YOUR INTERNAL ARMY – PROTECTING YOU FROM INFECTION AND CANCER

Membranes


- Recurrent or prolong use of antibiotics for any purpose also kill healthy bacteria which causes yeast organism, such as Candida albicans, to overgrow. Fungal overgrowth is very common in our society. The yeast organisms infiltrate the villi and disturb their function, thereby increasing permeability to unwanted factors.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Motrin disturb the bowel wall.
- The consistent consumption of alcohol and sugar further enhances yeast overgrowth.
- The ingestion of allergenic foods, like dairy, wheat and corn can irritate the bowel wall.
- Reduced stomach acidity can impair the digestion of proteins causing large molecules to exist further down in the intestines.
- Inadequate production of digestive enzymes by the pancreas also causes large molecules to float down and irritate the bowel wall.
- Bacterial and parasitic infections can irritate the bowel wall and weaken the immune system.
- Weak adrenal glands due to chronic stress can disturb bowel immunity and further disturb the natural ecology of the bowel.
- Cortisone-like drugs such as Prednisone suppress intestinal immune function and increase the likelihood of yeast overgrowth.
- Fatigue and malaise
- Joint pain
- Muscle pain
- Fevers of unknown origin
- Food intolerances
- Abdominal pain
- Abdominal distention, gas and bloating
- Diarrhea
- Skin rashes
- Toxic feelings
- Disturbances in concentration
- Memory defects
- Shortness of breath and poor exercise tolerance
- Vitamin A
- L-glutamine
- N-acetyl-cysteine
- Probiotics
Phagocytes: Professional Killers

- Echinacea
- Progesterone
- Probiotics
- Vitamin E
Neutrophils
Neutrophils are white blood cells that serve as important phagocytes, or garbage collectors. There are about 100 billion of these cells produced every day in the bone marrow and they account for about 70% of the white blood cells in circulation in your body. There are so many them made because they live only about five days before they undergo apoptosis or programmed cell death. They are professional killers that leave the blood vessels and enter the tissues of the body. As they leave the blood stream, they become activated for attack on any invader in your body. Neutrophils do not recognize antigens on their victims like macrophages do, but they are voracious killers. If they find a bacterium, they engulf or ingest it into their bodies. Inside the neutrophil there is a whole battery of powerful chemicals that digest the invader into biochemical soup. The pus you see at an infected wound or splinter is mainly dead neutrophils that have sacrificed themselves to protect you from infection. Once the battle is over, chemical signals tell the neutrophils to revert back to their resting state where they continue to collect garbage. Neutrophils are swept along in the blood stream at high-speed – about 1000 microns per second. In order for them to exit the blood vessel they have specialized adhesion molecules on their surface (called selectin ligands) that grab adhesion molecules on the surface of the endothelial cells that line the blood vessels. Quite a nifty system for escaping from the rapid flow of blood. Neutrophils are activated by a variety of cytokines, or chemical messengers, in the tissues. These cytokines draw the neutrophils to an area where infection may be occurring, such as a splinter in your toe. The neutrophils in turn release other cytokines, which create the inflammation that you experience as redness and tenderness around the infection. Inflammation serves to obstruct bacteria from invading your tissues any further. Once the neutrophils and other immune cells have finished off the invaders, the inflammation subsides and the immune cells quietly return to their normal patrols.Macrophages
Like neutrophils, macrophages are powerful phagocytes. Macrophage means “big eaters”. In their resting state they too are garbage collectors that rid the body of cellular debris. Unlike neutrophils, however, they are more specialized in their defensive capabilities and they live for months in the body. Macrophages are made in the bone marrow from stem cells, like all other blood cells. When newborn macrophages leave the bone marrow and enter the blood stream, they are called monocytes. You have about two billion of these “young macrophages” in your blood at any one time. The monocytes circulate in the blood for about three days. When they find an escape route through the cells that line the capillaries, they leave the blood and enter the tissues where they mature into macrophages. During their patrols of the body, they can become activated by cytokines that an infection may be occurring. In response to the message, they rush to the site of invasion and it is there that they do something that neutrophils cannot do. As they engulf bacteria or viruses, they display fragments of the invader’s protein on their cell surfaces, like little molecular flags. These protein