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By: Chuck Arnone

Many studies have shown a link between stress and illness. Stress seems to have become a constant factor in today’s fast-paced society which can weaken the immune system and accelerate the aging process.
We talk about the three most significant stressors, namely, unwanted aloneness, loss of control, and loss of hope.If you can address those three stressors, you can enhance the power of the immune system,which may have an effect on how it’s able to fight those cancer cells and lessen the effects of cold and flu symptoms.

What we are looking at is if you can enhance the power of the immune system by doing things that make you happy, you will be healthier. Immune cells spend much of their lives circulating in those blood vessels.Immune systems of optimistic people have been found to fare much better under stressful conditions than those with a negative attitude.Chemotherapy has an affect on many cells in your body.

There is no question that good nutrition is necessary for a healthy immune system and that means a healthy variety of proteins, carbohydrates, fat, minerals, vitamins, fluids, etc. Your nutrition choices as well as your emotions can have a big impact on your body’s ability to keep up your energy levels and immune system.

In one small study, researchers found that moderate exercise (three or more times a week) increased the immune cell counts of women undergoing breast cancer treatment back to normal levels, and also improved the women’s mood and ability to handle their feelings comfortably. A healthy immune system regulates our body’s healing process and protects it against infections and diseases. Premature aging and fatigue are just part of the problem with stress and your immune system. Sleep time is when your body and immune system do most of its repairs and rejuvenation. Tea is a wonder drink as it has the ability to strenghten your immune system and fight off germs.

The field of study that examines the link between stress and the immune system is known as psychoneuroimmunology. Several studies in this area indicate that physical and emotional stress can have either good or bad effects on the immune system’s response. Autoimmune diseases are a result from this attack; the more commonly occurring examples include systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), Grave’s disease of the thyroid, and rheumatoid arthritis. Autoimmune diseases are very sensitive to any kind of stress and symptoms worsen during that time. It is also interesting to note that many autoimmune disorders, such as lupus and Grave’s disease, occur more commonly in women than in men. A positive attitude, connecting to other human beings, and minimizing stress all have a lot to do with immune system health, as well.

Part of the solution to living longer and being healthy is to protect your immune system. A healthy system regulates our body’s healing process and protects it against infections and diseases. Stress influences our health so profoundly because of the way it affects our nervous and immune systems. Because of the connection between stress and health, stress management should be a cornerstone of your healthy lifestyle. Think about your state of health for a moment. And also the health of those you know. How we learn to deal with stress makes a huge difference in how healthy we are. Studies have shown that how a person deals with stress affects your health.

About the Author:

Chuck Arnone’s research into the immune system and it’s affect on your health can be very informative.

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Influenza And Bacterial Pneumonia Make For Harmful Super-infection

ScienceDaily

Influenza, or flu, is an unpleasant affair with fever, cough, as well as head and body ache.
When this illness is further complicated by a
bacterialpneumonia, a harmful super-infection develops. Until now, researchers thought
that the flu facilitates an infection with pneumonia bacteria because it leads
to a decrease of immune cells in the blood and thus impairs the body's
defenses.
A joint venture from researchers from the Helmholtz-Centre for Infection
Research (HZI) in Braunschweig, the Otto-von-Guericke-University in Magdeburg,
and the Karolinska institute in Sweden have taken an in-depth look at the
connection between flu infection and pneumonia. Their results have disproven a
common theory about flu-like pneumonia.

Some viral infections trigger a decrease of immune cells in the blood – a
so-called "lymphopenia". The reasons behind it and whether this is
the case with influenza are unknown. To investigate the latter, HZI researchers
infected mice with flu viruses and measured the amount of immune cells in the
animal's blood every day. Some days later, flu-infected mice received a dosage
of pneumonia bacteria usually harmless for healthy mice. While the flu-infected
mice did develop a superinfection & subsequently died, surprisingly, they
were not suffering from lymphopenia. The healthy, non-flu-infected mice
defeated the bacteria successfully and recovered.

To discover whether a lack of immune cells encourages an infection with
pneumonia bacteria in general, an artificial drug-induced lymphopenia was
established in the mice. Without infecting these lymphopenic mice with flu
viruses, they received pneumonia bacteria. Despite a severe lack of immune
cells, the mice recovered completely.

With these results, the researchers could show that influenza facilitates
and intensifies an infection from pneumonia bacteria, while disproving the
common idea that this is caused by a lack of immune cells. "This result
was an enormous surprise for us because it directly contradicts widespread
assumptions", says Sabine Stegemann, researcher in the groups "Immune
regulation" at the HZI and "Molecular Immunology" at the
Otto-von-Guericke-University in Magdeburg.

