BOOSTING IMMUNITY: A STRATEGY FOR HEALTH-TOXINS

Toxin as a 'poison especially of animal or vegetable origin; poison formed in body by pathogenic organism'.

Definitions change with time; a toxin was originally a substance used to poison Greek arrows. Today we need to extend the meaning of toxin, in the sense of a poison, to any substance our bodies have difficulty dealing with. Such difficulty will result in some form of toxic reaction.

Many substances can have adverse effects on the response of our immune system. The problem is that it is not possible to draw up a list of these substances, mark them 'dangerous' and thus solve the problem. Their effects in a population will form a continuum; individual differences will be reflected in varying responses according to differing metabolic characteristics. Some substances are unambiguously dangerous. The heavy metals, such as lead and cadmium, which circulate as pollutants in the environment, are known to aid disease in a variety of ways.

The problem arises with many of the 40,000 or so artificial molecules now circulating in the environment. These are made by the chemical industry and turned into a wide variety of products, from plastics to food additives. Every area of our life involves such substances; it is difficult to avoid them. These entirely artificial molecules complement the damage done by natural poisons. We evolved to live with some of these natural substances, but our manipulation of many aspects of our environment means that we are now exposed to grossly unnatural amounts of them. Nitrate fertilizers, which pollute water courses and turn into toxic nitrites, are an increasingly common example.

While each of the substances we produce and use is assessed as 'safe' (except for those used as poisons, in agriculture and so on), the effect of many such substances acting together is rarely assessed. Yet this is exactly the problem we expect our immune systems to tackle. The immune system is the gate-keeper of access to our bodies at many levels. It has to deal with all the chemicals we breathe, eat and drink in the modern world. While an expert may say that a particular substance, be it food additive, solvent or cleanser, is safe on its own, it would be foolish to claim that a random mixture of ten, or a hundred, or a thousand of them in varying proportions is safe beyond doubt.

The problem of toxins is further complicated by variations in individual response. Each of us will respond differently to a different dose and range of such substances. Some might get spots, others develop allergies, others find their immune system compromised when required to fight off infection. While hard proof of damage from such a wide-ranging source of usually low-level pollution is unattainable, the association is strong enough for many to be in no doubt. Many modern chemical industry products amount to low-level poisons, and our bodies treat them as such. We use up valuable capacity dealing with this self-imposed burden.

By now you may be feeling a little uncomfortable, wondering which part of your body battlefield is going to cave in first. Be reassured. Your immune system is running a vast protective enterprise non-stop, night and day, on your behalf.

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