You depend on your immune system for protection from foreign invaders like viruses, bacteria and other "bugs" that cause illness. But viruses and bacteria aren't the only force in nature that threatens your good health: pollutants in the environment do too. From the air pollution you breathe in every time you walk outside to the chemicals in products you place on our skin and the foods you eat, we live in a sea of pollutants.
Unfortunately, some of these pollutants and chemicals are linked with cancer and other health problems in humans. In fact, The International Agency for Research classifies outdoor air pollutants as carcinogens. Some of the many air pollutants people are exposed to include exhaust fumes from cars, heavy metals and solvents. Heavy metals are even in the soil where your food is grown and enter the food supply. Another source of non-airborne pollution is chemicals called phthalates. Phthalates are in plastics, air fresheners, household products, personal care products and a number of other sources.
Needless to say, pollutants aren't good for your cells, but have you ever wondered what effect pollution has on your immune system - the system that's supposed to protect you?
Environmental Pollution and Your Immune System
One group of specialized immune cells that fight foreign invaders are called T-cells. T-cells are of several sub-types, each performing a slightly different function. Some types of T-cells are able to recognize cells infected by viruses or abnormal cells like tumor cells and kill them directly. Some send messages to other immune cells to ready them for action. Others help cells called B-cells make antibodies against invaders. Needless, to say T-cells are important for protection against illness.
What effects do all the nasty things we're exposed to have on immune cells? A study carried out by researchers at Stanford University and the University of California at Berkeley found pollutants in the air, particularly car exhaust fumes that most of us breathe each day interferes with the ability of T-cells, called T-regulatory cells, to do their job. The researchers also found air pollution worsened asthma symptoms in people who have this lung disease. Other research shows air pollution exacerbates asthma symptoms, hardly a surprise, but the reason may be different than originally thought. Previously, experts thought air pollutants worsened asthma by directly irritating the lungs. This study shows air pollution affects asthma in another way, by interfering with the activity of T-regulatory immune cells. The question is what other impact does this type of immune suppression have on other aspects of health?
Other Pollutants That Affect Immune Health
If you've ever eaten a steak fresh off the grill, you may have noticed the black marks on the steak from the grill. That dark stuff that looks like charcoal is aromatic hydrocarbons and you're exposed to them every time you eat grilled meat. You also get exposure from fossil fuels. According to a study, aromatic hydrocarbons and phthalates disrupt an important component of the immune system - B-cells. B-cells produce antibodies, proteins that stick to foreign invaders and recruit other immune cells to destroy it. Aromatic hydrocarbons and phthalates cause B-cells to die, not a good thing when it comes to your health. There's growing evidence that other environmental contaminants, including heavy metals, disrupt normal immune function and make it harder for the 'big guns," your immune cells, to protect you.
Final Thoughts
You will be exposed to lots of pollutants and chemicals over the course of your lifetime. Not only do some of these chemicals harm cells, they make it harder for your body to protect you by suppressing your immune system. Take steps to keep your immune system as healthy as possible so it can do the job it was made to do.
The very best way to strengthen your immune system naturally is by taking this scientifically proven supplement called
BioPro-Plus™ daily. This bio-identical protein will give your immune system the strength it needs to fight any pathogen that finds its way into your body whether it be by pollutants from our environment, virus, bacteria, or even cancer.
CLICK HERE NOW TO BUY YOUR BIOPRO-PLUS™ today! Start building your immune system so you can
Win The Fight with anything that tries to make you sick!
-By Alternative Health Concepts
References:
American Cancer Society. "World Health Organization: Outdoor Air Pollution Causes Cancer" October 2013.
U.C. Berkeley News Center. "Air pollution alters immune function, worsens asthma symptoms" October 2010.
Physicians for Social Responsibility "Environmental Pollutants and the Immune System"
Blacksmith Institute. "Environmental Contaminants and the Immune System"
