Glutathione and the Immune System

Glutathione and the Immune System

     It is surprising how many people still believe that you get the flu from taking cold or leave the house with wet hair. It is common knowledge that is a fact that flu is a contagious and transmissible. Although many think so, do not get sick of influenza expose to cold air. These beliefs are deeply ingrained in our culture. However, the reality is that we get sick of the flu when you are exposed directly to the virus that causes this disease.

     Some people tend to blame their flu to the fact of being very stressed, overworked, or have done too much exercise. These people are closer to the truth. Because although these factors alone do not cause the flu, if we become more susceptible to contracting the virus. In striving for more and stressed, these people lower their immune resources and suffer for it - the virus overcomes her defenses. Most doctor visits are the result of the immune system has failed to deal with a specific threat. The good news is that the immune system can be improved.

     Very few people realize this, even those who are always concerned with their welfare. Many of us know how to care for our heart and muscles, but very few will pay attention to our immune system, although this represents our first line of defense against all infections and destructive attacks. To maintain a good immune response should do regular exercise (45-60 minutes 3 times per week), eating regularly and varied, maintaining an ideal weight, sleep on a regular basis (8 hours for young adults, less for people seniors), supplement their diet with vitamins, minerals and micronutrients, to avoid unnecessary stress, and, although it sounds funny, laugh a lot. We should also avoid exposure to radiation and toxins, abuse of snuff, alcohol and caffeine, as well as unnecessary use of antibiotics and steroids.

     The immune defense system is extraordinarily sophisticated. Microscopic examination of any part of the body immune system shows dealing with microorganisms such as bacteria, parasites and fungi, and that's just within the body. The environment which we take the air we breathe and the water and the food we eat are also saturated with microorganisms. It's amazing that we survive in spite of all this.

     Usually, only consulted a doctor once said that a disease control over us. Often, the doctor launches an attack strategy with antibiotics, antiviral compounds, or chemotherapy, trying to eliminate the invaders. Despite the side effects, this offensive strategy has proved highly effective treatment. It is the best way we've found to fight the war.

     However, it is preferable to avoid war, after all, the battlefield is our body. Even when drugs win the battle, the damage remains. Side effects of drugs and the after-effects of chemotherapy can be described as random destruction resulting in the deaths of many innocents. We can not overemphasize the importance of defensive strategy - preventive medicine to stop the invaders before they are established in the body and thus avoids conflict. An immune system to optimal performance is undoubtedly the best prevention. We can achieve this type of operation nurturing and nourishing our immune system the same way we feed the rest of our body.

     The Immune Response

     The immune response search, identify, and attack microorganisms, allergens, cancer cells and dead tissue, which together are known as antigens. The reaction of the body is known as antigenic response.

     When a pathogen enters the bloodstream and activate immune cells. Different types of cells such as polymorphonuclear cells that form the pus. These huge cells simply surround and digest pathogens. Lymphocytes smaller and more sophisticated, are responsible for the pathogen to adapt a specific defense for them.

     B cells identify pathogens and mark them for the T lymphocyte attack. Helper T cells alert the immune cells to these are added to the battle, killer T cells kill the intruder, and suppressor T cells are responsible for turning off the immune response once the job is done.

     However, the healthy immune response can be compromised, ie, tends to deteriorate. You may find too few immune cells, the cells themselves may be incompetent, or may be defeated by a pathogen more powerful than them. In most cases, the side of adaptive immune system can identify and subsequently remember the chemical signature of a particular pathogen and is capable of dealing with the next time you have to face it. This leads to a full or partial immunity. For example, you can only get smallpox again in life.

     The immune system is impressive but not infallible. Sometimes it can react to threats as if they were not, and normal mechanisms as if they attack the body. We want our immune response protects us against infections, ignore harmless substances, accept organs have been transplanted, not attack our own bodies and protect us against carcinogens and tumor growth. We want to avoid recurrent infections, allergic reactions to harmless substances, rejection of transplanted organs that have been, autoimmune disease in which the body attacks its own systems, and cancer.