"Now we want to understand the reasons for the increased
susceptibility", says Matthias Gunzer, head of the group in Magdeburg.
"It could be interplay of weakened mucous membranes and scavenger cells
that induce ideal conditions for pneumonia bacteria to create a deadly lung infection.
Another reason may be a reaction of the host immune system: It disables
hyperactive flu-fighting immune cells to inhibit destruction of healthy lung
tissue. "The immune system keeps itself under control and that makes it
easy for pneumonia bacteria to infect the lung", says Gunzer.
Increased Susceptibility for Superinfection with Streptococcus pneumoniae
during Influenza Virus Infection Is Not Caused by TLR7-Mediated Lymphopenia 2009; 

Adapted from materials provided by Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres,
via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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The all round anti-cancer agent

An all round performer

Astragalus has been around in Chinese medicine for two thousand years. It is known as ‘haung qi‘, or chi, because it boosts natural body energy levels. Astragalus is taken from the root of a perennial plant (Astragalus membranaceous) needing four to seven years to mature before the root is harvested in early spring. The root is not unlike a garlic bulb. Traditionally, this herb is known to boost the immune system and has benefits in cases of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and respiratory infections. It is also used as a general tonic and to treat burns, abscesses and for hepatitis.

An excellent Immune system booster

Its wide usage in China as an immune system booster brought interest from Europe, Japan and America. Original Chinese studies dated back to 1981, when a study by Hou et al showed that Astragalus taken orally induced greater quantities of interferon and leukocytes in the blood stream.
A common misconception is that merely stimulating the immune system will be enough to kick out a cancer. Maybe, in a few cases it will. But, by and large, the problem with cancer is two-fold – true, the immune system is weak, BUT …….the cancer evades the immune system because of the low immune system response capacity. (In English – the bad guys can’t be ‘seen’, no matter how many good guys you produce. The issue is to make lots of good guys AND stimulate the bad guys in such a way that they appear on the radar screens).

So, Medical Herbalists rightly point out that two therapeutic requirements are essential when treating cancer – Immuno-modulating action, and Adaptogenic action, and BOTH are required to work synergistically.

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Astragalus seems to be able to do both jobs. Firstly, it has phenomenal immune system modulating effects. In tests at the Hiroshima School of Medicine in Japan, it was shown to directly increase B-lymphocyte and T-lymphocyte levels, interleukin and antibody production.
But, not only does it increase the number of various white cells and in particular the ‘hunter’ T-cells it also helps identify the viruses, bacteria and other rogue cells. The University of Texas has shown that Astragalus seems to be an adaptogenic herb ’offering up’ viruses, bacteria and even cancer cells to be seen by the immune system.

Astragalus contains bioflavonoids, choline and a polysaccharide, asragalan B, amongst other active ingredients. Astragalan B controls bacterial infection, viruses and other such ‘rogue’ bodies by binding to their outer membranes. This has two effects – it weakens their internal systems, and by sitting on the membrane it thus helps the T-cells identify rogue cells.

All this also makes its use as an adjunct to fight AIDS increasingly important.

FDA to approve role in cancer

A considerable amount of detailed German and American research has confirmed the herb’s powers, and identified an important potential role in cancer therapy. For example:

• Researchers from the University of Texas, Houston, have reported that cancer patients receiving Astragalus have twice the survival rate of those only receiving placebos.
• It is often used in conjunction with other herbs. In a 1994 Italian study (Morazzoni, Bombardelli) breast cancer patients were given a combination of Iigustrum and Astragalus. Patients given this mix showed a decline in mortality from 50% to 10%.
• In another study of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer all undergoing chemotherapy, the group taking the dual herb mix showed an average life span increase of 130%.
• Astragalus doesn’t merely enhance interferon levels; there is strong scientific evidence that it benefits liver function (often impaired in the cancer sufferer). In China, Astragalus is widely used in the treatment of hepatitis. It seems to reduce toxin levels significantly, boost interferon levels and inhibit viral protein expression whilst having little or no effect on normal DNA. (Zhang 1995, Fan 1996)

The FDA is currently granting it approval as an anti-cancer agent.

Improves the effectiveness of Radio- and Chemotherapy

One extremely important conclusion from several US studies is that Astragalus seems to help the immune system differentiate between healthy cells and rogue cells, thereby boosting the body’s total ‘cancer fighting system’. One effect of this is the added benefit of improving the effectiveness of radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments.

