Chelation - (pronounce as Key-La-Tion)

Chelation is a standard treatments of medical hospital to remove metal toxicity from the body.

Mercury
Each silver filling releases up to 17 mcg of mercury every day. This increases to 500 mcg when the smoking's of cigarettes, the drinking of hot liquids, gum chewing, acidic saliva or the grinding of teeth at night. Mercury accumulates in the brain, heart, kidneys and endocrine glands and can cause depression, auto-immune diseases, memory loss, tremors, anemia and heart attack.
EDTA has been scientifically proven to bind to and remove Mercury from the body.

 

 

Aluminum
Aluminum can be found in drinking water, anti-perspirants, baking powders, feminine hygiene products, cow and soy milk, baby formula, antacids, and of course aluminum foil, pots and pans.  It accumulates in the skin, bones, brain and kidneys and can cause Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s disease.
EDTA has been scientifically proven to bind to and remove Aluminum from the body.

Lead
Lead is found in cosmetics, plastics, batteries, gasoline, insecticides, pottery glaze, soldered pipes, and paint.  Lead accumulates in the brain, liver, kidneys and bones.  For each 30 mcg of lead in a child's blood, his or her IQ drops 10 points.
EDTA has been scientifically proven to bind to and remove Lead from the body.

Barium
Barium compounds are found in soaps, ceramics, paper, glass, plastics, textiles, dyes, fuel additives, rubber, paint and pesticides. Barium toxicity can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
EDTA has been scientifically proven to bind to and remove Barium from the body.

Nickel
Nickel is found in stainless steel cutlery, pots and pans, coins, dental fillings and batteries. It accumulates in the bones, kidneys, liver, lungs, immune system and the brain, where it can cause genetic damage and cancer.
EDTA has been scientifically proven to bind to and remove Nickel from the body.

Arsenic
Arsenic is found in cigarette smoke, laundry detergents, beer, seafood and drinking water, It can cause headaches, confusion and sleepiness.  It can damage the kidneys, liver, and lungs.
EDTA has been scientifically proven to bind to and remove Arsenic from the body.

 

Cadmium
Exposure to cadmium happens mostly in the workplace where cadmium products are made. The general population is exposed from breathing cigarette smoke or eating cadmium contaminated foods. Cadmium damages the lungs, can cause kidney disease, and may irritate the digestive tract. This substance has been found in at least 776 of the 1,467 National Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
EDTA has been scientifically proven to bind to and remove Cadmium from the body.

Uranium
Uranium is a radioactive element that disintegrates eventually into lead.  There has been over 2,000 nuclear detonations on our planet since Hiroshima casting uranium into our atmosphere, not counting events like Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. Radioactive materials can cause cancer and birth defects.
EDTA has been scientifically proven to bind to and remove Uranium from the body.

Data regarding heavy metals taken from: Toxicology of Metals.  Edited by Louis Chang, 1996.

The Surprising Health Benefits of Love

The Surprising Health Benefits of Love
By Lisa Collier Cool
Feb 09, 2012

Love actually can make us healthier, so much so that if you could bottle it, you would have an incredible wonder drug, a Nobel Prize, the thanks of a grateful population and more money than Bill Gates. If a growing body of research is to be believed, love can lengthen your life, ward off stress, boost your immune system, lower your blood pressure, protect you from colds and flu, blunt your response to pain, hasten wound healing, and lower your risk of dementia in old age.

Studies have shown that health-wise, men are a lot better off married than their still-single pals; their wives are less likely to suffer from depression than their unmarried bridesmaids. Let a little romance into your life, and you’re less likely to end up in a nursing home when you’re old and gray. Love and marriage (or even love without marriage) turns out to be really, really good for us. Here are the main reasons why:

Love Defuses Stress

Unchecked stress can undermine your immune system, leaving you prey to all kinds of physical ills. Some studies have shown that happy couples produce less of the hormone cortisol when they’re stressed. This is a good thing because too much cortisol suppresses the immune system leaving us open to colds, flu and worse. It also prompts the body to store fat around the abdominal organs.

This kind of “visceral fat” is linked to diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Marriage appears to be particularly good for health: rates of diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and other chronic ailments are all lower in married people than in single ones.

