Imagine your body as a Medieval castle, complete with drawbridge, moat and thick walls.

This will give you some idea of how your body is constructed to prepare for an attack by an invading army. In fact, many doctors refer to substances that threaten the immune system as “foreign invaders,” with the goal of the body to defend itself by killing bacteria, not letting substances get in through the skin, keeping rogue cells from robbing you of oxygen and so forth.

Hardly anybody knows it, but our bodies are designed with a complex, multi-faceted defense system — against disease, substances that harm cells and cancer-causing agents.

How do you defend your castle?

Your immune system is your army and arsenal, featuring killer cells, skin barriers, fortifiers, and a special corps to carry off the dead and wounded. But did you know that your army is built and reinforced with certain natural foods? That’s right.

There are foods and herbs that specifically empower your immune system, and they can be found within Immune Support formula, including garlic, astralagus, Maitake mushroom, carrot, great tea, echinacea and more. All of these foods have been scientifically shown to boost the immune support and even prevent many illnesses.

And one last thing — don’t leave your “drawbridge” open by eating junk food, sugar or bad fats, or by exposing yourself to environmental or food toxins. Immune Support is best taken along with Ultimate Defense.

Here are a few rarely-considered, workplace-related trouble spots:
1. The air conditioning system, where fungus spores and bacteria can thrive in the duct work that blows in the air you breathe.
2. The carpeting that off-gasses toxic vapors into your lungs.
3. Nutritionally inadequate lunches that are eaten due to a lack of time and money.
4. Drinking fountains with fluoridated and chlorinated water that’s toxic to your cells.
5. Sick co-workers and associates.
6. Unclean toilets and sinks in the office washroom.
7. Shared food.

These are just a few problems, all of which begin by getting past your immune system. More than a decade ago the New York Times reported, “Job-related injuries and illnesses cost the nation far more than AIDS or Alzheimer’s disease and at least as much as cancer or heart disease.”*

The least you can do is bolster your immune system. Your body has to have the specific foods and herbs that fortify its natural defense mechanisms. Among the top immune building foods are: Maitake mushroom, garlic, astralagus, carrots and green tea.

Sources:
Job-Related Illness Cost Put at $171 Billion in ‘92, New York Times,: Monday, July 28, 1997

One of my areas of interest is the immune system because it is extremely important to understand how to keep yourself well. Your body was created with a built-in system to fend off foreign invaders, regenerate cells, eliminate toxins and keep healthy.But we all know that things go wrong. The main reason for this is that few people understand that your immune system needs to be fed. With foods that nature provides. Here are seven foods that your immune system thrives on:

1. garlic
2. astralagus
3. Maitake mushrooms
4. green tea
5. echinacea
6. vitamin D foods & sunlight
7. green vegetables

You must eat to feed your immune system. A recent article stated, “Researchers studying deer mice have discovered evidence to support what mothers everywhere have long suspected: the immune system needs food to function properly. In a new study Lynn Martin and coauthors find that reduced food intake leads to a decline in immune function in their subjects. The findings could have profound implications for human health.”

However, the most important amendment I would attach to the statement above is that you have to be careful about which foods you eat. This is because not just any foods feed the immune system. In fact, most of what people eat today, on average, is hardly considered food at all if you were able to ask your body! Foods that actually depress, or bring down, your immune system include those with refined sugars, refined wheat products (pasta, white bread, etc.), altered fats, fried ingredients and artificial ingredients. So, although it’s wise to eat to bolster your immune system, remember that quality counts!!

Sources:

1. Vitamin D Deficiency May Increase Risk Of Colds, Flu, ScienceDaily (Feb. 24, 2009)
2. Plat J, Mensink RP., Curr Opin Lipidol. 2005 Feb;16(1):31-7

Astragalus is an herb that has grown in popularity as of recently, though it has been in use traditionally for thousands of years. It’s an ingredient within the whole food supplement CellPower and ImmuneSupport, both of which are used to support the immune system and energize the body.