• In Chinese hospitals Astragalus is now routinely used to help people recover from the negative effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
• MD Anderson Cancer Center (Texas) researchers reported that cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy had twice the survival rates if they took astragalus during the treatment.
• In the West some herbalists routinely provide chemotherapy and radiotherapy patients with Astragalus, and apart from boosting the immune system (which of course both orthodox treatments damage) it also seems to stop the spread of malignant cancer cells to secondary healthy tissues.

There are no known conflicting effects with drugs. Astragalus should be taken with meals at a total intake of 2,000 to 3,000 mgs per day.

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ScienceDaily-  Scientists have used multiple tactics to rev up both innate and adaptive immunity to enhance the body’s ability to fight cancer.

“The problem with cancer is that it becomes part of what the immune system identifies as ’self’ and there are ways the body learns to tolerate ’self’ to prevent immune attack,” says the study’s senior investigator, Linda Sherman, Ph.D., a professor in the Scripps Research Department of Immunology. “Hitting it with these new tools basically gets the immune system to pay attention to the cancer, and go after it.

She continues, “What is needed is effective and non-toxic immunotherapy for cancer patients, and we believe this work provides a foundation for that. The concepts we have shown are directly translatable to human therapy.”

Stimulating Killer T Cells

In the new study, the researchers basically used two different strategies. First, they worked out a way to force T cells—the immune system’s killer cells—to become active and grow in the presence of tumor “antigens,” the proteins on the outside of cancer cells that can stimulate an immune response. While these T cells recognize the tumor antigens, their response to them tends to be chronically weak because they are ’self’.

“We have been working for years to find ways to coax these so-called low affinity T cells to work better,” Sherman says.

In this study, the investigators tested a novel complex developed by Professor Jonathan Sprent, M.D., Ph.D., a previous member of the Scripps Research faculty who is now at the Garvan Institute in Sydney, Australia, and Scripps Research co-author, Professor Charles Surh, Ph.D. The agent combines Interleukin-2 (IL-2) with an IL-2 antibody. IL-2 is a well-known stimulator of the growth of activated T cells, and is often used to boost immune system response in human therapy; T cells have IL-2 receptors on their surface. In previous studies, Sprent and Surh found that coupling IL-2 with a specific type of IL-2 antibody allows the complex to bind better to activated T cells and produces a more robust T cell response.

“The beauty of this complex is that, as we demonstrate in this paper, it has a much greater ability to bind to low affinity T cells, which IL-2 itself cannot do very well,” says Sherman.

So, in order to jump start such an immune reaction, the researchers prime T cells by delivering this complex. When this complex binds to T cells, they grow and mature and deliver a signal to release cytotoxic granules that enter tumor cells and promote apoptosis, or cell death.

“A number of nice things begin to happen,” says Sherman. “T cell growth is promoted as well as their killing function. There is a lot of good activity.”

However, as soon as investigators withdraw the IL-2 complex, the T cells die quickly, as their growth stimulant has been removed.

The “Double Whammy”

The researchers’ second strategy, then, was to also deliver an agent known as poly(l:C) that keeps T cells surviving longer. The agent also enhances the killing power of the T cells by stimulating the innate immune system, which provides an immediate defense against invaders.

“It is this trick of really stimulating T cell proliferation and killing functions, and then keeping the T cells alive, that provides the double whammy,” Sherman says. “The T cells are hitting all their bases, and that is when we see the killing of tumors.”

The researchers tested the system in mice that spontaneously develop tumors. The researchers delivered tumor antigen, the IL2 complex, and poly(l:C) all at the same time, and demonstrated the safety and effectiveness of the strategy.

Today, there are human cancer treatments that work in the same way, but they are highly toxic, Sherman says. For example, some patients with melanoma receive melanoma antigens, infusions of T cells, and high doses of IL2, which causes a lot of harmful side effects. Since the IL-2 complex can be used at ~50-fold lower doses than IL-2 with the same efficacy, the use of complex is likely to circumvent the toxicity problem. To further rev up the immune response, patients sometimes also receive whole body irradiation, which produces widespread inflammation.

“We think we can provide two very safe ways to hit these same bases,” Sherman says.

However, more research needs to be done before human studies can begin, including finding an antibody to human IL-2 that works in the same way.

This research is published in an Early Edition issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) published online on October 20, 2008.

In addition to Sherman and Surh, study co-authors were Gregory Verdeil, Ph.D., and Kristi Marquardt of The Scripps Research Institute.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Journal reference:

1. Verdeil et al. Adjuvants targeting innate and adaptive immunity synergize to enhance tumor immunotherapy. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, September 17, 2008; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0805054105

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The ability of the immune system to fight disease is dependent upon the level of general health and physical fitness. However, even a. healthy body will have its immunocompetence severely reduced by excessive stress or fatigue. The reason for this is that, amongst other things, stress increases the viscosity of the blood.

