The Immune System
A healthy immune
system is the best way to prevent the occurrence of an autoimmune disease, such
as myasthenia gravis.
The human immune
system is complicated in that it affects the whole body system in many
different ways. As such, it can heal you but it can also harm you. It protects
your cells and maintains your overall health through its production of
antibodies (specific proteins) to fight against antigens (invaders to your body
system). However, an impaired immune system can adversely affect your health
because it is the common denominator of more than 100 autoimmune diseases.
The Cellular Health
Cells make up your
organs. When cells die, your organs fail and health deteriorates, and you age
and die.
To maintain and
sustain life, some of your cells replicate themselves continually, such as
epithelial cells in your intestine, while others do not divide, such as your
heart cells and neurons in your brain.
The good news is that,
on average, most normal human cells have more than 100 years of lifespan built
into them.
The bad news is that
all human cells require energy and oxygen to function normally,
and in this oxidative process free radicals are created. For example, when you
breathe in life-giving oxygen, you also breathe out harmful carbon dioxide.
This oxidative process is how your Creator has ingeniously built normal cell
death into your body system to ensure your immortality. Slowly and
accumulatively, these free radicals build up in your cells, leading to
premature cell death. You cannot prolong life indefinitely, but you can extend
lifespan by slowing down the oxidative process of free radicals. In other
words, eradication of free radicals holds the key to health and longevity.
Premature cell death
is due to both human and environmental factors, such as bacteria and viruses,
free radicals, toxins, and trauma, which can cause irreparable damage to your
cells, and thus instrumental in accelerating the demise of these cells.
However, many of these factors are not only avoidable but also preventable.
Essentially, genes
play an important role in determining the quality of your genes. In other
words, your genetic time clock governs how long your cells will live, and this
is partially determined at birth. However, your objective is to outpace
your genetic time clock. Remember, nothing is set in stone; you always have a
choice—the choice is all yours.
(Next time: how
body cells may damage your immune system)
Stephen Lau
Copyright© by Stephen Lau
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