fragments are called antigens. When other immune cells, like cytotoxic T-cells, recognize the foreign antigens, they become activated in turn and help to mount a more vigorous immune response. Therefore, in their primed state, macrophages are excellent antigen presenters for the rest of the immune system. In other words, they are sentinels that patrol the tissues of the body looking for invaders and prepared to not only attack directly, but also to signal other immune cells to move in and assist in the battle. Macrophages also secrete numerous cytokines to orchestrate the immune system. One of these cytokines is tumor necrosis factor (TNF). TNF is a molecule that can kill cancer cells and virus-infected cells directly. The activated macrophage increases its production of TNF by producing more lysosomes within its body. A lysosome is a tiny structure within the macrophage that produces powerful chemicals and enzymes that are designed to kill invaders. In addition, macrophages can produce hydrogen peroxide, which helps to kill invaders. Macrophages can kill much larger parasites by engulfing a part of the parasite and then dumping its lysosome full of toxic chemicals into the invader. So macrophages are versatile cells that can serve as garbage collectors, antigen presenters and vicious killers. Supplements and nutrients that enhance macrophage activity:- Aloe Maitake
- Astragalus Modified citrus pectin
- Beta-1,3-glucan Muramyl polysaccaride-glycan complex
- Berberine Olive leaf extract
- Cordyceps Probiotics
- Coriolus versicolor L-glutamine
- Echinacea Zinc
- Enzymes Coenzyme Q10
Natural Killer Cells

- AHCC Modified citrus pectin
- Ambrotose Siberian ginseng
- Aloe Thymus extracts
- Andrographis panniculata Thymic protein A
- Astragalus Vitamin C
- Flavinoids Vitamin K3
- Coriolus versicolor Essential fatty acids
- Enzymes Organic germanium (GE-3)
- Garlic N-acetyl-cysteine
- IP-6 DHEA
- MGN-3
The Complement System
The complement system is the name given to a complex series of about 20 proteins which can work together to destroy invaders and signal other immune cells that an attack is occurring. It is an important part of the innate immune system, along with phagocytes and natural killer cells. The proteins that make up the complement system are produced in the liver. They are then released into the blood where they circulate and move into the tissues of the body. The most abundant complement protein is called C3. Under normal circumstances, C3 molecules circulate in the blood and tissues and are frequently cut into two smaller proteins, C3a and C3b. C3b is a highly reactive and short lived molecule that from a molecular perspective is like a tiny “bomb” that does one of two things. If it is very close to a bacterium, it will bind to the outer wall of the invader. If there is no cell wall to attach to, it will neutralize itself and disappear by binding with a water molecule. If it binds to the outer surface of a bacterium, it will stabilize there waiting for the next step in complement activity. Another complement protein, B will bind with C3b and complement protein D will then clip off part of B to yield C3bBb. Now the process gets interesting. Now imagine a single bacterial cell with C3bBb glued to its cell surface. C3bBb is now an enzyme called C3bBb convertase, which will clip other C3 molecules into more C3b, which will also attach to the outer wall of the bacterial cell. Now the bacterium is covered with C3bBb “decorations,” each of which will now clip another complement protein, C5, producing C5b. C5b will now in turn combine with other complement proteins (C6, C7, C8 and C9) to form a “membrane attack complex” or MAC for short. Now, the targeted bacterial cell has a “stalk” of complement proteins attached to its outer wall and C9 proteins are finally added that “saws” a tiny hole in the surface of the bacterium. Now the bacterium dies as its cellular contents pour into the environment, rather like being shot with a gun. The whole process is an incredible molecular blast that happens very quickly leaving the invader to spill its guts and die. Macrophages and other phagocytic cells will then move in and clean up the mess. This complement killing process is similar to the way that cytotoxic T cells kill cells that are infected with virus. These cells use a protein called perforin to bore a hole in the targeted cell wall. Well, C9 is very much like perforin. Since these tiny MACs bombs are going off all over the place, you may wonder why they don’t attach to the cells of your own body. The wisdom of the body has safeguards to prevent this from happening. Firstly, there is a protein on the surface on the cells of your body called decay accelerating factor, or DAF, which causes a breakdown of C3bBb, thereby preventing this process from damaging your own cells. Secondly, there is another protein on healthy cells called CD59, which can kick nearly complete MACs off the cell surface before they drill a hole. In summary, the proteins of