The blood is an all-important factor in the promotion of effective immune responses. A high blood viscosity brought about by stress, or lack of physical fitness, results in a breakdown of efficiency in the components of the immune system. When a person is physically unfit, overweight or stressed, the blood becomes clogged with cholesterol, triglycerides (fats), and various waste products. The fat causes the red cells to stick together with tiny particles called platelets, whose function is to clot the blood in the event of injury. As a result, the blood becomes sludgy and sticky and its oxygen carrying capacity is reduced. This factor, plus the narrowing of arteries by cholesterol deposits, means that it can no longer flow freely.

When these circumstances occur, the white cells and antibodies cannot function properly, resulting in impairment of the immune system. It is vital therefore, in the treatment of chronic allergy conditions, to achieve and maintain low blood viscosity. This can be done by shedding excess weight, regular exercise and the reduction of dietary cholesterol and fats.

The newborn baby does not have a fully functioning immune system or digestive system. These develop during the first twelve months of life. During this critical period, the child is dependent on the mother’’s milk to provide immunoglobulins for protection and enzymes for digestion. Breast milk contains substances which give the infant immunity, as well as nutrients and enzymes in the exact proportion necessary for the baby’’s needs. For this reason, a baby should be breast-fed for at least the first six months of life. If the child is introduced to foreign substances, such as cow’’s milk and cereals too early, permanent damage to the developing immune system and lifelong allergy problems can result.

During the first few months of life a child does not produce enough enzymes to break down introduced foods sufficiently. A baby’’s gut is very porous and relies on a secretion from the mother’’s breast, called colostrum, which acts as a coating, thus preventing harmful protein molecules passing through the gut wall into the blood.

If the child is denied this protection, undigested food particles will enter the bloodstream and confuse the developing immune system, which then accepts them as normal. This causes immunological havoc and instead of being digested by enzymes and white cells, the substances may be ignored by the immune system and left to cause allergy reactions. The problem may continue into adult life, causing further damage to the body and increasing illness.

Immunotherapy is one method of attempting to help or stimulate the immune system to overcome a disease condition. With respect to complex allergy problems, especially those concerning food and chemicals, this approach is rarely successful. Apart from the difficulty in obtaining accurate diagnosis, the process seeks to stimulate something which is often too overloaded to respond.

The most effective method of helping the immune system is by diet and exercise. Abstinence from allergenic foods, together with additional nutrients and a common sense approach to regular exercise, will cleanse the blood, reduce stored toxins and encourage the immune system to rebuild its efficiency.

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<a href=”http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Your+Immune+System+and+Allergy-a01073851000″>Your Immune System and Allergy</a>

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by Gabriel Adams

You often don’t think about your Immune System, however as soon as it fails you are quick to realize how vitally important the Immune System is for your overall health. The Immune System is responsible for preventing all bacteria, germs, viruses, and other microorganisms from entering the body and causing complete destruction.

You may not realize it, but the Immune System works 24 hours a day, every day of your life protecting you from all sorts of sickness, disease, and ultimately death. In fact, as soon as any living organism dies, the Immune System immediately stops functioning and the organism is subject to all manner of parasitic invasion. When you stop to think about it, it is truly amazing how the Immune System functions at not only keeping you alive, but also in perfect health.

The Immune System consists of a number of different organs and components. The main components of the Immune System are the Lymph System, The Thymus, Hormones, Bone Marrow, The Spleen, Leukocytes (White Blood Cells), Antibodies, Complement, Tonsils, and Adenoids. Together these components work together to ensure that the Immune System is working in proper order and defends the body against foreign invaders.

In addition to these components, there is another very important organ that is invaluable to ensuring that the Immune System is working and that is the Skin. Skin is often the body’s first line of defense against foreign invaders such as germs, viruses, and bacteria. Therefore, by keeping the skin clean, frequent hand washing, and treating cuts or wounds to prevent infection you can help the Immune System by preventing many invaders from entering the body.

It is a proven fact that stress negatively impacts the Immune System. Therefore, one of the best strategies that you can implement to ensure that your Immune System is operating in its best capacity is to reduce stress. You should also ensure that you receive plenty of sleep every night, and take a vitamin and mineral supplement. Also, there are many herbs that help strengthen the Immune System, adding these to your diet can have a powerful impact on the overall health of your Immune System.

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Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Your-Immune-System–How-It-Works/173250

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