Love Heals Wounds

A study at Ohio State University used a device designed to leave little blisters on the arm and to enable doctors to monitor the immune system’s response at the tiny wound sites. The researchers used a study grant to pay 42 married couples $2,000 each to agree to the blistering procedures and then to talk about topics that provoked tension and at another time to discuss topics that engendered supportive behavior. The upshot? The blisters took a day longer to heal after sessions when the couples disagreed than when they discussed something pleasant. The wounds took two days longer to heal when there was high hostility during arguments.

Better Brain Health

The give-and-take of marriage—or living with a partner—helps keep your wits sharp.

Living as a couple in midlife was linked to lower risk for cognitive impairment (unusually poor memory and mental functioning) in a Swedish study, while other research shows socializing, including getting together with friends, belonging to a club, or doing volunteer work also helps keep your brain nimble.

The Power of Touch

A study at the University of Virginia showed that holding a spouse’s hand can diminish stress set off by a mild electric shock. A total of 16 couples took part; first the wives received the shocks while their brains were monitored via functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Next, each woman held the hand of a stranger during the shock--this dampened the stress response seen in the brain. Finally, the women held their husbands’ hands during the shock and the fMRIs showed that the reduction in stress was even greater.

The Cuddle Hormone

Women who get the most hugs from their partner have the highest levels of oxytocin, a hormone sometimes called the “cuddle hormone,” University of North Carolina researchers reported.

Oxytocin is believed to play a role in social bonding and has a powerful effect on the cardiovascular systems. In the study, the frequent huggers had lower blood pressure.

Togetherness and Health

Another clue to the power of love to keep us well comes from a study showing that health suffers after a divorce or when one spouse dies. The researchers found that being single after being married brings about a decline on physical health. The divorced and widowed in the study had 20 percent more health problems such as heart disease and diabetes than mid-life couples who remained married to their first spouse.

Even worse, the positive health benefits of marriage were cancelled out for the divorced and widowed people in the study: they had worse health problems than men and women who had never been married.

The Happiness Factor

Here are some startling statistics illustrating how vital love is to our mental as well as physical well-being: rates of major depression are nine times higher in unmarried men; divorce or separation more than doubles the risk of suicide in men; married men and women drink less alcohol and use less marijuana and cocaine than the unmarried; 70 percent of chronic drinkers were divorced or separated - only 15 percent were married.

So there you have it, love is good for almost everything. The only exception: it doesn’t help you lose weight.
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http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/surprising-health-benefits-love

Recycled oil sold as new

Tuesday December 13, 2011
Recycled oil sold as new

PETALING JAYA: The cooking oil that you buy at a grocery store or a supermarket near you in a 1kg packet may have been recycled.

Tests conducted on 19 brands of the “cheap” oil sold nationwide revealed that repeated exposure to high temperatures had made it unfit for human consumption, the Malaysian Association of Standards Users said.

Manufacturers are believed to have bought the oil used in restaurants through middlemen and processed it for re-sale.

The association sent the samples for “polar compound testing” to Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, which found all 19 brands falling short of international standards, its CEO Ratna Devi Nadarajan told The Star.

*Full story in The Star today

Related Stories:
Cooking oil hazard
Don't use oil more than once, warns poison centre
Too costly to turn cooking oil into biodiesel, says middleman
Set standards for testing of cooking oil quality, govt urged
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* Source : http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/12/13/nation/20111213064749&sec=nation

Top 10 Foods Highest in Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a group of 8 fat-soluble vitamins which help prevent oxidative stress to the body, and other vitamins within the body. Adequate amounts of vitamin E can help protect against heart disease, cancer, and age related eye damage (macular degeneration). Conversely, too much vitamin E from supplements can lead to excessive bleeding, or hemorrhaging. Vitamin E foods, like the ones listed below, are considered to be safe and healthy. The current RDA for vitamin E is 20mg. Below is a list of foods high in vitamin E.
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Video of Foods High in Vitamin E


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Source: http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/vitamin-E.php

Health Benefits of Okra

Health Benefits of Okra - by: Junji Takano

The world's most beautiful women, Cleopatra of Egypt and Yang Guifei of China loved to eat okra according to the history record.

When we visited the world's most productive land of okra in a rural area in Kami, Kochi Prefecture , Japan , the young and old all look very healthy. When we asked their secret in having good health in that area, they graciously answer “okra”.

Okra has a long history, with its beginnings in Egypt where it is cultivated before the time of Cleopatra. The okra plant spread to many parts of the world during the Atlantic slave trade. During World War II, the shortage of coffee beans made them use okra seeds as a substitute for coffee. This incident made the word “okra fever”. Since then, okra's popularity never disappeared from local markets to convenience stores throughout the world and throughout the year.

