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- Herausgeber: Hammersmith Health Books
- Kategorie: Ratgeber
- Sprache: Englisch
Dr Myhill, ably supported by Craig Robinson, writes: 'It is generally believed that infection is a killer of the past. Wrong – research now shows that our big killers, from cancers and coronaries to dementia and diabetes are largely infection-driven. Indeed, it is difficult to find a pathology that does not have an infectious associate. Cheap and effective defences are within the grasp of all of us. We have all the weapons we need to win the arms race. Our new book provides the intellectual imperatives and practical know-how to conquer the established, prevent the potential and postpone the inevitable. Just do it!' The Infection Game shows us how we can maximise our defences and martial our weapons so that we are ready to defeat the infectious organisms we encounter every day and in epidemic situations.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018
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Reviews of The Infection Game – Life is an Arms Race
Throughout our years of training as doctors we were told that one day medical science would find infections as the root cause of many common chronic degenerative and inflammatory diseases afflicting mankind. Today, current scientific evidence has corroborated this hypothesis in many conditions as research has shown associations between infections and conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, chronic fatigue syndrome and cardiovascular disease to name a few. We now experience such epidemics ubiquitously. Furthermore, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, who has special expertise in, and responsibility for, pandemics, tells us that the next most likely plague to affect humanity is the H7N9 strain of the flu virus which is circulating in poultry in China with a potential 38% mortality rate.
Dr Myhill’s new book is an eloquent and informative text which explores the relationship between infections and various medical conditions. She offers a wealth of accessible information whether you are interested in strengthening your immune system to combat epidemics or benefiting from the simple, safe, scientific techniques she describes for preventing chronic disease. Dr Myhill’s book may well make the difference between succumbing to infections or having sufficient resistance and resilience to withstand their onslaught.
Dr Shideh Pouria, MB BS BSc MRCP(UK) PhD, Consultant Physician
I run a laboratory specialising in the diagnosis of chronic infection. We know for a fact that chronic infection is a major root cause of chronic fatigue, inflammation, degenerative disease, neurological disease and cancer. In this book, Dr Myhill astutely identifies the big issues and, more importantly, what we can all do to prevent and treat infection. In her usual straightforward, pragmatic style she details regimes that are highly effective but within the power of us all to put in place. If you are to stand a chance of surviving the next epidemic and living to your full potential you must read this book, absorb it and… just do it!
Dr Armin Schwarzbach, Armin Labs, Germany
In her inimitable fashion, Dr Myhill once again makes a plain and straightforward case for improving our health and longevity with the natural tools we all have access to: a good paleo-keto diet, adequate nutrition and natural antimicrobial remedies. Engaging and accessible to all, this book needs to be at the top of everyone’s first aid kit.
Dr Sarah Davies, MB ChB MRCGP AFMCP2015, General Practitioner, Stockport, UK
The Infection Game
Life is an arms race
Dr Sarah Myhill MB BS & Craig Robinson MA (Oxon)
Dedication
SM: ‘To my lovely patients, who have been willing guinea pigs and most forgiving when my suggestions have not worked. However, in doing so, they have pushed forward the frontiers of practical medicine.’
CR: ‘For Kathryn – I met Kathryn on Facebook in 2010 and we have grown to be the best of friends, running Dr Myhill’s groups online since 2012. Not only has Kathryn survived extreme adversity, but she now embraces life and faces all the many challenges of a chronic illness head-on, always with a smile on her face. She has fallen in love with Mark, a man who sees her inner strength – their story is a living example of amor vincit omnia.’
