Autoimmune diseases

Autoimmune diseases are characterized by the body's immune responses being directed against its own tissues, causing prolonged inflammation and subsequent tissue destruction. Autoimmune disorders can either cause immune-responsive cells to attack the linings of the joints (resulting in rheumatoid arthritis) or trigger immune cells to attack the insulin-producing islet cells of the pancreas (leading to insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus).

In a healthy body, circulating antibodies attack and destroy pathogenic invaders by means of humoral or cell-mediated immunity. In autoimmune disease, circulating antibodies seek, attack, and destroy self-antigens found in healthy tissue (see Table 1 for examples).

Mainstream medicine has no cure for the millions who suffer from crippling autoimmune conditions such as arthritis, lupus, and psoriasis.

Vitamin D does far more than promote healthy teeth and bones. Its role in supporting immunity, modulating inflammation, and preventing cancer make the consequences of vitamin D deficiency potentially devastating. A growing number of scientists who study vitamin D levels in human populations now recommend annual blood tests to check vitamin D status.

Typical Western diets are low in iodine. When iodized table salt is reduced, people can easily become iodine insufficient or deficient. Inadequate iodine not only impairs thyroid function, but is also linked to increased risks of breast cancer and fibrocystic breast disease, along with fatigue and weight gain.

Zinc is required by the body for more than 2,000 transcription factors involved in gene expressions of various proteins.1 What this means in everyday language is that thousands of essential biological functions are dependent on zinc.

Quercetin is naturally abundant in plant foods and as a result is highly bioavailable.Nonetheless, most people do not obtain sufficient quercetin levels through their daily diets. This is unfortunate because large-scale epidemiological studies show that sustained high intake of quercetin and related flavonoids provides substantial protection against cardiovascular disease.

In this article, you will learn about UC-II®, or undenatured type II collagen, a novel intervention for both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis. Because of its unique molecular characteristics, UC-II® acts as a kind of “reverse vaccine,” one that regulates the immune system so that it stops over-reacting to proteins normally found in joint cartilage.