Health Topics > Immune system > autoimmunedisease

AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE  

What is an Autoimmune Disease?

Autoimmune Disease is a strange situation whereby the body becomes allergic to it's own tissue and attacks it! In other words, it perceives it's own normal tissues as being foreign and produces antibodies against them. The type and severity of the symptoms varies considerably depending on which tissue is being attacked.

Autoimmune disorders are known as a "family of diseases" and include; rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, Sjogren's syndrome, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, autoimmune liver disease and many others.
 
Tissues that may be attacked in autoimmune conditions include:
  • Hair follicles (causing loss of hair)
  • Thyroid gland (causing hyper then hypothyroidism) Hashimoto's disease and Graves' disease of the thyroid (see Thyroid Disease),
  • Adrenal gland (Addison’s disease)
  • The blood vessels anywhere in the body, or in the brain (vasculitis)
  • The joints causing arthritis (eg: see Rheumatoid Arthritis),
  • The connective tissues causing Fibromyalgia
  • Certain blood components such as platelets (ITP) and red blood cells.
The most common autoimmune disease is rheumatoid arthritis, where the joints are under attack.  And there is a type of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis known as Still's disease that affects girls between the ages of two and five.

Another autoimmune condition is polyarteritis nodosa in which the arteries become inflamed. Then there are conditions where the skin or muscles become inflamed and often the joints can also be involved.
 
 Scleroderma is a rather rare condition that makes the skin shiny, thick and tight in appearance. It may also attack the oesophagus so that swallowing food becomes difficult.
 
 Hashimoto’s disease is a type of thyroid disease in which antibodies attack the thyroid gland. The gland eventually becomes destroyed and the patient suffers with a deficiency of thyroid hormone. (see Thyroid disease).
 
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder affecting both sexes but women are more commonly affected than men, the ratio being 90% women to only 10% men. Women with SLE are mostly in their early child bearing years. (see Lupus).

The basic component of all connective tissue is collagen. Because autoimmune diseases often attack collagen, these diseases are also known as collagen diseases or connective tissue diseases.
 
Those who suffer with autoimmune disorders will sometimes feel quite good and at other times quite poorly. They have quite a cyclic effect. Sufferers can go for months feeling well and then have a relapse.
 
 

What causes autoimmune conditions?

In all cases of autoimmune disease the immune system has become very unbalanced and is overloaded.

The liver is usually implicated in autoimmune conditions. If the liver detox pathways are overloaded, this causes the immune system to become hyperstimulated. The hyperstimulated immune system produces excessive inflammatory chemicals and antibodies, which attack the body’s own tissues/cells (this is an autoimmune reaction). It is vital to improve the liver function to take a load off the immune system and calm it down. To help take the load off the immune system, follow "The Liver Cleansing Diet". This offers the best chance of long term improvement.
 

General recommendations

• Follow the "Liver Cleansing Diet"
• Avoid gluten - this is found in wheat, rye, oats, barley, spelt, kamut and many processed foods containing wheat starch.  All people with autoimmune disease must avoid gluten for life.
• Avoid dairy foods such as ice-cream, butter, cream and milk - see http://www.notmilk.com  Use a variety of different milk such as malt free soy, almond or coconut milk.
• Avoid deep fried foods and preserved meats.
• Avoid chicken and eggs that are not organic - as they may contain artificial growth hormones, steroids and antibiotic residues.
• Never use artificial sweeteners - see www.dorway.com for more information.
• If you are menopausal and are taking oral synthetic hormone replacement, it would be much safer for you to use a more natural form of HRT that is not processed through the liver, such as a natural hormonal cream or lozenge.


Recommended books

Raw Juicing

Raw vegetable juices are essential for supporting the immune system.  See recipes such as Immune Dysfunction Juice found on page 103 of  “Raw Juices Can Save Your Life”  The Raw Juices book is set out in an A – Z format of different health conditions and symptoms with an appropriate juice recipe for each.
It is very important with this type of condition to have a large glass of fresh raw vegetable juice every day - twice a day if possible. If you do not own one - invest in a vegetable juicer. Fresh vegetables have powerful healing benefits.

9 Steps to a Healthy Immune System

Strengthening the immune function reduces susceptibility to infection, suppresses cancer growth and slows down the ageing process. Here are nine easy steps to achieve that aim.