Contents
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the following sources for permission to quote their words in this book:
For quotations from Blackadder Goes Forth and Blackadder Back & Forth in Chapters 4 and 18, United Agents (www.unitedagents.co.uk)For the quotation from PERELANDRA by CS Lewis © copyright CS Lewis Pte Ltd 1944, in chapter 7, Rachel ChurchillFor the quotation from Dr Marik in Chapter 9, Dr Marik himself (marikpe@evms. edu)For the many quotations from Vaccination Policy and the UK Government: The Untold Truth in Chapter 14, the authors Christina England and Lucija Tomljenovic PhDFor the quotation in Chapter 28 from Dr Burakgazi AZ, Neuroscience Section, Department of Medicine, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, USA from the International Journal of Neuroscience 2014; 124 (11). www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/00207454.2013.879582, which is reprinted by permission of Taylor & Francis Ltd, www.tandfonline.comAbout the Authors
Dr Sarah Myhill MB BS, qualified in medicine (with Honours) from Middlesex Hospital Medical School in 1981 and has since focused tirelessly on identifying and treating the underlying causes of health problems, especially the ‘diseases of civilisation’ with which we are beset in the West. She has worked in the NHS and private practice and for 17 years was the Hon. Secretary of the British Society for Ecological Medicine, which focuses on the causes of disease and treating through diet, supplements and avoiding toxic stress. She helps to run, and lectures at, the Society’s training courses and also lectures regularly on organophosphate poisoning, the problems of silicone, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Visit her website at www.drmyhill.co.uk
Craig Robinson MA, took a first in Mathematics at Oxford University in 1985. He then joined Price Waterhouse and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1988, after which he worked as a lecturer in the private sector, and also in the City of London, primarily in Financial Sector Regulation roles. Craig first met Sarah in 2001, as a patient for the treatment of his CFS, and since then they have developed a professional working relationship, where he helps with the maintenance of www.drmyhill.co.uk, the moderating of Dr Myhill’s Facebook groups and other ad hoc projects, as well as with the editing and writing of her books.
Introduction
The hypothesis – disease, degeneration and death are all driven by infection.
A mathematical proof, like a chess problem, to be aesthetically satisfying must possess three qualities: inevitability, unexpectedness and economy.
A Mathematician’s Apology 1940 Godfrey Harold Hardy (1887 – 1947)
Inevitability: We will all die. My job as a doctor is both to postpone that moment for as long as possible and also to maximise quality of life – quantity and quality.
Unexpectedness: We have been led to believe that infection is a killer of the past. Wrong. We now know our big killers, from cancers and coronaries to dementia and diabetes, are largely driven by infection. Slow-burn herpes viruses, once acquired, live in our bodies for life to create immunological havoc. Microbes in the fermenting gut drive gut tumours. They also drive psychiatric disease and arthritis. Neurological disease is the commonest cause of death in Westerners and all varieties have an infectious driver. Indeed, it is difficult to find a pathology (illness) that does not have an infectious associate.
Economy: The solutions are intellectually simple but practically difficult. Cheap and effective defences are within the grasp of us all. We have all the weapons we need. What follows in this book provides the intellectual imperative and practical know-how to conquer the established, prevent the potential and postpone the inevitable. xiThis book, then, possesses the three qualities of a mathematical proof to our hypothesis. However, life is not a single chess problem but rather a succession of different problems, a game of chess – in the black corner we have our clever, manipulative and determined opponents which range from the rhinovirus pawns of the common cold and the nasty knights of neisseria, to the Borrelia bishops and the rotten rooks of retrovirus. In the white corner we have our standing army to defend the middle ground of disease. We have our paleo-pawns that form the front line, our vitamin C castles and our herbal knights in shining armour; our iodine purple-robed bishops and our antibiotic queens. It really is a case of War and Peace.
Read on. Use your brain. Just do it.
Stylistic note: Use of the first person singular in this book refers to me, Dr Myhill. One can assume that the medicine and biochemistry are mine, as edited by Craig Robinson, and that the classical and mathematical references are Craig’s. xii
Part I
Life is an arms race that we are already losing
2
Chapter 1
Life is an arms race
There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.*
Or maybe there is…
You and I are a free lunch for bacteria, yeasts, viruses, fleas, flies, ticks, worms and… what else? These invaders have been struggling for survival for all the many billions of years during which we have been evolving. Their struggle has always had the ultimate aim of making themselves at home in our very comfortable bodies. They have developed extraordinary and complex strategies to succeed. In response, we have evolved defences, including a fantastic immune system which is just as intelligent and adaptive as these invaders. Indeed, the immune system shares many attributes with the brain – it is intelligent, decision making and just as mysterious.
