Smorgasbord Health Column 2023 – The Body our Greatest Asset – The Immune System and our role in its efficiency by Sally Cronin

I have featured this series over the last ten years on a regular basis for new readers who might have joined the blog. Our bodies are are greatest asset. It has a long road ahead of if from birth, through the teen years, work life, parenthood, middle age and then into our 70s and beyond.

At every stage of our life healthy nutrition is essential to help the body develop and remain as disease free as possible. I appreciate that many of you may have read this series before, but I hope it will be a reminder of how amazing our bodies are, and simply eating the right foods, exercising moderately and not doing anything too reckless…will go a long way to enjoying later life to the full.

In this series of posts I am going to be revisiting the immune system, the most effective private health insurance you can have.

As the last three years have demonstrated, we are all at risk from opportune pathogens looking for ideal hosts to enable them to thrive, adapt and move on.

Whilst millions of us have now been vaccinated that does not mean we cannot catch the virus or any of its variants. Although it has shown it is likely that the symptoms might not be as severe.

What is absolutely essential is that we don’t just rely on the vaccinations or even masks for that matter but have to take responsibility for our own private health insurance which is  a robust immune system.

Last week I shared How the Immune System Works

This week I would like to show you how your role in your immune system’s efficiency is critical and possibly life saving.

I spent most of the first 40 years of my life in ignorance when it came to my body. I had studied biology at school and apart from a scary film on childbirth (meant to be the ultimate contraceptive), I knew more about the insides of a frog.

As a family we ate well… But it was not related to our health in any way. Certainly as I stuffed food in one end I gave little thought as to what happened to it on its journey to the other end. I was more concerned that my sugar craving was satisfied and I was then a happy bunny.

It took the short and very sharp shock of finding out that my ignorance had led me to a dark place physically with lifestyle related diseases associated with a woman in her 70s and 80s. Completely self-inflicted and I could not blame my genes, my family nor could I adopt a ‘poor me’ approach to blame.

It is not as though I was stupid. I was a senior executive in a large company with a stressful but very fulfilling job. But I had no control over my eating. I have always devoured books as well as food and now it was time to go into overdrive and learn how to take back control of my failing body.

As I studied medical textbooks and online research by leading nutritionists; a light went on. I had been dismissive for most of my life about my body and the functions it performed, mainly without my assistance 24 hours a day 7 days a week. My only contribution was give it the nutritional and physical support to do its job; and I had been failing miserably.

Supplements and quick fixes

We live in a world of quick fixes. For example, in supermarkets, pharmacies, in the press you find anti-oxidants advertised for your immune system –when do you think our 100,000 year old body decided that it was better to get its nutrients from a capsule or tablet?

And considering that it does take 10,000 to 12,000 years for a DNA mutation that might make a small change in the way the body processes nutrients for its needs, I think it is clear that we still need to ingest the good old fashioned food to give it a fighting chance.

I do advocate the occasional use of supplements, when needed, to additionally support the body. You must do your research however, and it is better to buy a reputable brand that gives you all the relevant information and has advisors on hand if you have questions. Many cheaper brands may be fine, but often the pills will just pass through you without your body receiving any benefits at all.

If you add up how much you are spending on keeping your immune system healthy with supplements, then I think you will find that you could be enjoying a fantastic diet, rich with more than enough fresh foods to do the job better.

The reason for somewhat long winded introduction is that over the many years that I have worked with clients and written about food and nutrition, I have learned that if someone understands how their body works, and how truly amazing it is they will put everything into losing weight, improving their immune system function, working to improve conditions such as diabetes etc.

In this post how the immune system reacts to an infection like a cold, and some more foods to help support your defences in the massive task of keeping you alive.