     The two least desirable immune responses are autoimmune diseases and allergies. In an autoimmune disease the body mistakes normal tissue with a foreign antigen and attack him, leading to the destruction of healthy tissue. In the case of allergies, the immune system mistakes a harmless substance with harmful and responds with aggressive reaction, and sometimes fatal. Some autoimmune diseases are:
• Lupus
• Myasthenia Gravis
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Polymyositis
• Escloeroderma
• Lou Gehrig's Disease
• Grave's Disease
• Crohn's Disease

     The Immune System and Glutathione

     Our count of polymorphonuclear cells and lymphocytes in the previous section covers only part of the immune system. B-cell lymphocytes comprise 10% of lymphocytes circulating in the body, and work to release immunoglobulins to attack and destroy invading pathogens. Approximately 80% of lymphocytes in the body are T cells When these cells are disturbed, the doors open to infection and health is compromised. For example, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) destroys helper T cells and leaves cut off killer T cells and powerless. As a result, invading microorganisms which normally dissipate body are capable of causing severe infections that characterize AIDS.

     Glutathione plays a crucial role in the functioning of immune cells. Dr. Gustavo Bounous, a leading expert in the study of glutathione says, "The limiting factor in the proper activity of our cells is the availability of glutathione." This concept is clearly evident in the Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV-the cause AIDS.

     In essence, AIDS is a dysfunction of T cell lymphocytes Patients suffering from this disease usually show low levels of glutathione, especially in the count of glutathione in T cell lymphocytes Several studies have shown that GSH levels may be indicators that show the possibilities of survival and quality of life of AIDS patients.

     The growth and healthy cell activity is directly dependent on the availability of GSH. The experimental reduction of GSH levels showed severely diminish the ability of immune cells to fight pathogens which leaves the door open to disease. In several studies, either glutathione intracellular levels correspond directly to the effectiveness of the immune response. In a way, GSH is a type of food for the immune system.

     In some autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus (SLE) and in the normal process of aging, T-cell lymphocytes show a poor immune response to invading antigens. Additionally, these chronic inflammatory conditions have been associated with low levels of glutathione in the blood serum and red blood cells.

     A lymphocyte is attacking a pathogen by releasing a powerful chemical oxidant such as peroxide, and lymphocyte protects itself with neutralizing glutathione. Also, the cells must replicate themselves over and over again (monoclonal expansion) to attack the pathogen population as a whole. This process requires the use of additional oxygen and the release of oxidants. To achieve an efficient and continuous replication requires the use of GSH to counteract the effects of oxidation. So the fight infection consumes GSH in two ways-by using it to stabilize free radicals and to produce immune cells. This is apparent in acute infections such as bacterial pneumonia. In chronic infections such as hepatitis C or AIDS, wasting in GSH levels is even more pronounced. Recent studies have shown that elevated levels of GSH allows the immune system deal with these infections more effectively.

     Dr. Gustavo Bounous and his team of researchers from McGill University measured the immune response in animals who were fed protein isolate rich in glutathione precursors (which was later called Immunocal). These animals showed both intracellular GSH levels higher, as a more effective response to immune threats. Interestingly, other animals who were fed a similar protein to casein did not benefit from the same way.

     So the protective activity of glutathione has two functions, strengthens the immune cell function and also functions as an antioxidant within them.

     An alarming number of bacterial infections resistant to antibiotics such as disease that eats away the skin, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, and methicillin-resistant staph have come to our hospitals and communities. Some health professionals believe that the causative virus such as AIDS and Hepatitis C are just the tip of the iceberg, and that a new wave of emerging pathogens is underway. Ancient evils, such as tuberculosis, which are believed to have been eradicated have returned with greater force and are no longer susceptible to treatments that previously worked to counter them. The strengthening our GSH levels is a convenient way to prepare to defend against these threats evident.

Conclusion

     The immune system uses various types of cells to fight infections and other threats and growth and healthy functioning of these cells depends on the availability of GSH. Glutathione is found in the center of all immunological processes and having low GSH levels is common in many diseases, especially AIDS which is characterized by a severely compromised immune system.Raising and maintaining GSH levels can minimize the risk of these diseases. Although only people who are severely ill show a deficiency in GSH levels, those with stable health may also benefit from supplementation of GSH, especially in these days when we are so exposed as never before to environmental toxins and drug-resistant bacteria.Undoubtedly, the best form of preventive medicine is an immune system in optimal performance and the best way to optimize this system by feeding GSH to provide the body with the precursors for synthesis. -Dr. Jewel