We currently think we have won this arms race, but we are wrong. We have been lulled into a false sense of security by drugs and vaccinations. We are in the ‘phoney war’ – the enemy is evolving fast and is just over the horizon. Resistance to antimicrobials is already a major cause of death and the efficacy of vaccination has been over-egged. We need a fresh approach to the arms race.
4
The threat of antibiotic resistance [to mankind] is much more serious than global warming.
Dame Sally Claire Davies, dbe fmedsci frs, Chief Medical Officer for England (1949 –)
We need a new antibiotic to be developed every 15 years for eternity to control new infections.
Professor Jeremy Nicholson, Medical Director of the MRC NHR National Phenome Centre
Historical note – The ‘Phoney War’ (German: ‘Sitzkrieg’) was an eight-month period at the start of World War II during which there were no major military land operations on the Western Front. It began in September 1939 and ended with the German Blitzkrieg attack on France and the Low Countries in May 1940. We must not forget that the Sitzkrieg ended with the Blitzkrieg. We should prepare for our own personal Blitzkriegs.
Of course, as a doctor, patients do not visit me when they are well. They come with diseases. My special interest has been treating people with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Pure CFS results from poor energy delivery mechanisms. Myalgic encephalitis (ME) results when the fatigue is accompanied by inflammation. I now know that this inflammation is often driven by microbes, such as herpes viruses (especially Epstein Barr virus), Borrelia (Lyme), Bartonella, Babesia, Mycoplasma, Rickettsia, Yersinia and many others. What is so fascinating is that these microbes have co-existed with and evolved alongside our ancestors for millions of years. The fact that they are starting to cause infections now is symptomatic of our declining ability to resist them. This is a direct result of modern Western diets and lifestyles. We are already losing the arms race. The Sitzkrieg is nearly over and the Blitzkrieg will soon be upon us.
So, when people come to me with their ME (remember ME implies inflammation, which in turn often implies infection), it is not sufficient for me simply to tackle the particular microbe that is suspect or has been identified. I must take a holistic view. Indeed, if people with ME (PwME) have one microbe on board, then it is highly likely 5that they will have others on board too, for the very same reasons that they have the one that is suspected or has been identified. This means my job must have at least a two-pronged approach.
First, I must teach people a general approach to avoiding and treating infection and start to get them ahead of the game with their own personal arms race. Here I am being a ‘doctor’ in the proper sense of the word – doctor is an ‘agentive’ noun of the Latin verb docēre meaning ‘to teach’.Secondly, I need to put in place effective strategies that will tackle the particular microbe or microbes that have successfully made themselves at home in the PwME’s comfortable body and are making life a misery in the process. The misery results from fatigue (because the immune system is using up all available energy) and inflammation (which results in every chronic symptom the body can experience).Even if you do not suffer from CFS/ME, the above interventions are important for two further reasons:
Most chronic diseases, as detailed in Chapter 2, are driven by infection.As a species, we are heading for disaster. Declining immunity puts us at risk of death with the next epidemic. Indeed, throughout evolution more people have died as a result of infection than any other cause. Most recently, the Spanish ’flu (H1N1) epidemic at the end of World War 1 killed an estimated 50-100 million people.Historical note: For those who are interested please see Influenza: The Once and Future Pandemic by Jeffery K Taubenberger, MD PhD, and David M Morens, MD1 which looks at the 1918 pandemic in detail, with reference to possible future pandemics.
The interventions I ask people to make are difficult. Understanding the how and the why is empowering and gives us the necessary determination to make these changes. 6
Knowledge is Power.
Sir Francis Bacon, Meditationes Sacrae (1597) (22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626)
The exact quotation is ‘for knowledge itself is a power whereby he knoweth’ which is even more apposite here – not only do we need to have the knowledge but we also need the wisdom to apply that knowledge.
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Notes
1. Taubenberger JK, Morens DM. Influenza: The Once and Future Pandemi. Public Health Reports 2010; 125(Suppl 3): 16–26. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2862331/
*Footnote: This phrase is thought to have derived from the 19th-century practice in American bars of offering a free lunch to entice in drinking customers. Robert Heinlein’s 1966 novel, The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, brought the phrase into common usage.