Nutritional Information

Okra contains vitamins A and C and is a good source of iron and calcium. It also contains starch, fat, ash, thiamine and riboflavin. No wonder, Cleopatra and Yang Guifei maintained their beauties.

Health Benefits of Okra

1. The superior fiber found in okra helps to stabilize the blood sugar by curbing the rate at which sugar is absorbed from the intestinal tract.

2. Okra's mucilage binds cholesterol and bile acid carrying toxins dumped into it by the filtering liver.
3. Okra helps lubricate the large intestines due to its bulk laxative qualities. The okra fiber absorbs water and ensures bulk in stools. This helps prevent and improve constipation. Unlike harsh wheat bran, which can irritate or injure the intestinal tract, okra's mucilage soothes, and okra facilitates elimination more comfortably by its slippery characteristic. Okra binds excess cholesterol and toxins (in bile acids). These, if not evacuated, will cause numerous health problems. Okra also assures easy passage out of waste from the body. Okra is completely non-toxic, non-habit forming, has no adverse side effects, is full of nutrients, and is economically within reach of most individuals unlike over-the-counter drugs.
4. Okra fiber is excellent for feeding the good bacteria (probiotics). This contributes to the health of the intestinal tract.
5. Okra is a supreme vegetable for those feeling weak, exhausted, and suffering from depression.
6. Okra is used for healing ulcers and to keep joints limber. It helps to neutralize acids, being very alkaline, and provides a temporary protective coating for the digestive tract.
7. Okra treats lung inflammation, sore throat, and irritable bowel syndrome.
8. Okra has been used successfully in experimental blood plasma replacements.
9. Okra is good for summer heat treatment.
10. Okra is good for constipation.
11. Okra is good in normalizing the blood sugar and cholesterol level.
12. Okra is good for asthma. Okra's vitamin C is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, which curtail the development of asthma symptoms.
13. Okra is good for atherosclerosis.
14. Okra is believed to protect some forms of cancer expansion, especially colorectal cancer.
15. Eating okra helps to support the structure of capillaries.
16. Some information shows that eating okra lowers the risk of cataracts.
17. Okra is good for preventing diabetes.
18. Okra protects you from pimples and maintains smooth and beautiful skin.

We understand the reason why Cleopatra and Yang Guifei loved to eat okra. There are other medicinal uses of okra, like its protection against trans fats.

I myself planted about 25 stems of okra in my backyard garden throughout the year for over 20 years now. I can pick up about 20 pieces of okra pod every morning. All okra pods are consumed by my family. There are hundreds of recipes that can be done. You can either: cut it raw and mix with vinegar and pepper; cut it raw and mix with mayonnaise; steam, cut, with mayonnaise dressing; or, cook with stew or soup.

Okra is easy to grow anywhere during summer season in cold countries and throughout the year in tropical areas. You can even plant it in a container garden at the terrace in condominium buildings.

Inventor of PYRO-ENERGEN, the author, Mr. Takano himself picks up Okra in his backyard garden

To tell you the truth, I did not know that okra seed was used as a substitute for coffee beans during World War II. I have about 500 grams of okra seeds, so I roasted one-half of it using an iron cast pan, and pulverized it. I made okra coffee with it, and it tasted like real coffee although it was darker in color. When I offered the okra coffee to my staffs and visitors who did not know the real thing, they replied "Oh, you got a new blend of coffee, taste is good". I blended it with real coffee, too. It tastes all right. We do not know, however, what nutrients okra coffee gives.

About the Author:
Junji Takano is a Japanese health researcher involved in investigating the cause of many dreadful diseases. In 1968, he invented PYRO-ENERGEN, the first electrostatic therapy device for electromedicine that effectively eradicates viral diseases, cancer, and diseases of unknown cause.

**Benefit of eating Okra (Lady's Finger) *

*A guy has been suffering from constipation for the past 20 years and recently from acid reflux. He didn't realize that the treatmentcould be so simple -- OKRA! (or Lady's Finger). He started eating okra within the last 2 months and since then have never taken medication again. All he did was consume 6 pieces of OKRA everyday.

He's now regular and his blood sugar has dropped from 135 to 98, with his cholesterol and acid reflux also under control. Here are some facts on okra (from the research of Ms. Sylvia Zook, PH.D nutrition), University of Illinois . *

*"Okra is a powerhouse of valuable nutrients, nearly half of which is soluble fiber in the form of gums and pectins. Soluble fiber helps to lower serum cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart disease.

