Wednesday, April 8, 2009

My Five Cents on Herbal Supplements & Immune System

For the past 6 years or so, I have been seeing a holistic doctor. Now, this doctor is not my primary physician , nor do I see him for everything. However, I have found that this system has immensely helped my body personally. Yes, I still see a regular doctor and yes, I still take antibiotics from time to time. BUT...there are times where my body corrects itself simply by me feeding it the proper nutrients. For me, my Thyroid is completely healthy by following a holistic approach - I've never had to take steroids and I actually am healthier and have a higher level(healthy/normal level) of progesterone in my body because of this. 98% of Americans have a deficient thyroid because our diets in this country do not support the supplements of other countries - we have preservatives! So, I have found these things below to be very helpful and accurate for me.

Your body’s immune system, which includes the thymus, bone marrow and lymphoid tissues, produces immune responses to protect the body from foreign substances and pathogenic organisms.

It is imperative that the immune system be strong enough to perform the function of the body’s own natural physician. A weak immune system does not work to its optimum capability - it fails to recognize foreign invasions and can even start to destroy the normal cells of the body.

While an illness does not indicate a weak immune system, persistent fatigue, swelling of glands, recurrent colds and sore throat do indicate deterioration in the immune system health . The immune system is well organized and focused in its functions. It is also a complex system that can be impaired by simple factors like excessive physical or emotional stress, reckless recourse to the antibiotic alternative and a non-nutritional diet.

The immune system uses up lot of reserves in the body in the process of producing antibodies and white blood cells. These reserves need to be replenished regularly so that the immune system continues to work at optimum levels. Herbal antibiotics and herbal supplements can play an important role in this.

You would have noticed that every time you have a cold the doctor prescribes a vitamin C supplement along with other medications, when a if prescription is needed. Vitamin C restricts the growth of viruses and bacteria. However, the vitamin needs flavanoids for easy absorption by the body.

These are plant based substances that should be consumed with vitamin C daily for strengthening your immunity against disease. Citrus fruits are an excellent source of vitamin C and therefore help in keeping the immune system in a healthy condition. Herbs for immune system contain complex compounds that bacteria are unable to break. This means that they cannot use simple compounds for their own metabolism. And this is the main reason why the there is no possibility of bacteria developing resistance to herbs. Many herbal supplements have antibiotic properties along with the capacity to spruce up your immune system’s health.

Exercising the antibiotic alternative every time you fall ill can destroy the friendly bacteria as well. These friendly bacteria are of utmost utility for the healthy functioning of various systems in the body. For example, antibiotics disturb the intestinal flora making elimination of solid wastes difficult.

Herbs like stinging nettle, dandelion, watercress, Echinacea, Korean white ginseng and shoots of conifers like fir and pine help in the detoxification process. They also purify the blood and boost immune system health especially if consumed in juice form. Echinacea stimulates white blood cells that aid in the break down and elimination of solid waste and toxins.

A supplement prepared from roots of licorice, couch grass and lovage herbs helps in supercharging the immune system along with eliminating toxins that may have accumulated in the body.It should be kept in mind that herbs for immune system are not a panacea that will cure all diseases by improving immune system health.

Some herbs can be toxic in nature if they are not properly diluted or if they are administered in a manner different from the instructions provided by an expert.

When not ordering from Health Quarters, I order the remainder of my supplements from Native Remedies. They not only have the products, but also the forums and the information to help you out as well! I just got a whole bunch of things with their current sale! If you're so inclined, you can check 'em out at this link right here: Buy 2 Get 1 Free on ALL products from Native Remedies - natural, proven and safe remedies for the whole family!

All this said to say that if you're experiencing any kind of issues, it may be worth it in the long run to check out some holistic and herbal approaches!