Chapter 2
Infections that drive modern Western diseases
We all love it, especially me, when single infections cause singular diseases with specific symptoms that resolve with an antibiotic. These conditions make me look like a magician and feel like a god! The patients are awfully grateful too. But life is no longer that easy – microbes are sneaking in at the back door aided by modern junk food and unhealthy lifestyles.
‘Cherchez la femme,’ said Alexandre Dumas in the 1854 novel The Mohicans of Paris, implying that no matter what the problem, a woman was at the root cause. (Alexandre Dumas (24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as ‘Alexandre Dumas, père’, was a French writer most famous nowadays for writing The Three Musketeers.) We now know better. It should have been ‘Cherchez l’homme’ – but I digress and my editor is a man who has nonetheless had the title of honorary woman bestowed upon him! In the case of chronic modern illnesses, we should say: ‘Cherchez les microbes, les sucres, la junk food, les pesticides, les métaux lourds et la vie moderne!’
We now recognise that the potentially lethal conditions listed in Table 2.1 have the infectious associations shown in the right hand column (see next page). 8
Table 2.1: Infectious agents associated with serious conditions
DiseaseAssociated microbes and infectionsMechanismsOther causal associationsDementia: this is now the commonest cause of death in Westerners.2Borrelia (Lyme disease)Toxoplasma
Herpes virus 1 (cold sores)
Herpes virus 2 (genital herpes)
Herpes viruses 6 and 7 CytomegalovirusCryptococcus CystercercosisMycoplasma Syphilis HIV Creutzfeld Jacob
disease (CJD) (the infectious particle is uncertain)
Possibly Helicobacter pylori and
Chlamydia pneumoniae Fungal infection
There is a cumulative effect – the greater the infectious burden and the greater the antibody response to that, then the greater the inflammation and risk of dementia. I suspect ‘prion’ protein is the biofilm (i.e. the shield) that defends microbes from our immune system. Non-REM sleep clears this protein (amyloid) from the brain (see Chapter 6 (page 41).Sugar (sugar feeds microbes) and refined carbohydrates. Dementia is also known as ‘type 3 diabetes’. The ketogenic diet can reverse dementia.3 Dr Dale Bredesen used a ketogenic diet and supplements to reverse cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s patients. Lack of deep, non-REM sleep is not just a risk factor but also a predictor of Alzheimer’s. Heavy metals and pesticides damage the immune system. Arterial disease – this is also driven by sugar and other infections.Arterial diseaseOral infection (gram negative bacteria), especially gum disease
Herpes virusesHelicobacter pyloriChlamydia pneumoniae CytomegalovirusBartonellaYersinia
Arterial disease impairs blood supply, resulting in heart disease, dementia and organ failureSugar is also a risk factor – again sugar feeds microbes. Microbes in the mouth easily get into the bloodstream. Simple chewing can result in bacteraemia (bacteria in the blood).Cancer: 20% of all cancers have a single infectious associate; others are multifactorial.4Helicobacter pylori Epstein Barr virus Human papilloma virus Hepatitis B Hepatitis CInfections drive inflammation, which drives cancerDiabetes (ergo sugar) doubles the risk of cancer of the colon, rectum, breast, womb, kidney, bladder, liver, pancreas, lymphoma and probably others. (See also our book Prevent and Cure Diabetes for a more detailed analysis.) 9Stomach cancerAbnormal gut microbiome, including Helicobacter pylori Anaerobic bacteriaAs aboveVitamin C kills microbes in the upper gut and so prevents the fermentation of nitrates to nitrites and nitrosaminesOesophageal cancer: now the fastest increasing cancer in WesternersHuman papilloma virus My guess is also microbes from the upper fermenting gut