The other half is insoluble fiber which helps to keep the intestinal tract healthy, decreasing the risk of some forms of cancer, especially colo-rectal cancer. *

*Nearly 10% of the recommended levels of vitamin B6 and folic acid is also present in a half cup of cooked okra. Okra is a rich source of many nutrients, including fiber, vitamin B6 and folic acid.

He got the following numbers from the University of Illinois Extension Okra Page Please check there for more details.
Okra Nutrition (half-cup cooked okra)

* Calories = 25
* Dietary Fiber = 2 grams
* Protein = 1.5 grams
* Carbohydrates = 5.8 grams
* Vitamin A = 460 IU
* Vitamin C = 13 mg
* Folic acid = 36.5 micrograms
* Calcium = 50 mg
* Iron = 0.4 mg
* Potassium = 256 mg
* Magnesium = 46 mg *

 *These numbers should be used as a guideline only, and if you are on a medically-restricted diet please consult your physician and/or dietician.

Ms Sylvia W. Zook, Ph.D. (nutritionist) has very kindly provided the following thought-provoking comments on the many benefits of this versatile vegetable.

They are well worth reading

1. The superior fiber found in okra helps to stabilize blood sugar as it curbs the rate at which sugar is absorbed from the intestinal tract.
2. Okra's mucilage not only binds cholesterol but bile acid carrying toxins dumped into it by the filtering liver. But it doesn't stop there...
3. Many alternative health practitioners believe all diseases begin in the colon. The okra fiber, absorbing water and ensuring bulk in stools, helps prevent constipation . Fiber in general is helpful for this but okra is one of the best, along with ground flax seed and psyllium. Unlike harsh wheat bran, which can irritate or injure the intestinal tract, okra's mucilage soothes , and okra facilitates elimination more comfortably by its slippery characteristic many people abhor.
In other words, this incredibly valuable vegetable not only binds excess cholesterol and toxins (in bile acids) which cause numerous health problems, if not evacuated, but also assures their easy passage from the body. The veggie is completely non-toxic, non-habit forming (except for the many who greatly enjoy eating it), has no adverse side effects, is full of nutrients, and is economically within reach of most.
4. Further contributing to the health of the intestinal tract, okra fiber(as well as flax and psyllium) has no equal among fibers for feeding the good bacteria (probiotics).
5. To retain most of okra's nutrients and self-digesting enzymes, it should be cooked as little as possible, e.g. with low heat or lightly steamed. Some eat it raw.
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Some important benefits of consuming okra:

Stabilises blood sugar level.
Lowers serum cholesterol level.
Prevents constipation.
Keeps intestinal tract healthy.
Feeds good bacteria residing in us all.

Miracle Drink: Carrot, Beet Root and Apple

This MIRACLE DRINK has been circulating for a long time long ago. It is worth your while to take note. There is a celebrity Mr. Seto who swears by it. He wants to make it public to draw the attention of people who have cancers. This is a drink that can protect bad cells forming in your body or it will restrain its growth! Mr. Seto had lung cancer. He was recommended to take this drink by a famous Herbalist from China. He has taken this drink diligently for 3 months and now his health is restored, and he is ready to take a pleasure trip. Thanks to this drink! It does not hurt for you to try.

It is like a Miracle Drink! It is simple.

You need one beet root, one carrot and one apple that combine together to make the JUICE !

Wash the above, cut with the skin on into pieces and put them into the juicer and immediately you drink the juice. You can add some lime or lemon for more refreshing taste.

This Miracle Drink will be effective for the following ailments:

1. Prevent cancer cells to develop. It will restrain cancer cells to grow.
2. Prevent liver, kidney, pancreas disease and it can cure ulcer as well.
3. Strengthen the lung, prevent heart attack and high blood pressure.
4. Strengthen the immune system
5. Good for the eyesight, eliminate red and tired eyes or dry eyes
6. Help to eliminate pain from physical training, muscle ache
7. Detoxify, assist bowel movement, eliminate constipation. Therefore it will make skin healthy & LOOK more radiant.  It is God sent for acne problem.
8. Improve bad breath due to indigestion, throat infection,
9. Lessen menstrual pain
10. Assist Hay Fever Sufferer from Hay Fever attack.