Animal studies and preliminary human clinical studies suggest that astragalus may improve functioning of the immune system and might possibly enhance the effect of conventional immune therapy for some cancers. The scientific evidence for the ability of astragalus to enhance the immune system and fight diseases, including cancer and heart disease, comes mostly from laboratory and animal studies. Researchers at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center found that astragalus extract enhanced the cell-destroying ability, or cytotoxicity, of the conventional immunotherapy treatment interleukin-2 by improving the immune system’s response. It also partly restored the immune function of cells in test tubes. Astragalus has also been found to reduce the length of colds and stimulate the production of interferons, a group of substances produced by the body as part of the normal defense mechanism against viral infections. — American Cancer Society

University of Michigan researchers state:

Astragalus contains numerous components, including flavonoids, polysaccharides, triterpene glycosides (e.g., astragalosides I-VII), amino acids, and trace minerals.3 Several preliminary clinical trials in China have suggested that astragalus can benefit immune function and improve survival in some people with cancer.4 Given the poor quality of these trials, it is difficult to know how useful astragalus really was. One Chinese trial also found that astragalus could decrease overactive immune function in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), an autoimmune disease.5 Further trials are needed, however, to know if astragalus is safe for people with SLE, or any other autoimmune disease.

A double-blind trial found that, in people undergoing dialysis for kidney failure, intravenous astragalus improved one facet of immune function compared to the immune function of untreated people.6 Further study is needed to determine if astragalus can help prevent infections in people undergoing dialysis. Early clinical trials in China suggest astragalus root might also benefit people with chronic viral hepatitis, though it may take one to two months to see results.7

In preliminary trials in China, astragalus has been used after people suffer heart attacks.8 More research is needed to determine whether astragalus is truly beneficial in this situation.

Astragalus has no known side effects when used as recommended.

I received a question that is actually fairly common: “How can I build up my immune system? I’ve read a dozen articles on the internet and they are either too complicated to understand (I’m not a scientist, you know!!) or they lack any evidence. I appreciate your help and your answer.”

I can appreciate your frustration in this area, as well as your need to know how to BECOME HEALTHIER. So I’ll keep it simple instead of getting into a bunch of complicated talk about B cells, T cells, phagocytes, lymphocytes, etc.

Simply put, the immune system is a complex means of fighting off illness and keeping us healthy. That said, you only need to remember three SCIENTIFIC FACTS:

1. If you eat bad foods such as bad oils, sugars and artificial ingredients, you will injure your immune system;
2. There are a number of super foods that support your immune system; and
3. Lifestyle has much to do with the health of your immune system

The best way to build it up, then, is to exercise five days a week, reduce stress, avoid the bad foods (above), and eat the right foods (mostly fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts). Plus, for extra support you can take Immune Support, Ultimate Defense and SuperGreens PhytoFood, as these products contain SUPER FOODS with antioxidants and detoxifiers. Best of health!

Astralagus is a key ingredient in CellPower, by NutriPlex Formulas, Inc.

According to researchers at University of Maryland Medical Center:

Astragalus ( Astragalus membranaceus) has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years, often in combination with other herbs, to strengthen the body against disease. It contains antioxidants, which protect cells against damage caused by free radicals, byproducts of cellular energy. Astragalus is used to protect and support the immune system, for preventing colds and upper respiratory infections, to lower blood pressure, to treat diabetes, and to protect the liver.

Astragalus has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and diuretic (helps eliminate fluid from the body) properties. It is sometimes used topically for wounds. In addition, studies have shown that astragalus has antiviral properties and stimulates the immune system, suggesting that it is indeed effective at preventing colds.

In the United States, researchers have investigated astragalus as a possible treatment for people whose immune systems have been compromised by chemotherapy or radiation. In these studies, astragalus supplements have been shown to speed recovery and extend life expectancy. Research on using astragalus for people with AIDS has produced inconclusive results.

Recent research in China indicates that astragalus may offer antioxidant benefits to people with severe forms of heart disease, relieving symptoms and improving heart function.

Astralagus is a key ingredient in CellPower, by NutriPlex Formulas, Inc.

Sources:

1. University of Maryland Medical Center, “Astralagus,” Feb 09

1. Support the gut. The immune system begins in the digestive tract. THIS IS TRUE. There are bacteria in the intestines that break down food and protect the body from illness. When you take antibiotics, or eat too much sugar and processed foods, the GOOD BACTERIA in the intestines cannot do their job to PROTECT AND DEFEND your body. You may want to begin taking some probiotics (good bacteria) in the form of acidophilus, etc.

2. Keep Warm. If your mother ever told you to dress warm, maybe she understood what DOCTORS HAVE BEEN SAYING about how the cold can shock our bodies. When we’re exposed to extreme temperatures, our immune systems are challenged. As the weather continues to slide into the wintry months, dress warm and protect their heads, chests and necks.