As aboveSugar, smoking and alcohol are also risk factorsColon cancerAbnormal gut flora resulting from Western dietsStreptococcus bovis SchistosomiasisI suspect, abnormal fermentation productsPaleo-ketogenic diets and vitamin C are highly protectiveOral cancerGum disease Smoking and alcohol are also risk factorsGall bladder cancerSalmonella typhi Liver flukes Cervical cancerHuman papilloma virus The contraceptive pill and smoking further increase the riskLung cancerChlamydia pneumoniae HIV Smoking accounts for 75% of cases Air pollution accounts for most others Sugar and refined carbohydrates are risk factorsBladder and kidney tumoursHTLV1 (see page 10) In Africa, bladder cancers are largely caused by the parasite Schistosoma that leads to schistosomiasisChronic inflammation due to bacterial translocation …… that is, microbes which spill over from the fermenting gut and are excreted in urine are a risk factor Smoking Pesticides510LymphomasRetrovirus e.g. HTLV1 (human leukaemia T cell virus type) Epstein Barr virus HIVViruses hijack the cell’s normal mechanisms for replicationToxic chemicals, especially pesticidesLeukaemiaHTLV1Ditto aboveDitto aboveSkin cancerBeta papilloma virus MesotheliomaSV40 (simian vacuolating virus 40 or simian virus 40, a polyomavirus found in both monkeys and humans) from vaccination (many vaccines are now contaminated with SV40) plus asbestos exposure Prostate cancerRetrovirus, e.g. XMRV Breast cancerRetrovirus HERV Contraceptive pill and HRT are risk factorsVascular tumoursBartonella Brain tumoursHuman polyoxoma virus Kaposi’s sarcomaHuman herpes virus 8 (HHV8) Becomes apparent with the immune-suppression of AIDs11The following chronic degenerative conditions also have infectious associations:
Table 2.2: Infectious agents associated with chronic degenerative conditions
DiseaseAssociated microbes ind infectionsPossible mechanismsOther associationsMyalgic encephalitis (ME)All herpes viruses, especially Epstein Barr virusBorrelia (Lyme), Bartonella and Babesia MycoplasmaThe low grade immune activity punches an immunological hole in the energy bucketSee our book, Diagnosis and Treatment of CFS and ME – it’s mitochondria, not hypochondria 2nd Edition for a more detailed analysisOsteoarthritis and connective tissue diseaseMost cases are due to allergy to foods and/or microbes from the fermenting gutThese easily spill over into the bloodstream with the potential to drive inflammatory reactions at other sites (e.g. joints). This is called bacterial translocationArthritis is part of metabolic syndrome. See our book Prevent and Cure Diabetes – delicious diets not dangerous drugs for a more detailed analysisAcne Proprionibacterium acnesDitto aboveDitto above Inflammatory arthritisAnkylosing spondylitis is associated with Klebsiella Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with Proteus mirablis, rubella virus BartonellaYersiniaThis is not acute infection but an inflammatory process driven by infection. Some cases respond well to antibioticsMost cases respond well to the paleoketogenic (PK) diet (see page 234 and our book, The PK Cookbook) and vitamin C to bowel tolerance (see Chapter 9, page 55). (The PK diet is very low in carbs and high in saturated fat and fibre so the body can run on fatty acids rather than glucose.) 12Ulcer disease, oesophagitis, gastritis, duodenitis, cholecystitisHelicobacter pylori Upper gut fermenters (yeasts, aerobes, anaerobes – that is, abnormal gut microbiome) PancreatitisVirus: mumps, coxsackie, hepatitis B, cytomegalovirus, Varicella zoster, Herpes simplex Bacteria:Mycoplasma, Legionella, Leptospira, Salmonella Fungi:Aspergillus Parasites: Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, AscarisThe pancreas is particularly susceptible because it has an open door (the bile duct) to the gut through which microbes from a fermenting gut can easily passAlcoholism Gall stones Also associated with selenium deficiency and poor antioxidant statusHepatitisHepatitis B and CMycoplasma Yersinia Crohn’s diseaseMycobacterium paratuberculosis avium (MAP) – similar to Johne’s disease in cattleAcquired from milk – may be cured with antibiotics. Unfriendly gut microbes drive an inflammatory reactionAlso responds well to the PK diet Some cases are cured by antibioticsUlcerative colitisAbnormal gut floraUnfriendly gut microbes drive an inflammatory reactionResponds well to the PK diet. Can be cured by faecal bacteriotherapy (see page 232)13Autoimmunity in generalAutoimmunity is directly associated with abnormal gut microbiomeMycoplasma is associated with many autoimmune conditionsMicrobes spill over into the bloodstream, so