W E L L B E I N G
THE HEALTH VS. DISEASE EQUATION by Brandon Alleman
Health is our Natural State. Being and living in a state of health versus being and living in a disease state can be summed up in the following equation: (Genetic Potential + Proper Breath, Water, Food, Movement, Recovery, and Thoughts) - (Time + Aging + All the Wrong Things (stressors)) = Health or Disease From a general perspective, health can be thought of as optimal stress resolution and adaptation/regeneration by the body’s physiology and disease can be thought of as failure of the body’s physiology to adapt and therefore, maladaptation or degeneration is the result. Going a little deeper, health is all about the balance of tissue destruction and repair as dictated by our immune system. The human immune system is a very complex network of cells, organs, tissue, and blood that all work together preserving the health of the human body. The immune system accomplishes this incredible task by (1) identifying potential infectious or harmful substances, (2) assessing the potential threat from invasion and producing the required cells to neutralize pathogenic substances, and (3) repair and removal of damaged cells. When the immune system is in a state of balance, the body is able to deal with invading organisms and remain healthy. Our immune system is comprised of both innate (non-specific) and acquired (specific) functions. Innate components comprise anatomical barriers and are the body’s first line of defense against a wide range of pathogens. Acquired functions have the ability to adapt to each new disease and can generate pathogen-specific immunity. The acquired functions act as a second line of defense protecting the body against re-exposure to the same pathogen. The innate aspect of our immunity is comprised of a number of anatomical barriers such as the skin and the various mucous membranes, or MALT (mucous associated lymphoid tissue). The primary function of the MALT is to initiate immune responses to antigens encountered along all mucosal surfaces. It is divided into a number of parts – GALT (gut-associated lymphoid tissue), BALT (bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue), LALT (larynx-associated lymphoid tissue), SALT (skin-associated lymphoid tissue), VALT (vascular-associated lymphoid tissue), and CALT (conjunctiva-associated lymphoid tissue) respectively. 28
We also have many different types of cells that help us fight off pathogens and keep our system in balance – these are leukocytes, or white blood cells. All cells of the immune system are derived from stem cells within bone marrow and are stored in the body in different lymph organs such as the spleen and thymus. These white blood cells are typically divided into three separate categories – granulocytes, lymphocyte (B cells and T cells), and monocytes. Each of these cells have their own special role within the immune system and are key to keeping us healthy and vital. The Modern Day and Immune Function Like all systems, the immune system is linked to every other system in our biological organism. There is a very complex relationship between behavior, “stress”, and the immune system. At the moment the body is presented with a given stressor, of which there are six primary classes (physical, chemical, nutritional, electromagnetic, psychic, and thermal), the brain and body become mobilized. The brain and body do not differentiate one stressor from another. Rather the body summates all stressors and mounts one stress response. Regardless of the stressor, the response by the body is the same. When the sum total of stressors exceeds what the body is capable of handling comfortably, the adrenal glands will begin to produce more and more cortisol – a glucocorticoid and the body’s chief stress hormone. It is the effects of excess glucocorticoids as part of an exaggerated stress response that force the body into a series of dramatic events that creates problems if left unchecked. In today’s society, we are bombarded by a barrage of stressors from all six classes of stressors on a moment to moment basis – there is no escaping this fact! Our immune systems need to be fully supported by our nutrition and lifestyle choices to the best of our abilities if is to have a chance at maintaining homeostasis (fancy word for the body’s happy place). Nutrition and the Immune System The average adult body has somewhere around 30 trillion cells, some say up to 100 trillion depending on who you are reading. Thousands of these cells are being replaced every minute -this includes the cells of the immune system. New cells are made to replace the older cells that have become worn out or damaged. This process is ongoing every second you are alive! Now for a key question – where does the body receive the raw materials for the creation of new cells? You guessed it…nutrition from the food you eat! 337M A GA ZIN E.C OM
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