Autoimmune Diseases

When I first started hearing about autoimmune diseases and how the body's immune system attacks itself, it didn't make sense to me. Our bodies aren't designed to attack themselves just for the fun of it, so what is up? I concluded our immune system is attacking something that has infiltrated our bodies, something it sees as a foreign invader and must be removed. Now, what could that be? Yep. Chemicals. I've been alone with my theory for a long time, accused by anyone who didn't want to hear it that my thought processes had been taken over by anti-chemical propaganda and paranoia.

An acquaintance of mine, Heidi, has had lupus for the last fifteen years. About once a year her kidneys fail, she is hospitalized, given chemotherapy treatments, and spends months home-bound recovering her strength. The next time I see her she is unrecognizable. She doesn't expect to live very long. Heidi told me no one knows what causes our bodies to attack themselves.  Hmmm.... When I presented my chemicals-are-our-attackers theory to her, she considered it for a minute until I told her she might feel better if she gave up junk food, coffee, soft drinks, and smoking. She told me I was being ridiculous. Yeah, OK. She's had this disease for fifteen years and I've known about it for fifteen minutes so I figured maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. But my theory is better than no one knows what causes it.

Heidi isn't the only person I know with an autoimmune disease. Three people I know have lupus, several have multiple sclerosis, two have Crohn's disease, one has diabetes and I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis about a year ago. This is just a short sample from a much longer list of diseases considered to be autoimmune-related. Statistics show autoimmune conditions affect 50 million people and it is predicted this should increase to 75 million by 2050. Most are women (same as chemical sensitivity) and if you have one autoimmune disease, there is a high probability you will develop more. I know one woman who has had celiac disease and was recently diagnosed with both lupus and Sjögren syndrome. Triple whammy.

Donna Jackson Nakazawa, author of The Autoimmune Epidemic, believes autoimmunity is caused by...wait for it...ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS, specifically heavy metals and industrial waste. I'm inclined to include ALL toxins. We are inundated with poisons through air, food, and water. They are stored in our tissues causing our immune systems to attack within in order to remove them. That's what are bodies are supposed to do, unfortunately, it creates an internal war zone making the host feel really lousy in the process.

Ms. Nakazawa's general suggestions read like any chemical sensitivity menu: organic diet, stress avoidance, no cosmetics, dark hair dyes or nail polish, and no chemical household cleaners. Avoid the poisons! The book discusses the risks of supplementation due to conflicting research so there was some indication to avoid manufactured vitamins, minerals and herbs. She implies supplementation might be contributing to the autoimmune epidemic! In addition, we all should adopt a really good detoxification protocol promoting adequate amounts of sunshine (natural Vitamin D), food-source antioxidants, and food-source essential fatty acids.

Also, avoid viruses and DO NOT get vaccines. Ms. Nakazawa presents evidence suggesting viruses are often catalysts for these autoimmune diseases so it stands to reason having viruses purposely pumped into your body is a risk. Just before I became seriously chemically sensitive, I received vaccines for a teaching position. For years I argued with my superiors because I already had all the childhood diseases in question and this natural immunity should fulfill their hoop-jumping requirements. In a moment of weakness, tired of arguing, I caved. Oops. To think we automatically vaccinate our babies before they even get a chance to argue.

The Organic Consumers Association website posted an article on February 21, 2012 about the American Medical Association pushing for mandatory vaccination trials. Are they trying to kill us? Well, yeah! There is a lot of money to be made from autoimmune diseases. This is job security for doctors.

I ran into Heidi at the grocery store the other day. Her face was swollen from the last kidney failure and her grocery cart filled to the brim with junk food.   I just want to scream, "Can't you at least TRY to eat better and make healthier choices to see if it helps!?" But I only smile and keep walking.