the complement system are present in high concentrations in the blood and tissues of your body and they are ready to attack any invader that is around with this high-speed process. There are other ways that complement can be activated to do its invader destroying work, but you get the picture of how powerful and effective this protective mechanism really is. The complement system has other functions in addition to producing membrane attack complexes. Once C3b attaches to an invader, it can be clipped by another protein into iC3b, which inactivates the C3b from producing more MACs. However iC3b attracts phagocytic cells, like macrophages, because the phagocytes have complement receptors on their cell surface that bind with iC3b and enhances their cell gobbling activity. Also, other fragments of the complement cascade serve as chemical attractants to recruit other cells of the immune system to join in the battle. So you can see that the complement system is a powerful protective process that not only kills invading cells directly, but also attracts and activates phagocytes to join in the fight. Supplements that enhance complement function:- Beta-1,3-glucan
- Vitamin C
Your Third Line of Defense: the Adaptive Immune System
Many animals do just fine with physical barriers to infection and an ever-ready innate immune system. However, for the higher organisms, like you and I and most animals with backbones, the creative intelligence of the universe (a.k.a. Mother Nature) created a third line of defense – the adaptive immune system. The adaptive immune system is based on specialized white blood cells called lymphocytes, which respond to microbial invasion in a powerful and unique manner. Lymphocytes called helper T cells recognize particles of invaders, or antigens, and then mobilize other lymphocytes, called B cells to make antibodies against the invader. Often macrophages that have already plunged into the battle will present an antigen to the T cells thereby activating them to join the fight. It may take a week or two for the B cells to make specific antibodies for the battle at hand. That is why the innate immune system is so important in starting immune defenses immediately. Again, the innate immune system is the infantry waiting for attack, while the adaptive immune system is like the air force, which provides missiles, called antibodies, to assist in the defense. Most scientists believe that the adaptive immune system evolved in order to protect us from viruses, which are difficult for the innate immune system to handle alone. The adaptive immune system not only creates specific antibodies for an invader, it also has special cells, called memory B cells, that remember how to make that antibody at any time in the future if exposed to the same attack. This is the mechanism for immunization. Once the body has seen a fragment of an invader, it will ready itself to make antibodies against the invader and then remember how to do so in the future.T-cells
T cells are lymphocytes that are “born” in the bone marrow from stem cells. There are about a trillion of these important cells circulating in your blood at any one time. Eventually they travel to the thymus gland located in your chest, just beneath the breastbone. In the thymus gland they undergo a mysterious maturation process that enables them to recognize antigens in your body. An antigen is a protein fragment from a source outside of your body, usually a virus. All T cells have T cell receptors (TCR) on their cell surfaces. TCRs are like little antennae, which can recognize a foreign antigen. Once a T cell picks up a specific type of antigen it will then undergo a clonal proliferation producing millions of T cells that are specifically designed to battle that particular antigen. It is believed that the creative intelligence of the human body created T cells in order to combat viruses. While antibodies are capable of detecting invaders that are outside of your cells, viruses enter a cell where they cannot be found by antibodies. Once a virus is inside one of your cells it can take over the DNA reproduction process and thereby make millions of new viruses, which burst forth, starting the infectious process all over again. T cells recognize that a cell is infected with a virus by detecting a viral antigen on the surface of the infected cell and they begin reproducing in order to fight the virus. There are three types of T cells: helper T cells, suppressor T cells and cytotoxic T cells. Supplements that enhance T cell function:- AHCC Vitamin B6
- Astragalus Vitamin C
- Beta-1,3-glucan Vitamin E
- Flavinoids Organic germanium (GE-3)
- Cordyceps Conjugated linoleic acid
- Echinacea L-arginine
- Enzymes L-glutamine
- MGN-3 N-acetyl-cysteine
- Muramyl polysaccaride-glycan complex Selenium
- Siberian ginseng Glutathione
- Thymus extracts DHEA
- Vitamin A
- Sterols and sterolins
- Thymus extracts
- Thymic protein A
- Melatonin
- Aloe
- Maitake
- Vitamin K3
- Zinc

B Cells, Plasma Cells and Memory Cells.
