The immune system is the body’s defense against infectious organisms and other invaders. Through a series of steps called the immune response, the immune system attacks organisms and substances that invade body systems and cause disease.
The immune system is made up of a network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to protect the body. The cells involved are white blood cells, or leukocytes, which come in two basic types that combine to seek out and destroy disease-causing organisms or substances.
Leukocytes are produced or stored in many locations in the body, including the thymus, spleen, and bone marrow. For this reason, they’re called the lymphoid organs. There are also clumps of lymphoid tissue throughout the body, primarily as lymph nodes, that house the leukocytes. The leukocytes circulate through the body between the organs and nodes via lymphatic vessels and blood vessels. In this way, the immune system works in a coordinated manner to monitor the body for germs or substances that might cause problems. The immune system is not responsive to drugs for healing. Antibiotics used to fight infections actually depress the immune system when used long-term. Disorders in the immune system can result in disease. Immunodeficiency diseases occur when the immune system is less active than normal, resulting in recurring and life-threatening infections. In contrast, autoimmune diseases result from a hyperactive immune system attacking normal tissues as if they were foreign organisms. Natural nutritive forces like healing foods and herbal medicines can and do support the immune system. By rebuilding immunity, health is naturally restored and disease disappears
According to Dr. George C Pack, MD, a cancer specialist at Cornell medical School, almost everyone has cancer cells present at times in our bodies. If our immune system is working properly, these cells are killed or reabsorbed by our defense system before they begin to grow and threaten our health. The only real defense against cancer is the immune system. Everyone gets cancer every day but if the immune system is where it should be those cancer cells are eliminated and we never know it. As part of our integrative therapy at bioscience we pay very good attention to your immune function, that’s why we use the most important agents to ensure a strong and responsive immune system.
MEDICAL GRADE SHIITAKE, MAITAKE, AND REISHI
If we think about mushrooms at all, we may consider them a tasty addition to a salad or casserole. In fact, an estimated 38,000 species of mushrooms, most provide a wealth of protein, fiber, B vitamins, and vitamin C, as well as calcium and other minerals. And at least three species have demonstrated phenomenal healing potential: maitake, shiitake, and reishi. These medicinal mushrooms have been shown to boost heart health; lower the risk of cancer,; promote immune function; ward off viruses, bacteria, and fungi; reduce inflammation; combat allergies; help balance blood sugar levels; and support the body’s detoxification mechanisms. Maitake, Shiitake, and Reishi mushrooms have many overlapping properties: all boost immune function, all support cardiovascular health, and all show promise in lowering the risk of - or treating - cancer. However, maitake is specifically recommended for the stomach and intestines, as well as blood sugar levels; shiitake treats nutritional deficiencies and liver ailments; and reishi promotes respiratory health.
MEDICAL GRADE CURCUMIN
The metabolism of arachidonic acid in cell membranes plays an important role in the inflammatory response by generating potent chemical messengers known as eicosanoids. Membrane phospholipids are hydrolyzed by phospholipase A2 (PLA2), releasing arachidonic acid, which may be metabolized by cyclooxygenases (COX) to form prostaglandins and thromboxanes, or by lipoxygenases (LOX) to form leukotrienes. Curcumin has been found to inhibit PLA2, COX-2, and 5-LOX activities in cultured cells.
Although Curcumin inhibited the catalytic activity of 5-LOX directly, it inhibited PLA2 by preventing its phosphorylation and COX-2 mainly by inhibiting its transcription. Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB) is a transcription factor that binds DNA and enhances the transcription of the COX-2 gene as well as other pro-inflammatory genes, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). In inflammatory cells, such as macrophages, iNOS catalyzes the synthesis of nitric oxide, which can react with superoxide to form peroxynitrite, a reactive nitrogen species that can damage proteins and DNA. Curcumin has been found to inhibit NF-kB-dependent gene transcription, and the induction of COX-2 and iNOS in cell culture and animal studies. Cancer is an inflammatory condition that also requires immune modulation, curcumin helps lower inflammation caused by cancer and helps to balance the immune response, making it a essential part of our program.
GREEN TEA EXTRACT
The healthful properties of green tea are largely attributed to polyphenols, chemicals with potent antioxidant properties. In fact, the antioxidant effects of polyphenols appear to be greater than vitamin C. Polyphenols contained in teas are classified as catechins. Green tea contains six primary catechin compounds: catechin, gallaogatechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, and apigallocatechin gallate (also known as EGCG). EGCG is the most studied polyphenol component in green tea and the most active. Green tea also contains alkaloids including caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline. These alkaloids provide green tea’s stimulant effects. L-theanine, an amino acid compound found in green tea, has been studied for its calming effects on the nervous system.
Antioxidants such as polyphenols in green tea can neutralize free radicals and may reduce or even help prevent some of the damage they cause.
Green Tea and Cancer
Emerging clinical studies say that the polyphenols in green tea play an important role in the prevention of cancer. Researchers also believe that polyphenols help kill cancerous cells and stop their progression. Polyphenols in green tea inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells. In one study of 472 women with various stages of breast cancer, researchers found that women who consumed the most green tea experienced the least spread of cancer (particularly premenopausal women in the early stages of breast cancer). They also found that women with early stages of the disease who drank at least 5 cups of tea every day before being diagnosed with cancer were less likely to suffer recurrences of the disease after completion of treatment. Scientists already know that green tea contains anti-oxidants which may have a protective effect against cancer. But now they have discovered that chemicals in the tea also shut down a key molecule which can play a significant role in the development of cancer. The molecule, known as the aryl hydrocarbon (AH) receptor, has the ability to activate genes - but not always in a positive way.
Tobacco smoke and dioxins, in particular, disrupt the functioning of the molecule and cause it to trigger potentially harmful gene activity. The researchers, from Rochester University, found that two chemicals in green tea inhibit AH activity. Similar compounds Both chemicals are similar to compounds called flavonoids, which are found in broccoli, cabbage, grapes and
red wine, and which are also known to help prevent cancer.
TRANSFER FACTOR
Transfer factor is an all natural substance that works by “teaching” your own immune system to identify infectious agents and malignant cells, that attack your body every day. Transfer factors are very small components naturally found in healthy cells in a form of polypeptide. Through a special extraction process done in high tech labs, we are now able to collect powerful transfer factor molecules from immune cells of healthy persons that have the required immune information via these polypeptides. The Transfer Factor collected from this process is a purified extract containing transfer factor molecules.
Transfer Factor educates, enhances and balances the immune system Transfer factors are tiny messenger molecules that transfer immunity information from one entity to another, such as between a breastfeeding mother and her newborn infant. It helps “fine-tune” immune system function so that immune cells know when to act, how to act, and when to rest. These powerful immunity agents have been identified and are called transfer factors.
To keep your body healthy, your immune system must do three very important things each time your body comes in contact with a pathogen: First it must first recognize the pathogen as a threat to the body; second, it must then attack and kill off the threat; and third, it must remember that pathogen so that your body can rid itself quickly of it the next time it is attacked. It is the identification process of the immune system that is so critical. If your body can identify a pathogen quickly, it can mount a response against it quickly. By transferring information from cell to cell, transfer factors serve as “teachers” of new cells, thereby ensuring a stronger immune system capable of withstanding our often harsh environment.
Immune Enhancement