3AllnaturalRemediesforimprovingyourimmunesystem

Itisourimmunesystem'sjobtoprotectusagainsttheeverpresentthreatfromharmfulviruses,
fungi,bacteriaandotherpathogens.However,theimmunesystemisnotperfect.Numerousfactors
canimpairitsfunction,rangingfromgeneticsandenvironmentalassaultstopoorlifestylehabits.
Whenimmunityisweakened,thebodybecomesmoresusceptibletoinfectionslikecolds,influenza,
yeastandbacterialovergrowth,allergiesandevencancer.Fortunately,therearemanyallnatural
remediesouttherethatcanbolstertheimmunesystem,butthesethreearethemostpowerful.

ChagaMushroom

Thisfungalgrowth,whichformsonbirchtrees,hasbeenusedforcenturiesforitsabilitytostaveoff
illness.PossessingthehighestknownORAC(oxygenradicalabsorbancecapacity)rating,chaga
containsawealthofantioxidantcompoundsthatneutralizefreeradicalsandprotectthebody'scells
againstoxidativedamage.Thisensuresthatthecellsremainhealthyandstrong,whichminimizes
theabilityofpathogenstoinvadethem.Italsomakesthemlesssusceptibletomutationsthatcould
becomecancerous.


Furthermore,manyofchaga'scompoundsdemonstratepotentantiviral,antibiotic,antifungaland
antiparasiticcapabilities.Themushroomalsocontainsbetulinicacid,whichpromotestheformation
ofwhitebloodcells,therebyenhancingthebody'sabilitytowardoffinfectiousdiseases.Asidefrom
boostingimmunefunction,chagaactsasanimmunomodulator.Thismeansthatitpreventsimmune
overactivity,whichcancauseittomistakeharmlesscells,proteinsandothersubstancesfor
pathogensandattackthebodyinstead.Overactiveimmunityisbelievedtobeamajorcausebehind
manyautoimmunediseases.

ColloidalSilver

Forhundredsofyears,silverhasbeenwellknowntodestroymicrobes,treatinfectionsandreduce
thebody'sbacterialload.However,italsohaspositiveeffectsonimmunefunction.Ina1909issue
oftheJournaloftheAmericanMedicalAssociation,itwasnotedthatcolloidalsilverimprovedthe
activityofphagocytes,specialimmunecellsthatconsumeandneutralizepathogens.Thesame
reportstatedthatsilvercouldalsoboosttheproductionofwhitebloodcells,whichareanessential
componentofthehumanimmunesystem.Whitebloodcellsactivelyseekoutanddestroy
pathogensandmalignantcells.

Furtherinformationindicatedthatsilveritselfisanessentialpartofhealthyimmunity,andthatlow
levelsinthedietcouldleavetheimmunesystemweakandunabletocopewithinvadingpathogens.
Inaddition,amorerecentstudyperformedinJapanin2002discoveredthat
colloidalsilver
triggered
mastcellactivity,anothercomponentoftheimmunesysteminvolvedinhealingandprotection
againstinfectiousagents.

Turmeric


Bestknownasthebrightyellowspiceusedtocolormustardandcurry,turmericisalsooneofthe
mostpotentmedicinalherbsavailable.Itsnumerousbenefitshavebeenrecognizedforthousandsof
yearsthroughoutIndia,whereitremainsanessentialpartofthetraditionalAyurvedicsystemof
medicine.Ithasonlybeeninrecentyearsthatmodernsciencehasbeguntounderstandwhatthis
simplerootiscapableof.AtOregonStateUniversity,itwasdiscoveredthatcurcumin,theactive
constituentinturmericandthesubstancethatprovidesitsdistinctivecolor,canincreasethe
effectivenessofthebody's"frontline"defensesbythreetimes.

Mostofthesefrontlinedefensesconsistofimmunecellsthatcovertheinsideofyourdigestiveand
respiratorysystem.Thesecellsproduceandsecreteasubstanceknownascathelicidinantimicrobial
peptide(CAMP).CAMPservesasapowerfulantimicrobialagentthatoffersprotectionagainst
harmfulfungi,germsandviruses.Itcanalsodealwithpathogensthatyourbodyhasneverhadto
fightoffbefore,makingitamongthemostcriticalaspectsofimmunity.

ItusedtobebelievedthatonlyvitaminDcouldsupportproperCAMPproduction,andthisisoneof
themainreasonswhyvitaminDdeficiencyislinkedtoimmunesuppressionandmorefrequent
illness.However,theUniversity'sstudyrevealedthatturmericcouldalsostimulatetheproductionof

CAMPbyusingadifferentpathway.Althoughturmericismostfamousforitsantitumorand
antiinflammatorybenefits,thereisnowclearevidencethatitalsosupportshealthyimmunity.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/biof.552210120/abstract
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=458000
http://oregonstate.edu/ua/ncs/archives/2012/may/currynewbiologicalroleidentifiedcompounduse
dancientmedicine