While macrophages, neutrophils, and natural killer cells are the infantry of the immune system, forever patrolling the inner recesses of your body looking for invaders, B cells provide the air force with its arsenal of missiles, called antibodies that are specifically designed to target invaders who have escaped the infantry. Like all other blood cells, B cells are born in the bone marrow from stem cells. Immunologists estimate that approximately 1 billion B cells are made each day of your life. A primary distinguishing feature of B cells is that while they are developing in the bone marrow, they create from the genetic code, a B cell receptor that is displayed on their outer surface. The B cell receptor is anchored to the outer wall of the B cell by a protein sequence, which serves as a footing for the molecule. Antibodies, which are produced by the B cell later in its life, are identical to the B cell receptor, except for the anchoring protein sequence. Therefore, antibodies made by the B cell simply leave the molecule and travel in the body as part of the immune response. Each B cell produces only one specific antibody against one specific antigen, or foreign protein from an invading microorganism or some other allergic substance. Also each B cell has a B cell receptor that is unique to the kind of antibody produced by that particular cell. How B cells make so many antibodies against all of the possible viruses, bacteria, parasites and other foreign proteins such as inhalant allergens is one of the many remarkable aspects of mindbody wisdom in general and the immune system specifically. This is how the tiny B cell receptor on the surface of the B cell works. If an antigenic protein, say from a bacterium, fits into the B cell receptor, and if a cluster of B cell receptors are filled with antigen, then a signal is sent to the nucleus of the B cell to begin making antibodies for that antigen. Antibodies then pour from the cell to attach to the invader, tagging it for attack by other immune cells. B cells that have just emerged from the bone marrow and have never produced antibodies are called “naïve” by immunologists. For naïve B cells to be activated there is another step required. In addition to the specific antigen being recognized by the B cell receptors on the young cells surface, a helper T cell must make contact with the surface of the B cell, providing a co-stimulatory message that is sent to the nucleus of the B cell. Once both signals are present, certain sequences of DNA in the nucleus begin to produce just the right antibody for the problem at hand. Once a B cell has been activated by T cell stimulation, then it develops a mysterious cellular memory for the antigen. In the future, if it comes across that antigen again, it will activate and produce antibodies without the need for T cell stimulation. This is the memory mechanism that provides for the effectiveness of immunization. Also, when B cells have been activated they create new proteins on their cell surface which are receptor sites for interleukin-2, a cytokine that acts as a growth stimulator that causes B cells to proliferate and pour out antibodies when they are needed. Again, the release of interleukin-2 comes from helper T cells, the quarterbacks of the immune system who call the immune defense into action. Once a B cell has been activated by T cells and specific antigen recognition, it then has a career choice. It can become a plasma cell or a memory cell. If it becomes a plasma cell, it can produce two thousand antibodies per second! Think about that for a moment, two thousand per second. You didn’t know how powerful you are at the cellular level did you? Such prodigious activity cannot last long however, as the plasma B cell will live for only a few days. The other career choice for B cells is to become a memory cell and this is very important to long term immune function. The memory B cell remembers the first exposure to an invading antigen, occurring either naturally as with infection or a designed exposure as with immunization. Memory B cells develop high affinity B cell receptors on their surfaces so that even tiny amounts of specific antigen can be detected, leading immediately to antibody production. Supplements that enhance B cell function:- Colostrum
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin C
- Organic germanium (GE-3)
- L-arginine
Mast Cells
