While your body is designed to defend against a host of environmental invaders, it cannot completely withstand the adverse effects of poor diet, chronic stress and toxic build-up. These common factors can contribute to a group of serious health epidemics including autoimmune (AI) disease, which is rising to the top of the list. Autoimmune diseases include more than 100 unique types such as Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Celiac disease and many others, which are all characterized by inflammatory immune responses that cause the body to turn against its own systems and attack organs and tissues.

Are You At Risk?

Certain AI diseases such as Lupus are shown to be linked to environmental pollutants, including common toxins found in foods, cleaning products, furniture, beauty products, toys, clothing, and mattresses. It was once thought that AI diseases were caused solely by genetic factors, but new research is uncovering innovative findings. Experts still believe that a genetic predisposition to AI disease puts a person at a higher risk, but research from the field of immunotoxicology – the study how toxins affect the immune system – demonstrates that the epidemic increase of AI disease is linked more and more to exposure from a toxic environment.

What is Autoimmune Disease?

AI diseases are caused when there are communication breakdowns between your body’s cells, and immune cells can no longer distinguish between your own healthy tissue and a harmful invader. Messages are scrambled between cells that orchestrate and direct immune responses, and the more common T and lymphocyte immune cells responsible for attacking harmful invaders. With AI diseases, immune cells circulate without proper "training" and destroy various areas of the body, depending on the specific autoimmune condition.

Treatment Protocols

Many AI diseases are difficult to diagnose and manage, and currently there are no known Western medical cures. Conventional therapies use anti-inflammatory drugs, immune suppressors, antiviral drugs, and other medications to focus on controlling flare-ups. This is a symptomatic approach that does not address the root or cause of the AI disease, and can also lead to unwanted side effects.

One strategy for managing AI disease is to focus on balance and regulation to help re-establish the immune system’s critical biological cycles. Some methods include following a strict sleep schedule, engaging in regular exercise, adhering to a strict healthy diet, taking nutritional supplements that focus on regulation and balance of the immune system, and the removal of heavy metals and toxins. Stress relief is also extremely important, as chronic stress can contribute to autoimmune flare ups.

Supplements

One of the most valuable forms of supplementation for AI diseases is medicinal mushrooms. Though commonly misunderstood to be immune enhancers, medicinal mushrooms are actually very effective immune regulators that help to educate immune cells and direct appropriate immune responses. Botanicals that regulate inflammation are also critical in the management of AI diseases, along with high-powered antioxidants to scavenge free radicals and soothe inflammatory responses. For more information about medicinal mushrooms, download a complimentary medicinal mushroom wellness guide.

Detoxification

Gentle removal of heavy metals and toxins is one of the most essential protocol considerations for the management of any AI disease. A combination of modified citrus pectin and modified alginates is proven to safely remove heavy metals and environmental toxins from the body, without affecting essential minerals. It is also critical to avoid further exposure by choosing natural, organic alternatives to conventional food, body and household products that contain harmful chemicals.

Modern medicine may not have found a cure for AI diseases, but through proper management and regulation of the body’s response systems using diet, healthy lifestyle patterns and nutritional supplementation, you can avoid toxic build up and reduce your risk of this increasingly common form of disease.