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COLD
OR FLU
Every year, 20 to 50 percent of the U.S. population catches one. People
sniffling, coughing, and passing viruses to family, friends, co-commuters,
and co-workers. We suffer with fevers, chills, aches, pains, sore throats,
congestion, and fatigue. We lose days from work and school. The very young
and very old may even spend days in a hospital. All in all, it’s
an experience no one looks forward to.
LOOKING TO REDUCE YOUR
ODDS OF ILLNESS?
As everyone knows, there is no cure for colds and the flu. Antibiotics
are an option for fungal and bacterial infections, but not viruses (although
some doctors may dispense them to prevent secondary bacterial infections).
Some people doubt the effectiveness and/or safety of flu vaccinations.
This process of elimination makes strengthening your immune system imperative.
It isn’t just the recommended defensive strategy for holistic people
and practitioners; it is our only defense!
There are many ways to support your immune system to help resist infection:
Get sufficient sleep, manage stress, and supplement with nutrients like
zinc, vitamin C, and Omega-3 fatty acids. All of these strengthen the
immune response in different ways.
There is, however, another very important way to support your immunity.
To explain this, let’s examine the basics of how the immune system
functions.
White blood cells (or leukocytes) are the cells of the immune system and
are produced in the bone marrow. The many types of white blood cells include
eosinophils, natural killer cells, neutrophils, and so on. Some are part
of what is called innate immunity and have a more general action against
pathogens. Others are much more targeted in their response. Still others
are a part of humoral immunity, which respond to extracellular pathogens
like bacteria and certain fungi. These are the B cells, which create antibodies
against these types
of invaders.
T-cells are a class of white blood cells that are also specialists. T-cells
have a cell-mediated immune response action against viruses, cancers,
and certain fungi. To a degree, both specific immune responses are inter-dependent.
Still, since colds and the flu are both caused by viruses, it is the T-cellmediated
immune response that is the main line of defense against such infections.
The CD4+ T helper cell (also known as T-4 or Th1) is the “manager”
of this T-cell sector. It receives antigenic messages, i.e., the alert
of a viral entry in the body, to which it is then prompted to produce
chemical messengers (interleukins and interferon) that activate T-8 killer
cells. These killer T-cells need the CD4+ T helper cell stimulus in order
to rally against viruses and other pathogens. Without sufficient numbers
of activated CD4+ T helper cells, this response is compromised.
With the exception of T cells, all white blood cells are biologically
active upon release from the bone marrow. To become active, these cells
need to travel to the thymus gland for a protein made by that gland. This
is, in fact, why they are
called “T cells.” “T” stands for “thymus.”
The thymus gland, located at the base of the neck, is necessary for proper
T-cell function. The gland makes complex proteins which are necessary
to activate T cells. Interestingly, the thymus begins a process of involution,
or shrinking, after puberty. The shrinkage of the thymus continues through
our 20s and 30s. By the time we are 40, the gland is often about 20 percent
of its peak size. Also, as we age, some of the proteingenerating cells
in the gland turn fibrous and fatty, become non-functional, and are no
longer able to supply the proteins the T-cell immune system needs. This
thymic decline is universal in humans. A deficiency of these proteins
compromises T-cell immune response to viruses and other pathogens. Hence,
everyone will experience this reduction in protein production by the thymus
gland.
Pro-Boost™
Thymic Protein A is a patented nutraceutical designed
to replace missing thymic protein for the CD4+T helper cell and support
healthy T-cell immune response. Alternative thyroid support products tend
to be comprised of ground-up thymus glandular product, which only offer
small protein fragments considered useless to T cells. Each dose of ProBoost™
contains 12 trillion complete thymic proteins, which include more than
500 amino acids in each molecule specifically designed for the CD4+ T
cell. It is the same natural protein produced by the human thymus gland.
These proteins are not found in food.
Prevention really is worth a pound of cure. Don’t wait for your
spouse, your child, or your co-worker to start sniffling and coughing.
Fortify your T-cell immune response with improved sleep, relaxation, and
a supplement regime that may include ProBoost™ Thymic Protein A
for yourself and your entire family.
