Your immune system is under attack… and not in the way you’d expect.
When you think about all your immune system does, you likely think about how it protects you against viruses and bacteria. But what you may not realize is that your immune system faces lesser known – but equally as destructive – direct threats every day.
These unseen threats are particularly sinister because they can sabotage your immune system and deactivate critical immune cells, compromising your immune responses. And they can force your immune system to overreact, triggering or worsening autoimmune diseases… or to under-react, leaving you extremely vulnerable to whatever’s going around.
Since you can’t easily avoid these immune hazards, you need to take proactive steps to stay healthy and protected.
But first, you have to know what you’re up against... And some of these threats may shock you.
Threat #1: Pollution
You probably know that pollution can make it harder to breathe – especially for people with allergies or lung conditions like COPD. But that’s just one way pollution attacks your health. Pollution contains immunotoxic compounds, meaning they disable healthy immune function. And the consequences of that exposure can take decades to show up, often in the form of chronic disease.
Pollution affects different types of immune cells in different ways. They stimulate pro-inflammatory immune cells. They alter the way lymphocytes produce antibodies (your frontline soldiers, also called immunoglobulins). And air pollution has been shown to impact immunity, even in children, by affecting the genes that regulate the immune system and immune cell responses.
Threat #2: Off-Gassing
Off-gassing happens when everyday items give off chemicals and you breathe them in. Have you ever opened a new shower curtain and been put off by the smell? That’s off-gassing. But it’s not always that sudden or obvious. And these volatile organic compounds (VOC) are often found in the places and things you spend most of your time around. Some of the most toxic off-gassing offenders include:
- Formaldehyde, which has been linked with immune diseases and cancer
- Benzene, which damages the immune system by altering immunoglobulin levels
- Phthalates, which have been linked with autoimmune conditions and overactive immune system crises commonly used products that can harbor VOCs come from many and indoor furnishings, such as:
- Gasoline
- Paints and stains
- New furniture
- New carpets/floors
- New mattresses
- New vehicles
- Personal care products.
- Aerosol sprays
- Cleaners and room deodorizers
Threat #3: Pesticides
The point of pesticides is to kill things – and that includes healthy immune system function. Unfortunately, it’s nearly impossible to avoid all exposure to pesticides even if you don’t use them. If your neighbors spray their lawns… if your kids play soccer on a public field… if you eat any non-organically grown foods (and sadly even some organically grown foods)… then you’ve been exposed to pesticides.