Mast cells are white blood cells that protect us against parasitic infection. They contain large numbers of tiny sacs of granules, each filled with powerful chemicals. The best known of these chemicals is histamine, which is involved in allergic reactions. When a mast cell encounters a parasite, it dumps its chemicals onto the invader in order to kill it. The release of chemicals is called degranulation. Mast cell degranulation also occurs as part of an allergic reaction, such as the stuffy, runny nose and eyes associated with inhaled pollens. Usually mast cells release their chemicals in a small area of the body, producing allergic symptoms such as allergic rhinitis or asthma. But these chemicals are powerful and if a large number of mast cells empty their granules at one time, the allergic reaction can be severe enough to be life threatening. This is called anaphylaxis and occurs, for example, when a bee stings highly sensitive people. Mast cells have sensitive receptor sites for IgE antibody on their outer walls. When enough of these sites are filled with IgE, the mast cell is like a tiny hand grenade, waiting to explode. At some critical point, the mast cell receptor sites signal the cell to dump its potent chemicals into the local surrounding environment.Antibodies

- Progesterone
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin C
- Conjugated linoleic acid
- Selenium
- Coenzyme Q10
Cytokines: Chemical Messengers of the Immune System

Interleukins
Interleukin-1 (IL-1): released by activated macrophages to stimulate resting T cells and B cells. IL-1 stimulates other cytokines to up regulate the immune system and stimulates the hypothalamus in the brain to produce a fever in response to infection. Interleukin-2 (IL-2): released by helper T cells to produce proliferation of T cells and activation of cytotoxic T cells and natural killer cells. Interleukin-3 (IL-3): released by activated T cells to support the growth of stem cells in the bone marrow as well as the growth of mast cells. Interleukin-4 (IL-4): released by activated T cells to stimulate the production of activated B cells. (IL-4 was originally called B cell growth factor) IL-4 also stimulates the proliferation of resting T cells and mast cells, as well as stimulating cytotoxic T cells. Interleukin-5 (IL-5): released by helper T cells and mast cells to stimulate natural killer cells, eosinophils, T cell activity and increase the production of IgA antibody. Interleukin-6 (IL-6): released by helper T cells, macrophages, mast cells and other cells to induce the differentiation of activated B cells into antibody-secreting plasma cells. (IL-6 was originally called B cell differentiation factor) Also causes the liver to produce acute inflammatory proteins. Interleukin-7 (IL-7): released by bone marrow cells to activate and direct T cells. Interleukin-8 (IL-8): released by monocytes to direct and activate neutrophils. Interleukin-9 (IL-9): released by T cells to produce growth and proliferation of other T cells. Interleukin-10 (IL-10): released by helper T cells and macrophages to inhibit gamma interferon and aspects of cellular inflammation. Interleukin-11 (IL-11): released by bone marrow cells to influence inflammatory reactions. Interleukin-12 (IL-12): released by monocytes and macrophages to induce an immune enhancing subset of helper T cells. Interleukin-13 (IL-13): released by T cells to inhibit inflammation and induce proliferation of B cells. Interleukin-15 (IL-15): released by macrophages and other immune cells to activate natural killer cells and induce proliferation of T cells. Interleukin-16 (IL-16): released by helper and suppressor T cells to influence cellular movement. Interleukin-18 (IL-18): released by macrophages to influence natural killer cells and T cells as well as to increase gamma interferon.Colony Stimulating Factors
Colony stimulating factors are cytokines that are necessary for the production of blood cells in the bone marrow. They provide a means for regulating and fine tuning bone marrow production in response to immune stimulation. Interleukin-7 mentioned above is produced in the bone marrow in order to stimulate survival and growth of immature precursors to the B and T lymphocytes. Stem cell factor is produced in the bone marrow in order to make bone marrow stem cells responsive to other colony stimulating factors. Interleukin-3 is produced by helper T cells to act on all immature bone marrow cells that will differentiate into all known mature cell types. Granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF): released by activated T cells, macrophages, and bone marrow cells in increase production of inflammatory white blood cells. It also activates macrophages. Monocyte colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) and Granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF): produced by activated T cells, macrophages and bone marrow cells to increase production of inflammatory leukocytes.Tumor Necrosis Factor (tnf)
Tumor necrosis factor is a cytokine released by activated macrophages that kills some cancer cells, stimulates the production of other cytokines and is capable of causing systemic reactions, such as fever, when in high enough concentrations. TNF also has anti-viral and anti-parasitic activity.Interferons