• If toxins and germs get past our first barriers such as the skin etc then the body needs to muster its troops very quickly to contain the situation.
• Apart from our blood stream we have a network throughout our bodies which is called the lymphatic system. It is a little like a railway network with stations along the route, which are called glands. You will often hear people say that the glands are up for example when they have an infection.
• The most noticeable are usually the lymph nodes in your neck, under your armpits and in your groin.
• The lymph fluid, which is called plasma, travels along the network, reaches one of the stations and drops off any harmful bacteria in the node.
• The lymph system contains a number of cells that sound like something out of James Bond movies. B-cells, Killer T-cells – Helper T –Cells macrophages and lymphocytes and these and all other blood cells are produced in our bone marrow. (Which is why bone marrow transplants from healthy marrow can save the life of another person)

All these cells have specific roles to play (for example the macrophages swallow bacteria to kill it) and to give you an idea of the immune system at work this how the common cold virus is dealt with in the body.

• A common cold is an illness caused by a virus infection located in the nose but which can also affect the sinuses, ears and the bronchial tubes.
• The symptoms include sneezing and sore throat for the first 24 to 36 hours followed by blocked nose, scratchy throat with possibly headaches, feverishness, chilliness and coughs.
• It is not actually the virus that causes all the unpleasant symptoms of a cold.
• The virus attaches itself to a small proportion of the cells in the lining of the nose. It is in fact the body’s response to the invasion that causes all the symptoms.
• The immune system is activated and also some of the nervous system reflexes. A number of white cells from our defence system, including killer cells, are released into the blood stream such as histamine, interleukins and prostaglandins.
• When activated these cells cause a dilation and leakage of blood vessels and mucus gland secretion. They also activate sneezing and cough reflexes to expel infection from the nose and the lungs.
• It is these reactions caused by our own killer cells that are treated by the over the counter medications, not the actual virus itself.
• By suppressing our bodies own reactions to the virus we can drive it further into the system causing more harmful infections, particularly if we have already got a weakened immune system.
• After the killer cells have dealt with the initial infection, antibodies are released that help prevent re-infection by the same virus.
• This is why as we get older we should suffer from less cold infections.

Avoiding colds in the first place.

There are two main ways to protect yourself from catching a cold virus.

One is to minimise the risk of infection through contact with people and objects that have been infected, and the other is to build your immune system to enable you to deal with viruses if they do attach themselves to you.

It is almost impossible to avoid contact with people or with objects they have touched with their hands. Some of those people are going to have a cold or influenza and short of doing a ‘Howard Hughes’ and retreating into a sealed room you will have to make do with the main simple but effective precautions.

Masks, shopping and simple hygiene habits to help prevent colds, flu and Covid.

• It was some considerable time before I gave up my mask when shopping and there is some talk of bringing them back in the UK in the last couple of weeks as a new variant begins to emerge. Hopefully it will not spread. Here we still wear masks in GP surgeries and with the amount of sick people coming and going it is probably a good thing.
• Even before the supermarkets provided antiseptic hand wash and cloths to wipe down the handles of trollies, I was doing so with handy wipes I took with me.
• Worth investing in some natural antiseptic wipes with peppermint, citronella, lemongrass,orange, patchouli oils if the supermarkets stop providing the materials. All these in laboratory tests were effective against 22 bacterial strains and fungi.
• There is no doubt that washing hands frequently with ordinary soap and hot water to avoid passing the virus into your nose.
• For the elderly avoid shaking hands and kissing family and friends.
• If you have a baby ask kindly meaning admirers to not touch or kiss it.
• Also you should exercise regularly in the fresh air and avoid over heated, unventilated living spaces.
• If your nasal passages dry out they are more likely to become infected and this applies to those of us who live in air-conditioned and centrally heated environments most of the year.

Some natural anti-virals.

Vitamin C and Zinc are great nutrients in the fight against the cold. Vitamin C or Ascorbic Acid is water soluble and cannot be stored in the body and is the most powerful water-soluble anti-oxidant. Not only does it protect us from free-radical damage but it works to neutralise potentially harmful reactions in the water-based parts of our body such as in the bloodstream and in the fluid around each cell. In the immune system it works to increase the production of our white blood cells that make up our defences. It can also modulate the reaction to a cold for example by lowering the levels of histamine which is causing the runny nose.

