When attacked by bacteria or viruses, the healthy body mobilizes its navy, air force, army, and marines so quickly that no infection occurs. These armed forces consist of lymph cells, white blood cells, antibodies, or globulins, which are ineffective without a co-worker, the complement. The viruses, and their toxins by engulfing and digesting them with the aid of enzymes or by combining with them, causing them to settle out, or by other means. An adequate diet can quickly increase all of these defenses even after an infection gets a foothold provided various nutrients are given in generous amounts the minute the first symptoms appear. The body's armed forces are identical regardless of the location of the infection or the types of viruses or bacteria involved. Because a physician is rarely consulted until illness is advanced, each individual should know the immediate steps to take to fight an infection.

The Effect of Stress

The adrenal hormone DOC is so completely held in check by the excessive amounts of cortisone produced during stress that the body often cannot protect itself and infections may become rampant, as they frequently do when cortisone medication is given. If the adrenals are too exhausted to produce an adequate amount of cortisone, however, DOC is not sufficiently held in check, and lymph glands, such as the tonsils and adenoids, become enlarged; the white blood count soars; and inflammation at the point of the infection is marked by redness, swelling, pain, and fever. When one is under stress, therefore, whether too much or too little cortisone is being produced, the body becomes susceptible to infections.

During most infections, too little aldosterone can be produced, sodium is lost from the body, cells become more permeable, or sieve like, and water accumulates in the inflamed area, increasing the swelling and pain. After the blood sodium has thus been replaced, swelling often goes down in a few moments and other symptoms disappear.

The lymph glands produce antibodies to fight infections. If cortisone is being synthesized normally, the proteins in these glands are broken down and the glands shrivel during the stresses that have preceded and are imposed by the bacterial or viral attack. Swollen lymph glands, such as those under the chin and behind the ears, or enlarged tonsils or adenoids always show that cortisone is not being produced in adequate amounts. Although the swollen glands are trying to fight the infection, the defense mechanisms are weak at the very time they are needed most. To recover from an infection, therefore, the first step must be to stimulate adrenal function.

Since pantothenic acid is essential for cortisone production, low resistance to spontaneous infections is the first sign of an under supply of pantothenic acids Infections appear long before other deficiency symptoms can be detected and more quickly than if any other nutrient were missing.' Animals even mildly deficient in pantothenic acid or vitamin B6 show an immediate marked reduction in antibodies, complement, and white blood cells; and if "vaccinated," immunity is not increased. Some strains of rats-and also certain families or individuals--require many times more pantothenic acid than others and are far more harmed by a deficiency.

In volunteers lacking pantothenic acid and vitamin B6, so few antibodies and white blood cells could be produced that they had continuous infections, particularly sore throats, or acute pharyngitis; and when vaccinated for tetanus, typhoid, and polio, showed no increase in antibody production. When stress has not harmed the adrenal or lymph glands too severely, giving 40 milligrams of vitamin B6 to persons with infections increased both the white blood count and the antibody production within three hours. Recovery was slow, however, even when such huge amounts as 4,000 and 600 milligrams of pantothenic acid and vitamin B6 respectively were given daily to volunteers who had been deficient in these vitamins for several weeks. In fact, 17 out of 18 patients lacking vitamin B6 showed an "absolute decrease" in white blood cells in five days.

A diet under supplied with vitamins B1, B2, folic acid, biotin, or niacin inhibits the production of antibodies, white blood cells, and the complement, though less severely than when pantothenic acid or vitamin B6 is limited. A lack of any of these vitamins also prevents the body's defenses from being stimulated when antitoxins and other forms of immunization are given.