1. Avoid unnecessary antibiotics and drugs such as painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs.

2. Avoid excessive electromagnetic fields by minimizing the use of cellular mobile phones, electric blankets turned on during sleep, microwave ovens, unnecessary x-rays and do not live near major power lines or large power stations.

3. Drink around two litres of water daily to increase elimination of toxic body chemicals. For drinking purposes use purified water or boil your water and filter it.

4. Minimize prolonged stress by planning your life and get proper advice and take your time to think things through. Avoid impulsive behaviour and decisions. Remember that your health is far more important than anything else. Many people become so stressed about money or relationship problems that they weaken their immune systems to the point that they develop cancer or autoimmune diseases.

5. Practice good hygiene to reduce your chances of bacterial and viral infections. In this day and age, safe sex is a must, so avoid promiscuity and use condoms if not in a long term stable and honest relationship. Otherwise you may be unlucky and catch a sexually transmitted disease such as AIDS, syphilis, chlamydia, herpes, human papilloma virus or gonorrhoea. These infections may destroy your immune system (in the case of AIDS), increase your risk of some cancers or produce chronic health problems. Wash your hands regularly and avoid eating raw meats or contacting animal faeces through which you may acquire serious infections.

6. Improve your diet by increasing the amount of raw fruits and vegetables to 40 percent of your diet. Make yourself raw fruit and vegetable juices every day with a juice extracting machine and drink two to three glasses daily. Good combinations are carrot, beetroot, celery, capsicum, apple and spinach. Raw foods and juices will have a powerful boosting effect upon your immune system because they contain living enzymes, bioflavonoids, chlorophyll, carotenoids and natural antibiotics. No vitamin pill can give you such a powerful immune boosting cocktail as raw foods and juices. Avoid consuming foods that are not fresh such as preserved packaged foods or delicatessen meats (eg salami, smoked meats, pizza meats, frankfurts, cabanossi, fritz etc) as these may contain dangerous bacteria that can cause food poisoning. Try to get organically grown fruits and vegetables and free range eggs and meat to minimize exposure to insecticides and antibiotics.

7. Avoid toxic chemicals in the home such as cleaning agents containing solvents and glycol ethers, and pesticide sprays.

8. Avoid things to which you are allergic. Many people with asthma, respiratory infections, excessive mucous congestion, cystitis or irritable bowel syndrome have severe allergies. The most common ones are dairy products, wheat and artificial sweeteners, flavourings and colourings. If you continue to expose yourself to things that you are allergic to, you will make your immune system work overtime; it will eventually become unable to control excessive inflammation.

9. Include supplements to boost the immune system.

Those with autoimmune diseases should avoid the herb Echinacea, as it may stimulate the immune system too much, which is not good, as you will remember that in autoimmune diseases the immune system is already over active.

Recommended supplements:

A liver tonic in powder or capsule form

  • Take 1 teaspoon twice daily in water or raw juice or 2 capsules twice daily.  A liver tonic containing St Mary's Thistle and Taurine is advised to assist with auto immune liver diseases such as auto immune hepatitis, sclerosing cholangitis, primary biliary cirrhosis or connective tissue diseases.

MSM Plus Vitamin C powder

  • Take 1/2 teaspoon twice daily in juice or water – MSM (an organic sulfur) is helpful in arthritis and auto-immune diseases and is recommended for connective tissue conditions, as sulphur forms the basis of collagen.

Vitamin D, Selenium & Iodine capsules

  • Research has shown that deficiency of vitamin D and selenium can promote the development of autoimmune disease in susceptible people.  Many Australians are iodine deficient and this can impair thyroid gland function.

Fish oil capsules

  • Take 2 capsules twice daily with food -  Fish oil is high in omega 3 fat and is very useful for a wide variety of conditions including arthritis and autoimmune disease complaints. It is helpful in reducing inflammation.

Magnesium powder or tablets

  • Take 2 tablets twice daily or 1 teaspoon powder daily in water or juice - Magnesium is an important mineral which assists with muscle pain and is known as the 'great relaxer'.

A bone and joint formula

  • Take 2 capsules twice daily – to help strengthen and support muscles, tissues, tendons and cartilage as well as helping to reduce pain and inflammation.

© Copyright 2010