Hi there, it’s been ages without a chance to add something to our blogs at Olive Workshop.
We have been busy getting lovely orders together and had great success in helping many clients with irritated and diagnosed skin disorders.
But looking at skin disorders also makes us aware of the other factors affecting us.
This is an article I have read and have permission from a fabulous magazine to copy it to my blog. As it is fascinating and worth a read.
‘Since World War 2 approximately 93 million toxins have been developed using chemical means that this planet has never seen before. The average European is exposed to about 18 000 toxic substances per annum, which enter our bodies through contact, inhalations, food consumption or fluid intake. It is estimated that the average Briton consumes 4500 g of pesticides per annum in groceries obtained from their local food stores. As such pesticides consumption over a period of time has been listed as a cause of the increase in Parkinson’s disease in England as well as other developed countries.
Longevity in human subjects may have increased to an average life expectancy of 78 years over the last century- but we should ask ourselves in what state of health we reach that age.
Most would agree that we do not reach that age in a satisfactory condition, but are plagued with all sorts of degenerative illnesses along the way.
Technically, autoimmune diseases proceed immunologically in very much the same way as allergy. The only difference is that whereas an allergy is triggered by outside antigens, autoimmune diseases are triggered by internal antigens. An autoimmune disease is a rejection of the ‘self’ by means of an inflammatory attach against a particular target tissue. In homotoxicological terminology this is referred to as immune-toxicity.”
In lay mans terms this means the body actually turns in on itself.
“ The immune system is generally designed to protect us against attacks from the outside world. In past times these attacks mostly involved foreign matter or invasions by bacteria, viruses, fungi or other parasites. Another function of the immune system is to repair damage in the body, resulting from either injury or disease. The body normally does this by removing debris from injured or diseased sites in the body. So that healing in the affected area may occur.
However life is not perfect and even our healing mechanisms can go wrong at times.
The immune system is a complex system, but due to exposure to all sorts of biological and non-biological substances, corruption of this
Intricate mechanism takes place at times in susceptible individuals. The consequence of this corruption is that the system turns on itself and attacks its own tissue as if it were foreign material.
Four possible mechanisms have been identified so far for developing an autoimmune response to auto-antigens (antigens from one’s own body which antibodies and immune complexes react to):
1. Hidden or sequestered antigens (eg intercellular substances) may not be recognised as ‘self’.
2. The ‘self’ antigens may become immunogenic because of biological, chemical or physical alteration.
3. Foreign antigens may induce an immune response that cross-reacts with normal ‘self ‘antigens.
4. Auto-antibody production may result from a mutation in immune-competent cells and subsequent loss of tolerance to self- antigens.
Technically, then one may say that autoimmune diseases are due to a corruption of information flow in a biological compromised system that loses tolerance to itself and mounts an immunological inflammatory reaction against susceptible compromised target tissue.’
Read the rest of this interesting article on the site next month … www.naturalmedicine.co.za
Auto immune disorders are complex and treatment should only be undertaken by practitioners who have a special interest in such disorders. The treatment may involve both conventional and complimentary approaches in order to secure a successful outcome. Autoimmune disorders are complex disease patterns and require a multidisciplinary approach if treatment is to be successful.
So therefore it is so important to keep our bodies fit and well nourished to fight the onslaught of the chemicals we are all ingesting and surrounded by every day. There are things we can do nothing about, but there are things we can do-
The things we need to remember to include in our lives :
1. Food that is clean and organic ( as much as possible).
2. Water that is filtered and pure.
3. Exercise as much as we can, even if it’s just walking around the block once a week.
4. Not too much fat, sugar and alcohol.
5. Vitamins and mineral supplements
6. Keep our skins moisturised and protected.
7. Keep up to date with ‘green people’ and get involved with recycling and earth protection. If each of us do something in our area’s the country and planet will be a better place for our children.
See you next month!
Regards Vee J
With kind permission From Dr Patrick Fieuw’s article on Autoimmune Disorders. Natural Medicine issue 44/December 2008.12.30
