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Saturday 20 February 2016

Bingeing on health foods won’t boost your immune system


An interesting statement: "There are only two ways the human body can deal with the invading pathogens and infections that can cause colds and other illnesses – and neither involves vitamins or ‘superfoods’ that claim to offer protection."

This comes from an article published in The Guardian, by Dara Mohammadi.
Here is an extract: "The immune system can be broadly split into two parts, the innate and the acquired response. On detection of infection, it’s the innate response that acts first. Though fast, it lacks in finesse, and deals with an invading pathogen in much the same way that the Ghostbusters might try to remove a ghost from a haunted hotel. It gunges the halls and doorways to try to flush it out (that’s why you fill up with phlegm and snot), it yanks up the thermostat to try to boil it (why you run a fever), and it shuts down the building until the problem is solved (it makes you depressed and lethargic so you don’t go out and pick up another infection while your immune system is at work)."

To view the full article, see The Guardian.

Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle

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