Dec 27, 2011
The immune system is one of the most complex and interesting systems of the body. Without it, we cannot live for long on earth. When it is compromised, so too is our health. When it is healthy and functioning as it was designed, we can interact with the world around us with relative impunity.
Current thinking on the immune system breaks it down into three primary components: innate, acquired and passive. Your cough reflex, tears, skin, mucus, enzymes in tears and skin oils as well as the wide variety of innate humoral immunity (e.g. interferon and interleukin-1 which causes fever), are all part of your innate immune system. Your acquired immune system develops when you are exposed to various antigens. Finally, your passive immune system includes certain types of white blood cells, blood chemicals and proteins. It plays a dual role of directly attacking xenobiotics as it complements the other forms of immunity.
Proper nutrition goes a long way towards building a healthy immune system, but so too does letting your immune system do its job. We’ve learned a lot about nutrition over the last few decades and my impression is that we are on the verge of another series of important discoveries that will come as a result of the growing body of scientific research in this area. We’ve also come to learn the importance of the proper balance of rest and exertion, though few in the industrialized nations manage to arrange their lives in a way that allows for healthy patterns of rest. Modern society seems to demand constant stimulation.
What we’ve failed to recognize as a society, however, is the enormous power of the acquired immune system. We are trained presently from a very young age to suppress the very system that is adapting to and learning its way around the constantly changing environment. “Have a fever? Take an aspirin. Sore throat? Whip out the z-pack. Mucus congestion? Take an expectorant. Troublesome cough? Reach for the sugary syrup.” But at what cost?
Remember that the acquired immune system depends on its exposure to and successful handling of viruses and bacteria that are foreign to the body for it to learn and grow stronger. If we arbitrarily short-circuit that process because of the discomfort, inconvenience or fear of the condition getting worse, we not only limit our acquired immunity; we also prevent our bodies from dealing with the antigens in the most elegant, efficient and safe manner they knows how. We may address what we thought was the problem (runny nose, fever, etc.) but in so doing we can be stripping the body of its most elegant solution for handling the invader.
One of the central challenges we face in health care — one that has significant implications for our future ability as a race to deal with the environment — is that of restoring balance in the way we work with our acquired immune systems. This is obviously a complex subject, but my impression is that the “suppress now, rest later” mentality we’ve come to accept over time is not always the best approach.
At Energetix, this is just one area where we are working to develop viable alternatives to suppressive therapies. The more we examine, and the closer we look, the more we discover that the body employs a multitude of highly intelligent strategies for dealing with the imbalances and toxins that assault it on a daily basis. Sometimes those strategies themselves become extreme, but most often what works the best is to surround, nourish and cooperate with those strategies. We’re always interested to hear of your discoveries in this area of cooperative, non-supressive therapy.
Gregg Hake
Born in Heidelberg, Germany, Gregg Hake received a B.A. in Political Science and French from the University of Michigan and an M.B.A. in International Business from Boston College. In an effort to speed his recovery from an injury suffered while playing soccer for the University of Michigan, Gregg delved into the world of complementary and alternative medicine. Inspired from his discoveries in the fields of nutrition, homeopathy and Traditional Chinese Medicine, Gregg decided to devote his life to wellness. Gregg has founded a number of companies in the wellness field, beginning with an import/export company that dealt primarily with honeybee products. Ever-mindful of finding ways to improve the health and wellbeing of his fellows, Gregg has focused his efforts in the wellness, prevention and spa industries over the last two decades. As CEO of several innovative product and service companies, including Energetix Corporation, Anakiri, LLC, The Body Sanctuary, Inc. and The Spa on Green Street, Gregg is committed to building a team of fine people and a network of caring and successful health care practitioners. Gregg is eager to establish a legacy of excellence for his sons and their generation. Working closely with his wife, Melissa, to nurture their growing family and family of businesses, Gregg’s greatest pleasure is spending time with his two sons, Christopher and William. Gregg is also an avid aviator, equestrian, falconer and student of all things classical.
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