antibodies are made against them; these cross-react with the self. This is called molecular mimicry. I think of this as allergy to microbes Gluten increases gut permeability and the risk of the above.Sugar and refined carbohydrates Antibiotics Vaccination is a major risk factor for many autoimmune conditions, including type 1 diabetes Vitamin D deficiency also increases the risk The PK diet is an essential part of managementAutoimmunity specifics: multiple sclerosis (MS), thyroiditis, cardiomyopathy, primary biliary cirrhosis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus, Sjogren’s syndromeEpstein Barr virus is associated with at least 33 different autoimmune conditions All herpes viruses target the brain and immune systemDittoDittoAutoimmunity specifics: idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, systemic sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, Guillain–Barré syndromeHelicobacter pyloriDittoDittoAutoimmunity specifics: glomerular nephritis, rheumatic heart diseaseStreptococcal infection (which can be treated by long-term, low-dose penicillin)DittoDittoAutoimmunity specifics: narcolepsy, Guillain–Barré syndromeSwine flu vaccinationVaccination bypasses normal immune defences in the gut14Brain conditions – all neurological disease may be associated with infection, including Alzheimer’s, motor neurone disease, Parkinson’s, CJD, multisystem atrophyMany are related to abnormal gut microbiome, including autism, epilepsy, psychosis, schizophrenia, dementia, depression; also to Borrelia, Mycoplasma, Ehrlichia, AnaplasmaNishihara6 has shown where there is fermenting gut we have fermenting brain where neurotransmitters may be fermented into morphine, amphetamine and cocaine-like molecules. No wonder psychosis is a symptom – I would be psychotic with cocaine and crystal meth on the menu!Responds well to the PK diet. Indeed, the starting point for treating all neurological and psychiatric disease is a PK diet. However, I would want to do extensive testing for ‘stealth’ microbes (see page 106) because conventional treatment for neurological degeneration is so limitedKidney disease, interstitial cystitis and prostatitisAbnormal gut flora BartonellaThis is not acute infection but an inflammatory process driven by microbes at levels lower than that which defines infectionResponds well to the PK diet and vitamin C to bowel tolerance. Some cases respond well to antibioticsRespiratory problems – chronic sinusitis, rhinitis, pharyngitis, bronchitis, pneumonia etcInfection (often Mycoplasma) and/or allergy to gut microbesMay present with halitosisPollution further drives inflammation. It is the total load – the total immune insult – which triggers inflammationEye disease – retinitis, optic neuritis, conjunctivitis, etcChlamydia Bartonella Yersinia Ear problems – otitis media, labyrinthitisStreptococci and Haemophilus Flu and cold viruses Often follow coughs, colds and influenza (see Chapter 18 for treatment)15At the moment, things do not look good.
See how numerous are my enemies and how fiercely they hate me!
Psalm 25:19, The Bible (New International Version)
Bur fear not… read on for the answers.
Notes
2. Office for National Statistics. Deaths Registered in England and Wales 2015. November 2016. www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/deathsregisteredinenglandandwalesseriesdr/2015
3. Bredesen DE. Reversal of Cognitive Decline: A novel therapeutic program.www.doctormyhill.co.uk/drmyhill/images/0/07/Reversal-of-Cognitive-decline-Bredesen.pdf
4. de Flora S, Bonanni P. The prevention of infection-associated cancers. Carcinogenesis 2011; 32(6): 787–795. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3314281/
5. Berg RD. Bacterial translocation from the gastrointestinal tract. Adv Exp Med Biol 1999; 473: 11-30. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1065934
6. Nishihara. Disclosure of the major causes of mental illness—mitochondrial deterioration in brain neurons via opportunistic infection. www.drmyhill.co.uk/drmyhill/images/d/dc/NISHIHARA.pdf
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Chapter 3
The immune system is our standing army
Let us ‘Begin at the beginning… and go on ’till… we… come to the end: then stop.’
Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll (27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898)
Beginning with an understanding of our natural defences and how the immune system works helps us to understand the principles of treatment. I think of the immune system as an army and that helps me when the immunologists descend into complex details which, I suspect, are iterated to show how clever they are! One does not have to be clever to get a grasp of the basic workings, which are as follows:
Table 3.1: Our natural defences and how they work
DefenceMechanismsPlusCommentsTreatment implicationsPhysical barriers of defence against microbes(1) Skin (2) Mucous membranes which line the airways, gut and perineum The gut lining is less than perfect – microbes cross it easily and get into the bloodstream. We need friendly microbes in the gut to prevent serious diseaseThe skin needs fat to repel invaders; dry skin cracks and makes it easier for microbes to enter Carbohydrates feed unfriendly microbes Fibre feeds friendly microbes Fat feeds the immune system Probiotics displace unfriendly microbes 17Secretions wash out microbes, assisted by coughing and sneezingSaliva, tears, urine, sticky mucus in the mouth, gut, respiratory track and vagina……fortified by defensins, acid, bile, enzymes and fatty acids The paleo-ketogenic (PK) diet results in healthy secretions Do not suppress symptoms and inhibit this natural expulsion of foreignersWhite blood cells born in the bone marrow from ‘mother’ stem cells: neutrophilsThe foot soldiers of our immune system – the ‘Poor Bloody Infantry’ of the Wipers Times, a trench magazine that was published by British soldiers fighting in the Ypres Salient during the First World WarNeutrophils take care of the invaders we have been dealing with for millions of yearsNeutrophils do not learn new tricks and have no ‘memory’ of past experience; they do day-to-day sentry duty, firing off at sight or smell of invaders. These cells are born xenophobes!All white cells need the correct raw materials to make them and the energy to allow them to fight A fever of one degree above your normal temperature is a symptom of energy generation being increased by 15% Keep warm, rest and save your energy to fight the good fight Neutrophils are also responsible for sweeping up the mess following an inflammatory war This constitutes healing, which also requires sleep, energy and raw materials; convalescence is a serious matterWhite blood cells: lymphocytesOfficer class B and T lymphocytes have to be educated. They can fight but can also tell the foot soldiers what to doThese are intelligent and necessary to deal with new, recently evolved invaders. They can be trained to do many different jobs and learn from others. These cells learn to become xenophobes!They are supposed to learn good habits, such as fighting newly evolved microbes, but they may pick up bad habits, such as allergy or autoimmunityVaccination is supposed to train these officers correctly, but it may train them incorrectly and so switch on allergy, autoimmunity and neurodegeneration. We are seeing epidemics of all three in part due to our aggressive vaccination regimes 18 With a new enemy, they take a little time to get started because they are learningHaving learned from experience they divide and their offspring also remember, so no time is wasted if the same enemy appears againWe call this immunity, but if they learn the wrong thing this may result in allergy and autoimmunity. Vaccination may provide temporary immunity, but a real infection confers life-long immunityKiller T lymphocytesSnipersSpecialise in killing cells that have been damaged by an invader by using CD8 to recognise such Do not risk switching them on. Once switched on they are difficult to switch off. We do not have safe, targeted and reliably effective treatments for switching them offNatural killer (NK) cellsSnipersSpecialise in killing cells occupied by virusAlso kill cancer cellsDitto above – do not risk switching them on. Vitamin C and iodine kill with minimal activation of killer cellsHelper T cellsThese help killer cells make good decisions about who to kill and who not to kill. They are like modern-day warfare ‘target assessment officers’This is so important – too much inflammation is as dangerous as too littleToo much inflammation is civil war – i.e. allergy and autoimmunityDittoT regs (or T suppressor cells)These regulate the immune responseThey stop the soldiers from over-reacting…...and guard against civil warDitto 19B cellsAlso help killer cells make good decisions by making antibodiesDittoDittoDittoAntibodiesThese recognise the enemy, kill it directly and also……alert the immune system to switch on inflammation. They are ‘lookouts’ Prostaglandins Interferons Leucotrienes Eicosanoids Cytokines ChemokinesThese allow foot soldiers and officers to communicate and send messages for help so are the ‘messenger boys’ or ‘radio operators’…… and develop the war zone that we call inflammationLocal inflammation means heat, redness, swelling, pain and loss of function. This is highly damaging to microbes but also to the self General inflammation will cause fever and severe fatigueInflammation must be followed by healing and repair. It also needs energy, raw materials and time. The PK diet is essential as are rest and sleep. Time is the great healer. We call this convalescence
