARE IN OVERDRIVE (NAMELY THE ANTIBODIES-NOW CALLED AUTOANTIBODIES BECAUSE THEY ARE PRODUCED WITHIN THIS ADVERSE RESPONSE).
UNFORTUNATELY THESE DRUGS CANNOT PIN POINT JUST THE ANTIBODY PRODUCTION AND THEREFORE THEY SUPPRESS ALL THE CELLS OF THE IMMUNE RESPONSE, BE IT ADVERSE OR OTHERWISE. DON’T FORGET THE “IMMUNE” RESPONSES TO OTHER INVADERS ARE WORKING PERFECTLY WELL ALL THE TIME , WHILST THE RESULTING MALFUNCTION FROM THIS PARTICULAR ADVERSE IMMUNE RESPONSE, IS GOING ON.
ALMOST ALL PEOPLE WHO CARRY THESE FAULTY PREDISPOSING GENES TO EVER HAVING AN AUTOIMMUNE RESPONSE, TEND TO ALSO SUFFER FROM ATOPY. ATOPY IS AN HEREDITARY GENETIC PREDISPOSITION TO A HYPERSENSITIVITY TO ALMOST ANYTHING WHICH IS EXOGENOUS, AND THAT WHICH IS NORMALLY HARMLESS.
BASICALLY, WHAT HAPPENS IN AN AUTOIMMUNE RESPONSE…
THE PREDISPOSING IS TRIGGERED BY WHATEVER, AN EXOGENOUS FACTOR OR AN ENDOGENOUS FACTOR, (IT COULD BE EVEN BOTH) THE FAULTY GENE IS TRANSCRIBED AND THE RESULTING FAULTY MESSENGERS (RNA’) FROM THE DNA PASS ON THE INFO TO THE T CELLS. TCELLS CONTROL THE IMMUNE RESPONSE, THEY DIRECT THE OTHER CELLS OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND THEY BRING THE IMMUNE RESPONSE TO AN END. BECAUSE THE “MESSAGE” OR INSTRUCTIONS” FROM THE PREDISPOSING GENE ARE FAULTY, THE TCELLS CAN ONLY PASS ON FAULTY INFORMATION. THEY CANNOT CONTROL THE ANTIBODIES BEING PRODUCED IN OVERDRIVE, THEY CANNOT “SWITCH THE PRODUCTION OF THEM OFF”. cONSEQUENTLY THESE ANTIBODIES (THEY DESTROY INVADERS) ARE PROGRAMMED TO SIMPLY DESTROY. THEY ARE UNABLE TO DISTINGUISH SELF FROM NON-SELF FURTHERMORE, THE TCELLS BECAUSE THEY TOO OF COURSE ARE FAULTY, ARE UNABLE TO BRING THE IMMUNE RESPONSE (NOW CALLED AN AUTO-(SELF)IMMUNE RESPONSE TO AN END. THEREFORE ONLY THESE SUPPRESSANT DRUGS CAN SUPPRESS THE PRODUCTION OF THE AUTOANTIBODIES. fOOD AND SUPPLEMENTS , COLATION WHATEVER CANNOT! IT IS GENETIC IN THE DNA OF THE PERSON.
This has been strengthened by observations through meta-analyses of whole-genome scans that there is non-random clustering of disease susceptibility loci for autoimmune diseases. Genetic susceptibility to autoimmune diseases has been established in the human leucocyte antigen (HLA)(MARKERS OF SELF FOUND ON ALL CELLS OF A HOST) region of chromosome 6. Although the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) gene has shown unequivocal evidence for a role in some autoimmune diseases with the exclusion of the HLA region, attempts to identify genetic variants , that confer risk of multiple autoimmune diseases have proven difficult.
Comment by W.Adams — August 27, 2010 #
^ @ W.Adams: I read the material in the link you provide via your signature, and am very sorry that you have to suffer with your condition.
.
Two things, however: First, Ray Strand doesn’t actually contradict what you’re saying (that the disease cannot be cured because there is the genetic component, just as he does not say that cancer or heart disease can be cured through supplementation). You would see that if you read the book in its entirety. But I really don’t want to debate the merits or faults of his book with you here.
.
Because, second, I won’t engage with someone who comes on to my comments board in caps-lock screaming. You have a case to make, that’s understandable given your condition. But your argument is with what you think Strand is saying, so either take it to him or take it back to your own site(s) and argue the case there. Caps-lock or not. Sorry.
.
PS: I don’t see why the genetic and the bionutritional should be mutually exclusive, by the way. Just the other day, Canada’s Globe & Mail reported, Gene researchers find key role for Vitamin D in range of diseases. When I read “…scientists have found that the human genome just bristles with places where vitamin D receptor can be utilized, indicating it has a huge effect on DNA,” it suggests to me that cell nutrition is very significant to the overall picture – and that it functions in conjunction with genetics.
Comment by Yule — August 27, 2010 #
Because, second, I won’t engage with someone who comes on to my comments board in caps-lock screaming.
I really am sorry about that and that you refer to it as such. I have a problem on my keyboard which is now resolved (I hope,) and I didn’t want to go back and re-write it. However I do have a witness in my friend who I told I had this problem, and said how I hoped you would not take it this way at all. I simply have a problem with my caps lock button. It really is wrong to assume that a person is shouting (why on earth would I?) when they can just as easily have a problem with their computer.
You are right in a way about the vitamin D. The paragraph you refer to is the trials now going on here in Britain, but, the vitamin D is not like the vitamin D you take in a pill! This Vit D is somehow added to the stem cells and with components (I don’t know exactly what their procedure is) it alters the stem cells genetically. That is the difference basically. Swallowing it, it would go through a different procedure in the body, and in altering these cells it has to be with the other vital components (whatever they are) in order to alter the DNA of the stem cell. Of course I don’t know the exact procedure, (how could I?) but I do know the basics of it. Anything you eat in the normal way will not, nor can it, alter a gene, hereditary or otherwise. They can be altered in the laboratory only, but not only with vit.D.
Again my apologies for this stuipid keyboard of mine. I was concerned you would jump to the conclusion you did, and so in advance I told my friend whom you know.
Comment by W.Adams — August 28, 2010 #