Immune Diseases
As I have written many times in The Answer and the new Food Intolerance paper, I am now thoroughly convinced that the immune-mediated diseases (e.g. Lupus, type 1 diabetes, Hashimoto’s disease/hypothyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic active hepatitis, MS, and even Alzheimer’s) are our immune system’s valiant attempt to rid our bodies of infectious agents (mainly viruses) that would otherwise go on to do more harm, including the induction of cancer. It has been suggested for years by some medical researchers that all cancer is viral… not some, not even most, but all. After years of study, I would have to agree. This would put “carcinogens” where they belong, as secondary factors that simply facilitate the efforts of the virus. Chemicals, air pollution, estrogens, and ultraviolet radiation then take their rightful place as causes of immune suppressants, damagers of tissue, or disrupters of our very DNA. All of these negative effects allow the real culprit…the virus…to do his thing, which is to incorporate his genetic information into our cells and thereby boss it around, one of the consequences being to “tell” it to reproduce itself out of control.
So, how hard is it to imagine that medical events that often precede the development of cancer are the body’s attempt to keep this from happening? Yes, we’ve all been led to believe that lupus, for example, is an immune system gone haywire. I had one client tell me that her doctor described it as one’s body becoming allergic to itself. What a horrible thought. Do our bodies make that kind of mistake? Are we that (“genetically”) flawed…made that poorly? I don’t think so at all.
I can easily believe that the “autoimmune diseases”- a term that I have come to detest- are our immune system’s earnest and planned assault on things in our host tissue that will do further harm if it does not act in a timely and powerful manner. The “public enemy number one” would, once again, have to be the virus. Certainly there may be other culprits and The Answer goes down that laundry list. But, the viruses are the logical suspects, as they are known to invade every tissue of our body and incite all sorts of long-term, remitting and relapsing symptoms. Thankfully, we now have so many obvious examples of chronic, latent, and recurring viral infections such as Herpes, varicella (chicken pox/shingles), and Epstein Barr. Things “seen” (known) to help us understand the things “unseen” (and unknown).
The fact, once again, is that we have become virus hotels- mobile homes, if you will- and we have acquired these critters our entire life, starting prenatally and ending with our last breath. Some were acquired through natural infection while others came through vaccination with modified live vaccines. The sad thing is that many of them were invited in and asked to stay through the use of fever-reducers, the single-most glaring example of the insanity of symptomatic medication. Once acquired, these guys “lay in wait for innocent blood”, the consummate opportunist and ultimate terrorist.
Their opportunity comes when our immune systems take a nose dive, brought on by horrible diets, air pollution, chemical exposure, and the “aging process”, the latter concept being the least important on the list, I have come to realize. Like the recycle bin we call “genetics”, aging as a reason for illness has been elevated to such a level of importance that it blocks out the sun…the truth of the real causes for our immune systems to crash. The most important is clearly the malnutrition that results from our diet that is loaded with the big 4- those foods that block the absorption of our calcium, iron, iodine, B complex, C, and trace minerals. You know them well by now.
As the damage begins, our immune system warns us of this otherwise “stealth” condition by forming allergy antibodies (IgE) that cause nasal congestion, bronchoconstriction, and other symptoms that are both therapeutic and warning signs. (The bad news is that less than 1/4th of people suffering from this intestinal damage actually have gastrointestinal signs, at least initially. Once these symptoms do arise, we are quite a ways down the wrong path.) Yes, our body starts closing the “doors” in an attempt to limit those things from entering that will do further- and worsening- harm. This not only pertains to the usual suspects of pollens, grasses, and animal dander but also to the multitudes of viruses, bacteria, and molds that are just dying to get into your body. You see, our body is not “malfunctioning” at all. It is desperately trying to protect us. Why are we so bent on keeping it from doing its job?
But after enough time passes and the pathology reaches critical mass, the immune system starts going down… and the terrorists start popping up out of their caves. Our body reacts by sending in the troops to suppress the uprising. Unfortunately, as there is in war, there are those casualties we call victims of “friendly fire”- the host tissue cells that die in the process, die so that others may live. This is what we mislabel as “autoimmunity”…an immune system gone “haywire”…attacking its own host for no reason. Poppycock! It is going after something it doesn’t like IN that tissue and if we don’t let it do its job, there will be a price to pay. In many cases, it’s a hefty price called cancer.
Dogtor J
