chapter 1: hope in a time of crisis
IMMUNITY means ‘protection or exemption from something’.
There is no tissue or organ with a more significant influence on our health than the immune system. It is our body’s defence system, and its main function is to distinguish self from non-self, identifying and defending our body from invaders such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites and other pathogens. As well as fighting infection, our immune system has many other crucial functions, such as regulating body weight and metabolism, aiding the healing process, and even determining how we age. It is not located in one set of organized tissues, but is spread systematically throughout our body, consisting of many different cells, organs, and tissues that work together to fight infection, cellular damage and disease. Unfortunately, the immune system can, at times, make a mistake and attack itself, resulting in autoimmune disorders. For the immune system and its relevant tissues to be healthy, they must have adequate and optimal nutrition. Furthermore, undernourished individuals have a greater risk of adverse immune response and, irrespective of how mild a response, all immune responses place greater nutritional demands on the individual.
We are on the verge of a global immunity crisis – there has never been a more appropriate time to address our immunity, and how we can support it to promote optimal health. The Immunity Cookbook provides timely advice, supported by evidence-based research, and its aim is to give you the knowledge and practical guidance needed to help you balance and support your immune system.
To live a healthy and happy life we need as strong and balanced immunity as possible, which can be achieved by focusing on adopting a nutrient-dense and balanced diet, exercising appropriately, ensuring sufficient sleep, and managing stress effectively. First, let’s take a closer look at the biggest threats to our immunity: infectious diseases, autoimmunity and allergies.
The threat is increasing
Every single day of our lives we are threatened with countless possible infectious risks, which our immune system often handles without us even realizing. Over the last twenty years we have experienced several devastating epidemics and pandemics, such as Covid-19, MERS (2012), H1N1 – also known as swine flu (2009), and SARS (2002). Out of all the infectious diseases of the last twenty years, at the time of writing swine flu has inflicted the most devastation, with the virus infecting as many as 1.4 billion people and killing between 151,700 and 575,400 worldwide1. The 2009 swine flu pandemic was the second H1N1 pandemic the world had seen – the first being the 1918 Spanish flu, the most deadly pandemic in history, which killed more than 50 million individuals. We are now in the midst of another devastating pandemic, with more than 216 countries affected by Covid-19.
In addition to the public health threat that infectious diseases pose, autoimmune disorders are currently at near-epidemic levels, with more than 80 autoimmune disorders known at present. These disorders can cause extreme pain, everyday difficulties, and often put people at risk of premature death. Some of the most common autoimmune diseases include Type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus (SLE). Four million people in the UK are living with an autoimmune condition. In the US, autoimmune disease is the third most common category of disease after cancer and cardiovascular disease, affecting 14.7 to 23.5 million people, which is equivalent 5 to 8 per cent of the population2.
Allergies, like autoimmune diseases, are the result of the immune system overreacting. They now affect more than 20 per cent of the populations of most developed countries, and more than 150 million people in Europe suffer from chronic allergic diseases. The current prediction is that by 2025 half of the entire EU population will be affected3. Globally, the World Allergy Organization (WAO) estimates allergy prevalence of the whole population by country ranges between 10 and 40 per cent, while in the UK allergies are believed to affect more than 1 in 4 people at some stage during their lives4. They are especially common in children and, although some allergies disappear as a child gets older, many are permanent and will last a lifetime.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the recent statistics:
The germ is nothing, the terrain is everything
In 1865, Louis Pasteur, along with Robert Koch, proposed Germ Theory, which stated that microorganisms invade a healthy body and subsequently result in disease. He also hypothesized that each germ produces one disease; thus, by eliminating that germ, the disease would also be eliminated. However, his contemporary, Claude Bernard, who worked with him to develop the process of ‘pasteurization’, believed that the state of the body, rather than an invading organism was the most important factor in disease. He hypothesized that if the body were healthy, the organism would not be able to invade, and there would be no ensuing disease. Pasteur, on his deathbed, admitted his former colleague’s hypothesis was correct, and that ‘the germ is nothing, the terrain is everything’. It is now very clear that not all diseases are caused by germs, as we can see, for example, with allergies.
The search is on for new forms of prevention and treatment to combat new diseases such as Covid-19. But what can we do to be protected against such debilitating diseases? Fortunately, one of the most powerful tools to which we all have access – and which is within our control – is our own immune system. It is our most valuable resource and our principal line of defence.
Our immune system is truly incredible and, for much of the time, it is protecting us against potentially harmful invaders without us even being aware. Through improved gut health, and nutritional and lifestyle modifications, our immunity can be supported to fight infection and disease. This is incredibly important, because as we age, the less effective our immune systems become.
Why we need to support our immunity
Immunity suppressors
Immunity is essential to good health, from the moment of conception, when the mother’s immune system begins to protect the developing baby, right through until old age. However, we are living in fast-paced times, and every day we are exposed to numerous factors that can suppress our immune systems, including:
It is imperative that we try to limit as many of the immunity suppressors as possible to ensure that our immune system remains balanced.