There is absolutely no side effect. Highly nutritious and easily absorbs! Very effective if you need to loose weight. You will notice your immune system will be improved after 2 week routine. Please make sure to drink immediately from the juicer for best effect.

WHEN TO DRINK IT;

DRINK IT FIRST THING IN THE MORNING WITH THE EMPTY STOMACH! AFTER ONE HOUR YOU CAN EAT BREAKFAST. FOR FAST RESULTS DRINK 2 TIMES A DAY, IN THE MORNING AND BEFORE 5 P.M.in the Afternoon.

Water Ionizer- a Scam?

I am not against Water Filter as I have installed an overall Stainless steel Nesh Outdoor Prefilter at my home and a small filter at the drinking tap for my own consumptions. I believe it I effective to remove much “impurities” chlorine, chemical and bacterial from our water piping systems.

But I meet salesmen/salesgirls who are trained to parrot some literature that the companies produce that their special has this added features that will keep us healthy.

1. The Oxygenated Water sales person. (My immediate thoughts were that, heh! we get oxygen from the air that we breathe, as our lungs inhale and exhale. Unless we are fishes with gills that get oxygen from water. Drinking such water will not oxygenate our body systems)

2. The Alkaline Water sale person. (My first respond isn’t our body intestinal & pancreatic systems able to regulate the acids/alkaline balance by its self?)

3. The Ionize water sale person.(Can use to wash vegetables, meat, etc and it can remove, pesticides, chemical, hormone in the meats.)

There are so much pseudo science out there that may even caught the expert by surprise.

So I did some Goggling & Yahooing up and here is what I found.

http://good-water.biz/water_ionizer_scam.html

http://www.chem1.com/CQ/ionbunk.html

And don’t get me wrong I am a believer in healthy living, good nutrition, exercise, clean water, sunshine and fresh air. But surely such claims needed to be examined before you part with your hard earned money.

The Wonders of Coconut

Do You Know...

. . . that coconuts are one of the wonder foods on earth that amply provides for all human needs? They can even save your life! Few people (even fewer doctors) understand how important the coconut is to stabilizing blood sugar; lowering cholesterol; healing; hydration; and even replacing blood plasma in an emergency.

Referred to as kalpa vriksha (Sanskrit for "the tree that supplies all that is needed to live") in ancient India, the coconut palm has been recognized as a top immune booster, antifungal , antibiotic, antiviral , and antibacterial remedy for thousands of years all over the world. Yet, it has only been recently that modern researchers have begun to fully discover the massive health benefits this amazing fruit offers.

To give just one example of coconuts' life-saving properties, they were used extensively in the Pacific during World war II. Since blood plasma supplies were scarce, it was very common for medics to siphon pure coconut water from young coconuts to be used as emergency plasma transfusions for soldiers who were injured. Since coconut water is nearly identical to human blood, it was suitable for people of all blood types.

Because of its strong antioxidant properties, the coconut can be used to:

==> Lower cholesterol
==> Improve digestion
==> Ward off wrinkles
==> Stabilize glucose levels
==> Fight off viruses
==> Build cells
==> Regulate hormones
==> Increase thyroid production
==> Lose weight
==> Increase metabolism
==> Fight infections
==> Stave off memory loss
==> Kill bacteria
==> And more!

Considered one of the most treasured foods of all time, coconut products -- including coconut flesh, coconut water, coconut oil, and coconut cream -- each deliver superb health benefits. Coconut oil, for instance, is considered the best and safest oil to use for cooking -- even superior to extra virgin olive oil when it comes to giving the body what it needs for optimum health. Unlike other fats and oils that we typically use for cooking and baking, coconut oil does not form polymerized oils or dangerous trans fatty acids in our bodies, which can raise our cholesterol levels; clog our arteries and even make our skin sag and wrinkle. Plus, this ultra-safe oil can give your body important antioxidants that can help build stronger cells and improve your overall health and well being.

Here are a few ways that you can use coconut products to stave off disease and to recapture the look and feeling of youth: Coconut Water - The coconut is a natural water filter. It takes almost 9 months for a coconut to filter every quart of water stored within its shell. This makes the resulting coconut water completely pure and sterile, which is one reason why it can be used for blood transfusions.

Another benefit of coconut water is the fact that it has the highest concentration of electrolytes than anything else found in nature. This makes it an excellent source of hydration.

Coconut Oil - In addition to being superior for cooking and baking, coconut oil also makes a superb topical oil that can help to naturally rid the skin of dangerous toxins. It also gives the skin the perfect mix of hydration and antioxidants that it needs to stay healthy, smooth and younger-looking longer.