3. Get some sleep. Sleep is the great restorer of energy. All beings do it. YOU NEED TO do it too. Turn off your television, read then fall asleep. Your immune system WILL LOVE YOU for it!

4. Use ImmuneSupport. The foods in this product were specifically researched to show that they feed the cells with biochemicals used in defense of the body. You may take 8 a day during cold and flu season.

5. Exercise Regularly. Moving your limbs and body around stimulates your lymphatic system, increases your heart rate and circulation, expands your lung capacity and relieves stress.

There are more things you can do, and certain foods you may eat, but if you begin with these top four, you’re on your way to protecting the system that protects the rest of you!

“Nutrition plays an important part in maintaining immune function,” explains George L. Blackburn, M.D., Ph.D., associate director of the division of nutrition at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. “Insufficiency in one or more essential nutrients may prevent the immune system from functioning at its peak.”1

1. “Follow this eat-right plan to fortify your immune system,” cnn.com, 2008

Alaska is home to the only coastal fishery in the U.S. where oil companies can dump toxic runoff. In February 2008, her [Palin's] administration opposed a bill that would have increased the notice given to parents before schools were sprayed with pesticides, as well as a bill that would have banned PBDEs.

In August 2008, Palin opposed a measure that would have halted the controversial Pebble Mine, which critics fear may decimate the world’s largest commercial wild salmon fishery. She has neglected to push the Army Corps of Engineers to clean up a highly contaminated military base.

“She doesn’t have a good understanding of the science,” says the former research director of the Alaska Native Medical Program. “What she tends to do is talk about personal responsibility as the key to good health.”

Pictured is part of the Alaskan oil pipeline as it cuts through the scenery like an eyesore established by people who put money over morals.

Pesticides cause mass death of bees
Germany: Charge against Bayer´s Board of Management

The German Coalition against Bayer Dangers today brought a charge against Werner Wenning, chairman of the Bayer Board of Management, with the Public Prosecutor in Freiburg (south-western Germany). The group accuses Bayer of marketing dangerous pesticides and thereby accepting the mass death of bees all over the world. The Coalition introduced the charge in cooperation with German beekeepers who lost thousands of hives after poisoning by the pesticide clothianidin in May this year.

Since 1991 Bayer has been producing the insecticide Imidacloprid, which is one of the best selling insecticides in the world, often used as seed-dressing for maize, sunflower, and rape. Bayer exports Imidacloprid to more than 120 countries and the substance is Bayer´s best-selling pesticide. Since patent protection for Imidacloprid expired in most countries, Bayer in 2003 brought a similarly functionning successor product, Clothianidin, onto the market. Both substances are systemic chemicals that work their way from the seed through the plant. The substances also get into the pollen and the nectar and can damage beneficial insects such as bees.

The beginning of the marketing of Imidacloprid and Clothianidin coincided with the occurrence of large scale bee deaths in many European and American countries. Up to 70 per cent of all hives have been affected. In France alone approximately 90 billion bees died within ten years, reducing honey production by up to 60%.

Harro Schultze, attorney of the Coalition against Bayer Dangers said: “The Public Prosecutor needs to clarify which efforts BAYER undertook to prevent a ban of Imidacloprid and Clothianidin after sales of both substances were stopped in France. We´re suspecting that Bayer submitted flawed studies to play down the risks of pesticide residues in treated plants”. In France Imidacloprid has been banned as a seed dressing for sunflowers since 1999 and in 2003 was also banned as a sweetcorn treatment. The Comité Scientifique et Technique, convened by the French government, declared that the treatment of seeds with Imidacloprid leads to significant risks for bees. Bayer´s application for Clothianidin was also rejected by French authorities.

“Bayer´s Board of Management has to be called to account since the risks of neonicotinoids such as Imidacloprid and Clothianidin have now been known for more than ten years. With an annual turnover of nearly 800 million Euro neonicotinoids are among Bayer´s most important products. This is the reason why Bayer, despite serious environmental damage, is fighting against any application prohibitions”, says Philipp Mimkes, speaker of the Coalition against Bayer-dangers. The Coalition demands that Bayer withdraw all neonicotinoids from the market worldwide.

