Increased Risk with a Weak Immune System
Let’s look at some of the leading causes of death and disease that happen around the world:
- Heart disease.
- Cancer.
- Accidents and injuries.
- Respiratory diseases.
- Strokes.
- Influenza/pneumonia
These are all what we call comorbidities, and if you have one of these, you’re more likely to be seriously affected by an illness such as Covid-19, or even the flu. You probably already know that, because it’s been talked about a lot in pandemic coverage. But here’s what you don’t hear about as much: Many of the things that contribute to these difficulties also contribute to reduced immunity.
Because the influence of comorbidity shortens our life span, and because a weakened immune system is linked to comorbidities, we can see the direct correlation between a weak immune system and lower quality of life and health, eventually resulting in serious consequences.
Common Causes of Low Immune Function
- Diet. Our diets today are absolutely horrendous. Too much sugar, too many processed foods, pesticides, excessive portion sizes. Once I went to a restaurant and couldn’t find anything on the menu for less than 1,000 calories! It’s no wonder so many people struggle with their weight.
- Toxins. This includes everything from pesticides and herbicides to heavy metals to even old buildings that may have contaminants like mold in them. We’re constantly exposed to toxins in our environment and those can build up.
- Antibiotics. We overprescribe antibiotics. They cause problems ranging from damaging our DNA to killing off the good bacteria in our gut. 70% of our immune system is in our gut, so when we damage that with repetitive antibiotic use, we can reduce immunity.
- Lack of exercise. We’ve become more sedentary. There are many causes—the types of jobs we do, technology making our life easier, lack of time, etc.
- Stress. We go through emotional stress, chemical stress, etc. These can contribute to depression, as well as cause the release of cortisol, which makes us more susceptible to viruses.
- Lack of sun exposure. We are photosensitive like plants. We need sunlight for immunity, making vitamin D, and other health benefits. Working indoors makes this worse.
- Poor sleep. Foundationally, improving sleep is probably the most important thing you can do for longevity, health, and immunity. I challenge everyone who tracks their sleep to see if they’re getting 7-9 hours.
Why Boost Your Immune System
Having a healthy & properly functioning immune system is key in cancer prevention, protection from viruses & bacterias and removing cells which have entered senescence. The immune system is comprised of various different immune cells each with their own set of functions.
NK cells are important immune cells that are critical for innate immunity. They have anti-tumor, anti-viral, and immune regulatory functions. NK cells are the patrol units of the immune system, and they can respond quickly to kill diseased cells. The most common method of NK cell therapy is to obtain human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and to subject these to antibody and cytokine stimulation ex vivo, resulting in vitro NK cell activation and proliferation.
NK Cells for Immune Boosting
One of the signatures of ageing & living an unhealthy life is the weakening of our adaptive immune system (low immune function), often called immunosenescence. Immune boosting treatment with NK cell therapy gives patient the increased immunity needed to support a healthier life reducing our risks of cancer and chronic disease.
Importance of “Functional” NK Cells
The first line of defense against virus-infected and cancer cells is our natural killer cells. Young individuals have high levels of functional natural killer (NK) immune cells, but this declines with ageing. In elderly subjects, decreased NK cell activity is associated with an increased incidence and severity of viral infections such as shingles, influenza, and cytomegalovirus (CMV).
Natural killer cells originate in the bone marrow (like other immune cells) and go through a maturation process that enables them to participate in early control of microbial infections and cancers.
Cancer Prevention
Healthy NK function is critical in eliminating transformed cancer cells. NK cells are also involved in the elimination of senescent cells that otherwise cause chronic inflammation.
The age-related decrease in functional NK cells is likely to have wider implications for the health of older adults than currently understood by the mainstream. If an aging person is to better manage debilitating and deadly infections and malignancies, maintaining youthful NK function is critical.
Immune Senescence
Immune Cell Exhaustion : Over the course of our lifetime, our immune system becomes “exhausted.” What this refers to is the excess accumulation of worn-out memory T-cells and reduced production of vital naïve T-cells.
As people accumulate exhausted T-cells, an adverse consequence is these senile memory cells emit pro-inflammatory cytokines that exacerbate chronic inflammatory conditions. Individuals with higher levels of exhausted immune cells suffer greater mortality.
An accumulation of exhausted T-cells has been seen in persons suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis (an inflammatory disease of the spine).
Compelling evidence points to the accumulation of senile (exhausted) T-cells as a factor that accelerates a broad array of age-associated diseases.
Reversing Immune Senescence: Immune senescence is a prime cause of debility and mortality. Fortunately, discoveries in recent years have been shown to help reverse the immune dysfunction that plagues virtually all aging humans (and cancer patients).
Here is a summary of the six underlying causes of immune senescence:
- A decrease in naïve immune T-cells needed to fight new invaders.
- Increase in exhausted memory T-cells that create chronic inflammatory reactions.
- A decrease in functional natural killer (NK) cell activity.