The interferons were discovered in 1957, becoming the first cytokines to be identified. There are three types of interferon, alpha, beta and gamma. They are released by macrophages and T cells early on in response to infection, and are the body’s first line of defense against viruses. They stimulate natural killer cells to kill cells in the body that are infected with viruses and they make uninfected cells more resistant to viral infection. Supplements that enhance and support cytokine production:- AHCC Transfer factors
- Ambrotose Probiotics
- Beta-1,3-glucan Vitamin B6
- Flavinoids Vitamin C
- Lactoferrin Vitamin E
- Colostrum Essential fatty acids
- Echinacea Organic germanium (GE-3)
- Enzymes Magnesium
- Maitake Conjugated linoleic acid
- Sterols and sterolins Selenium
- Thymus extracts Zinc
- Thymic protein A
The Thymus Gland: Controller of Immunity

- Thymus extracts
- Thymic protein A
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin E
- Beta carotene
- L-arginine
- Zinc
- Selenium

Apoptosis: Programmed Cell Death
Apoptosis is the process by which cells in the body commit suicide in response to problems within the cell or to signals from outside the cell. It is also called “programmed cell death”. Apoptosis is an ingenious and essential aspect of your body wisdom. Apoptosis is wired into every cell of your body in order to prevent any cell from growing without regulation or regard for the over-all function of the body in general. It is especially important in preventing cancer cells from proliferating in your body. (See How cancer cells develop at the cellular level). Normally cells divide for a certain number of times and then apoptosis kicks in and the cell dies. There are at least twelve tumor suppressor genes that create proteins that induce apoptosis when needed. P53 is a major tumor suppressor gene that must mutate in order for cancer to develop. Apoptosis creates cell death by DNA cleavage, fragmentation of the cell nucleus and cell membrane disturbances that cause the cell to die, leading to phagocytosis by immune cells. Apoptosis is one the remarkable regulatory systems in the body and is another example of the enormous wisdom built into our wondrous bodies.Stem Cells
There are many types of stem cells. The best example occurs when a sperm fertilizes an ovum in the female uterus. The fertilized egg is a single cell that has the potential to form an entire human being. This form of stem cell is called totipotent, which means that it has unlimited ability to form new cells. Stem cells are also found in children and adults and here they are called multipotent. The best example of a multipotent stem cell is the blood stem cell. Blood stem cells reside in your bone marrow and can even be found circulating in the blood stream. Blood stem cells perform the critical role of continually replenishing our supply of blood cells – red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. And the do so throughout your life. You cannot survive without blood stem cells. They are also crucial in the regenerative process in your body. As mentioned, stem cells are an essential part of your body and its ability to regenerate itself. Different classes of stem cells are found in umbilical blood and in the fetus. Using fetal stem cells in medical research and therapy is controversial and raises lots of ethical questions. Our government is considering this issue at the present time. The applications of stem cell research are enormous. They can be used to regenerate tissues, as is the case of their use in Parkinson’s Disease where almost 100% recovery has been documented. They may be used to create human organs in the future and they offer an incredible anti-aging tool. Stem cells are perhaps the most dramatic example of the creative intelligence that permeates your body. Imagine a single cell that has the knowledge and ability to produce a complete human being!Your Mind: Thoughts, Emotions, Beliefs and Attitudes
I include the mind as a component of the immune system because aspects of consciousness play such a pivotal role in how immunity functions. In fact, most researchers in the mind-body field have concluded that they are one system, not two. Candace Pert has done extensive research on neurotransmitter function. She writes in her book, Molecules of Emotion, “Mind doesn’t dominate body, it becomes body – body and mind are one”. To review the unifying aspects of the bodymind, please refer to Your mind and immune system are intimately connected to each other. The following states of mind or experiences have been shown in scientific research to weaken the immune system:- Chronic stress
- Bereavement
- Divorce or separation
- Loneliness and social isolation
- Marital conflict
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Pessimism
- Lack of control
- Low self-esteem
- Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness
- Relaxation
- Meditation
- Humor and laughter
- Social support and relationships
- Optimism
- Expressing emotions
- Increase your self-esteem
- Gain control in your life
- Commit to a challenging goal
- Belief, faith, and spirituality