The accusation of flawed studies is confirmed by the Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) which judged on Bayer´s Clothianidin application: “All of the field/semi-field studies, however, were found to be deficient in design and conduct of the studies and were, therefore, considered as supplemental information only. Clothianidin may pose a risk to honey bees and other pollinators, if exposure occurs via pollen and nectar of crop plants grown from treated seeds”. PRMA adds: “It should also be noted that Clothianidin is very persistent in soil, with high carry-over of residues to the next growing season. Clothianidin is also mobile in soil.”

In May 2008 German authorities blamed clothianidin for the deaths of millions of honeybees. The German Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) suspended the registration for eight pesticide seed treatment products, including Clothianidin and Imidacloprid, on maize and rape.

The case is filed by the Public Prosecutor in Freiburg (Tel: +49-(0)761 2050) under the file number 520 UJs 1649/08

more information:
· The Guardian: Germany bans chemicals linked to bee devastation www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/may/23/wildlife.endan…
· Sierra Club urges EPA to suspend nicotinyl insecticides: http://www.sierraclub.org/biotech/whatsnew/whatsnew_2008-… ·
Press Release of the Research Centre for Cultivated Plants (German): http://www.jki.bund.de/cln_044/nn_813794/DE/pressestelle/…
· Bee-keepers and environmental groups demand prohibition of pesticide “Gaucho” · French Institutes Finds Imidaproclid Turning Up in Wide Range of Crops · 2003 report from the “Comité Scientifique et Technique de l’Etude Multifactorielle des Troubles des Abeilles” http://agriculture.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/rapportfin.pdf

Coalition against BAYER Dangers
www.CBGnetwork.org

Possible problems from an imbalance of good vs bad intestinal bacteria:

• Yeast infections
• Allergies
• Food intolerance
• Frequent colds and flu
• Intestinal cramping
• Chronic fatigue
• Slow or poor wound healing
• More

The average human body, consisting of about 1013 (10,000,000,000,000 or about ten trillion) cells, has about ten times that number of microorganisms in the gut.

Vaginal Yeast Problems

“Acidophilus is termed a probiotic because it helps stave off infection of unwanted microorganisms in the vagina and digestive system. Candida albicans; the type of yeast fungi responsible for yeast infections, is known to thrive in both of these areas as well.

Because both acidophilus and yeast infections compete for the same habitats, they are natural opponents. When acidophilus is depopulated, a yeast infection can spread unrestrained throughout the vagina. Therefore, lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria play an important role in maintaining the balance of vaginal bacterial flora.”5

The gut microflora contributes to several intestinal functions, including the development of the mucosal immune system, the absorption of complex macromolecules, the synthesis of amino acids and vitamins and the protection against pathogenic microorganisms. Its composition varies along the different segments of the gut, with a gradient from the stomach to the colon where it is more abundant. Given the vital relationship between the microflora and the intestinal function, it is important that the microflora is kept continuously under control so to preserve gut homeostasis. When this is not achieved or perturbed, several immune disorders can arise, like allergies or inflammation.3

In simpler terms, to explain the above scientific jargon, the bacteria in the intestines are used by the body for a number of important functions, and when they are out of balance, or killed off, then health problems arise. Among these problems are allergies to foods such as dairy, eggs, wheat, gluten, chocolate and more.

Good bacteria, in the form of supplementation, has been used clinically to relieve eczema from allergic reactions to cows milk in children.1

“A single layer of epithelial cells covering the large gut mucosal surface, approximately the area of a tennis court in adults, is continuously exposed to huge amounts of dietary, environmental and microbial antigens.”2 In other words, the cells that cover tissues of the intestines, is always fighting off microscopic particles from what we eat, what’s in our environment and tiny particles of attackers.

You can take good bacteria in the form of supplements. Click here.

Sources

1. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol 3(1):15-20, 2003, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/448473_4
2. Regulation of the Immune System by Intestinal Microbiota, http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/448473_4
3. Rescigno M, The pathogenic role of intestinal flora in IBD and colon cancer; Curr Drug Targets. 2008 May;9(5):395-403
4. Improvement of the human intestinal flora by ingestion of the probiotic strain
   Lactobacillus johnsonii La1; Toshihiko Yamano, Hisakazu Iino, Mamiko Takada, Stephanie Blum, Florence Rochat and Yoichi Fukushima; British Journal of Nutrition (2006), 95, 303–312
5. Acidophilus Yeast Infection, 2008