- Thymus gland atrophy that reduces T-cell function and numbers.
- Too many regulatory T-cells and a reduction in T-helper cells.
- Excess production of interleukin-6, a cytokine that promotes inflammation.
Available Immune Boosting Treatments
NK CELLS
NK cells are important immune cells that are critical for innate immunity. They have anti-tumor, anti-viral, and immune regulatory functions. NK cells are the patrol units of the immune system, and they can respond quickly to kill diseased cells. The most common method of NK cell therapy is to obtain human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and to subject these to antibody and cytokine stimulation ex vivo, resulting in vitro NK cell activation and proliferation.
Once the cell number exceeds millions in number the cells are subject to our NK21 protocol to mature the cells. Our scientists then perform the final stages of culture in which the cytotoxic activity of the cells is greatly enhanced.
Immune Boosting Infusions
Whether you are looking for a boost to your immune system during cold and flu season, suffer from a chronic illness and need some extra support, or are looking for an easy way to enhance your energy, this IV is a great place to start.
We provide a range of immune-boosting infusions, with some of the key cellular ingredients needed for optimal cellular energy and a healthy immune system.
IV Ozone & IV Oxygen Therapy
Ozone therapy is a treatment that effectively supports a variety of health conditions by using a medical-grade mixture of oxygen and ozone generated from the high-quality ozone generators. Benefits of ozone therapy are treatments of multiple diseases, stimulates the body’s regenerative processes, boosts immunity and help slow down the deterioration of the body (Anti-aging effects). The unique properties of ozone help killing bad pathogens in our body including bacteria, virus or even some kind of fungal infection. It also cleans the blood vessels and stimulates better blood circulation.
Intravenous Laser
By irradiating the blood with a selection of specific wavelengths of laser, various cellular functions can be enhanced or reduced.
These selective actions can greatly impact the health of your immune system, metabolism, and cellular energy production.
The Immune System Basics
The main purpose of your immune system is to protect your body from viruses and bacteria. Without it, they’d have free reign and you’d be constantly falling ill. Your immune system works by recognizing the difference between your body’s cells and alien cells, allowing it to destroy any that could be potentially harmful. This usually works well but can cause problems if your immune system wrongly classifies some of your own cells and attacks them instead.
A robust and properly functioning immune system helps you go about daily life as you come into contact with germs and bugs from pets, other people, and your environment. Without a healthy immune system, you could pick up infections and infectious diseases more easily, and the effects could be serious – even fatal.
Your body’s first line of defense is its physical barriers. If viruses and bacteria manage to break through, there are specialized cells that will jump into action. Your bloodstream and key areas of your body contain white blood cells that can fight and destroy the viruses and bacteria they find.
Sometimes, our immune system can overreact and even attack your body’s own cells. This is what happens in the case of allergies like hay fever and autoimmune diseases.
It’s easy to take the immune system for granted because it does such a good job of keeping us free from infection around the clock! If you’ve got a healthy immune system, look after it and it will look after you.
There are several components to the immune system. Some you will have heard of before but others are more obscure. Here is a brief summary of the different parts and the important roles they play in keeping your body protected:
Skin
The skin is a physical barrier that keeps bacteria and germs at bay. Tears and saliva offer further protection as they’re anti-bacterial so they can neutralize any invaders.
Mucus
Anti-bacterial, sticky mucus lines your lungs and this catches germs and stops them from entering your bloodstream. Mucus is also found in your nasal passage and works in the same way.
Gut
Around seventy to eighty percent of your immune system cells are found in your gut. It’s often a place where bacteria and viruses attack so it’s important that your gut is in good condition and has plenty of friendly bacteria at its disposal.
Lymph system
Your lymph system carries water, food, and oxygen to your cells and removes waste. It is made up of your bone marrow, spleen, thymus and lymph nodes.
In your bone marrow, your body’s disease-fighting white blood cells are produced and released. There are many different kinds of leukocytes (white blood cells) but they all produce antibodies to fight off specific bacteria and viruses. The main three types are granulocytes, lymphocytes (T-cells and B-cells) and monocytes.
Your spleen regulates how much blood is in your body and removes damaged cells. The thymus gland is where bacteria-fighting T-cells mature. It’s located behind your breastbone and in the front part of your chest. It’s a vital part of a child’s immune system but is less important in adults. Lymph nodes are designed to detect any bacteria or infection in cell fluid and remove them. This can cause them to swell temporarily.
It’s vital that your immune system is in good working order if you want to stay as protected as possible. There are several ways you can do this. You can cut down on the amount of alcohol you drink, start exercising regularly if you don’t already and try to reduce your stress levels. If you live a hectic life, simply learning to slow down and rest occasionally can have a big impact.
Diet has an important part to play and if you can, you should try to eat some immune-boosting fruits and vegetables every day. You can take them in liquid form by making juices and smoothies if you’ll find this easier.