The best source for Vitamin C is all fresh, raw fruit and vegetables – and the highest concentrations are in black currants, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, cherries, grapefruits etc…

A word of warning – if you buy already prepared and cut vegetables they will have lost varying percentages of their Vitamin C depending on how many days old they are. You may only be obtaining a third of the initial amount of the vitamin by day four or five.

Frozen food on the other hand that is picked and frozen is a great option if you can only shop once a week.

If you are starting a cold or other lurking viral infections drink hot water with the juice of half a lemon and a teaspoon of honey.

One of the herbs that I use during the winter months is Echinacea and I will take from November through to January to help boost my immune system. If you take as a cold begins, rather than suppress the immune system it will support it. As Stevie Turner mentioned it does advise on some products containing Echinacea that you should only take for two weeks at a time. I have been taking for the last 25 years but product guidance has changed over time and if you have underlying health issues then do consult your doctor or a qualifined herbal therapist as to your particular requirements. This supports taking a prevention dose over a longer period. A. Vogel Immune System

I also take Propolis which is made from the protective barrier bees create to keep pathogens out of the hives. This I take if I am going to be in mass gatherings in particular or feel I am about to come down with something.

However, the old saying that a cold will be gone in ‘a week or seven days’ is usually accurate. The very young and the elderly are vulnerable to more serious respiratory complications and extra care should be taken.

Zinc is often referred to as the healing mineral -there is evidence to suggest wounds heal faster and certainly it supports a healthy immune system. So foods to include are: – Seafood, pumpkinseeds, sesame seeds, wheatgerm, egg yolks and tofu. Sprinkle the seeds over your porridge in the morning – or make your own home-made muesli – enjoy an egg a day for breakfast.

The importance of adequate Vitamin D to maintain a healthy Immune System.

Vitamin D is a subject of many research projects that are identifying new elements of our health that this vitamin that thinks it is a hormone is involved in. It has mainly been associated with bone health, and we have come a long way since Victorian times when rickets was at its worst. But this vitamin plays a vital role in our fight against some of the life-threatening diseases we face today. You can find out more here

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that is found in some food sources. We are also designed to make the vitamin in our body after exposure to the ultraviolet rays from the sun. When it is manufactured in the body it takes on a number of different forms, each of which have a different function to perform.

Vitamin D also works to promote healthy cell growth and actively prevent the formation of abnormal growth which strengthens the link between not only breast cancer and a deficiency but other cancers as well.

Incidences of breast, prostate and colon cancer in the cloudier, Northern parts of the United States are two to three times higher than in Sunnier states. A link has been established to a deficiency of Vitamin D with all these types of cancer.

Apart from working with other nutrients to provide a healthy balance, Vitamin D deficiency is also associated with a number of other chronic diseases including Osteoporosis (calcium) Diabetes, Heart disease, arthritis (immune system) Multiple sclerosis (autoimmune system) Obesity ( lowers the levels of leptin hormone produced by the fat cells which regulates weight) , PMS and infertility, chronic fatigue and depression.

To find out how to get the best of any sunshine you have access to you can find out more from this post: How to get sufficient Vitamin D

Next time – The over use of antibiotics and how a simple chicken sandwich fuels your immune system

©sally cronin Just Food for Health 1998 – 2023

A little bit about me nutritionally. .

About Sally Cronin

I am a qualified nutritional therapist with twenty-four years experience working with clients in Ireland and the UK as well as being a health consultant on radio in Spain.

Although I write a lot of fiction, I actually wrote my first two books on health, the first one, Size Matters, a weight loss programme 21 years ago, based on my own weight loss of 154lbs. My first clinic was in Ireland, the Cronin Diet Advisory Centre and my second book, Just Food for Health was written as my client’s workbook. Since then I have written a men’s health manual, and anti-aging programme, articles for magazines, radio programmes and posts here on Smorgasbord.

You can buy my books from: Amazon US – and: Amazon UK – Follow me :Goodreads – Twitter: @sgc58 – Facebook: Sally Cronin – LinkedIn: Sally Cronin

 

Thanks reading and I hope you will join me again next week…Sally.