Another great benefit of coconut oil is in protecting your teeth from the bacteria that can cause cavities and disease. Simply rubbing a little fresh coconut oil on your gums and teeth can keep them stronger and healthier than virtually any other dental treatment.

Most people don't realize that coconut oil can actually help you lose weight ! Yes, simply changing your cooking oil from the unsaturated fat variety to coconut oil can help you lose those extra pounds.

Here's why : Unsaturated fats found in canola, corn and other vegetables oils, as well as margarine suppress the metabolism , which makes it harder to lose weight -- and easier to gain it. Over time, this metabolism suppression may result in 20-30 pounds of excess weight that your body cannot get rid of. Coconut oil, on the other hand, helps to increase thyroid function and boost your metabolism -- 2 important components to shedding unwanted pounds.

Coconut Cream - The best skin treatment product one can use to achieve flawless skin may quite possibly be coconut cream. Unlike traditional skin creams which can actually introduce fats and oils to the skin that will break it down over time, making it look older, creams derived from the coconut can actually replenish the skin, giving it a more youthful and healthy glow than most other skin care products on the market.

When it comes to buying coconut products, coconuts are not all created equal. Wild coconuts are always best, but can be hard to obtain if you don't live in a tropical country. Whether you are using this wonder food to boost your immune system; increase your metabolism or fight wrinkles, using products from young coconuts will help you reap the most benefit.

Young coconuts contain the purest unsaturated fat, compared to the fat found in the more mature varieties. This is why they offer the most rejuvenation properties for the body's tissues. But how can you tell how old a coconut is? Young coconuts are usually green in colour and oddly shaped. The brown hairy ones are mature coconuts, and while they offer a lot of healthy benefits, they aren't nearly as good for you as younger varieties.

The best place to find young fresh coconuts is, of course, in the markets of the tropics, so be sure to seek them out if you travel to those areas. Coconut-producing regions export coconuts all over the world, however, so it's relatively easy to find coconuts at your local health food store or Asian grocer.
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Thanks to Tan Ah Watt for emailing me this article.

Vitamin C Role in Curing Sicknesses

When a King Country dairy farmer came down with a serious case of swine flu, intensive care specialists said there was no hope. They were set to pull him off of life support, but his family refused to give up. The family demanded that the doctors try high doses of Vitamin C. The hospital told them it wouldn't work, but the family insisted. They had to hire a lawyer to get their way -- but their actions saved the man's life.

Sources:
News3 August 18, 2010

YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

The immune system can make or break your health. In fact, you could say it defines your health. A weak immune system makes you more susceptible to illness; a strong one can keep you free of disease.

Here are the major players in the immune system:

• the bone marrow, which produces white blood cells or leukocytes that circulate throughout the body to detect and destroy harmful substances.

• the thymus, a small organ located above the heart that serves as a sort of training center for immune cells.

• lymph organs (nodes and vessels) aid the immune function by cleansing the blood and lymph, which is the fluid that circulates in the body and traps harmful organisms that are floating in the bloodstream.

• spleen, tonsils, appendix, and Peyer's patches, which all protect the body against dangerous toxins and invading microorganisms.

Specialized cells of the immune system include:

• B cells, which produce antibodies against infectious agents.

• T cells, which are specially trained by the thymus to recognize specific invaders.

• Natural killer cells, also called "the kiss of death", wander through the body and attack cancerous cells.

• Phagocytes such as the monocyte and macrophage (also called “eating cells”), which engulf and destroy microorganisms and debris.

Together, these various cells create a strong defense against substances that threaten the health of the body.

The body is equipped with many defense systems. Here are a few of them:

• "seek and destroy" mechanisms (macrophages, T-cells, natural killer cells)

• protective chemicals (lysozyme, oleic acid, stomach acid)

• flushing mechanisms (sneezing, coughing)

• natural resistance (the body's inherent ability to avoid some illnesses)

• normal flora (bacteria, yeast, and protozoa that inhabit the skin, intestines, and body cavities. They compete against other, more harmful invading agents)

• other simple defenses such as a tough skin layer, protective hairs, and mucosa.

The immune system is not a centrally located system, but is everywhere in the body. It's a complex network of cells and organisms all working together in the battle against disease.

The choice is up to you: either wave the white flag of surrender, or put up a good fight by eating right.