In theory, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is responsible for providing current, accurate information about health-related issues for Americans.  

Too bad a lot of what we’re seeing from them is neither current nor accurate. 

First of all, when searching “Leading causes of death in the US,” the CDC is still showing data from 2021 (three years ago).  That’s current? 

Heart disease continues to top the list with about 695,000 deaths, and cancer remains number two, with 605,000. 

Coming in at number three is COVID with 417,000 deaths, but it’s important to realize that that death count is inaccurate because it is dramatically inflated by including both deaths with COVID and of COVID.  The true death figure from COVID alone is closer to about 25,000. 

Rounding out the top five are accidents at 225,000, and strokes which replaced chronic lower respiratory diseases in the number five position with 163,000 deaths. 

I wonder what could have caused that. 

But there is another type of disease that currently affects up to 55 million Americans, yet it doesn’t even appear on the list. 

Autoimmune disease! 

Although autoimmune diseases don’t immediately lead to death, they slowly rob your body of its ability to function and severely impact your quality of life, and then they eventually take it.  

Here’s what you need to know about autoimmunity, how to help prevent it, and what you can do if you are facing an autoimmune condition. 

How does autoimmunity occur? 

Your immune system is everywhere in your body.  Although the majority of it (about 80 percent) is located in your gut, your immune cells travel ALL through your body, looking for “invaders” such as a virus, infection or even cancer cells! 

When it detects an invader, it launches an attack and destroys the “enemy”—thereby protecting you and keeping you healthy! 

But with autoimmunity, your immune cells get confused and hypersensitive.  They start to see your normal, healthy functioning cells, tissues and organs as a dangerous invader and launch an attack. 

As this repeatedly continues, chronic inflammation is triggered.  Eventually it causes great harm to your cells and organs and leads to impairment or loss of normal bodily functioning. 

All territories are fair game 

Since your immune system is virtually everywhere in your body, autoimmunity can affect you from head to toe.  Here are some examples: 

• IBD (inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis) 
• Rheumatoid arthritis 
• Type 1 diabetes 
• Parkinson’s disease  
• Multiple sclerosis  
• Lupus 
• Scleroderma (thickening and hardening of the skin) 
• Sjogren's syndrome (chronic dry eyes) 
• Graves' disease (overproduction of thyroid hormones) 
• Hashimoto's disease (underproduction of thyroid hormones) 
• Guillain-Barre' syndrome (weakness, numbness and paralysis) 
• Psoriasis 

So far, researchers have identified between 80-100 different autoimmune diseases, and at least another 40 conditions are suspected as having an autoimmune component. 

Once you have an autoimmune disease, you are highly likely to get another one.  That’s because once your immune system is hyper-stimulated, it very often continues its attacks on another one or more of your bodily systems.   

Tell me why 

You may wonder why someone’s immune system starts going haywire and attacking healthy cells. 

Because it’s provoked into doing so. 

When your immune system is exposed to things that are or could be mistaken for a dangerous invader, it can be triggered into going overboard and launching an inflammatory reaction when it shouldn't. 

Here are some factors that could be stirring up your immune system: 

1) Lacking stomach acid 

Your body has natural barriers that prevent dangerous molecules from seeping into your bloodstream, and that includes your stomach acid. 

In addition to carrying out the first step of breaking down proteins that you eat, your stomach acid can also kill many pathogens that you may ingest with your food. 

But if you are lacking stomach acid, you are vulnerable to harmful invaders getting into your gut and being absorbed into circulation.   

Considering the astronomical number of people who regularly use antacids or acid reducers, it’s no surprise that many are lacking this crucial safety barrier and putting their immune systems on alert as a result. 

2) Intestinal hyper-permeability 

Having a gut wall that’s too porous (known as intestinal hyper-permeability or leaky gut) can allow harmful substances to enter your bloodstream and provoke your immune system. 

Intestinal hyper-permeability is typically the result of poor digestion, but it can also be caused by:  

• Intestinal infections 
• Medications—especially NSAIDS, which are commonly prescribed for autoimmune disease pain!  
• Excessive alcohol use 
• Trauma 
• Stress 
• Harmful bacteria and yeast overgrowth 

3) Vaccines 

Most vaccines are designed to give you a small dose of a virus to “fool” your immune system into thinking you’re sick and trick it into developing antibodies to that virus.   

But everyone’s system is different, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility that certain people’s immune systems might not react as expected, and/or may overreact.    

In addition, research suggests the adjuvants in vaccines—especially the toxic metal aluminum—as being a likely triggering factor behind autoimmunity.     

There has been a concurrent rise in autoimmune disease rates and the number of mandated vaccines, and I don’t think that’s a coincidence. 

4) Widespread vitamin D deficiency 

Vitamin D deficiency has now reached epidemic proportions, thanks to our exaggerated fears of the sun and slathering on sunscreen. 

Vitamin D helps calm excessive inflammatory actions of your immune system, so without its protective efforts, your immune system is more likely to “misbehave.” 

Help support sound immune function 

To help minimize your chances of facing autoimmune disease (or help fight back if you’ve got one) you can encourage your immune system to stay strong AND act appropriately by giving it help in these ways: 

Promote a healthy gut environment 

Concentrate on gut-friendly foods like fresh vegetables and fermented foods like yogurt and sauerkraut.   

At the same time, stay away from processed and fast foods, seed oils and refined sugars and grains.   

Plus probiotic supplementation with a potent, full-spectrum formula like Super Shield PLUS can help repopulate your supply of friendly intestinal microbes and support a healthier flora balance that can protect you as well as be a good home to your immune system. 

Ease inflammatory actions with vitamin D 

Supplementation with a quality vitamin D formula like Optimum DK Formula with FruiteX-B can go a long way in helping to counteract the overzealous inflammatory responses seen with autoimmune conditions.   

Also, reasonable (not excessive) exposure to sunlight without sunscreen will help your body naturally produce vitamin D.  Just 20-30 minutes is all it usually takes.   

Consider acupuncture 

Acupuncture has been shown to be extremely helpful in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, both to help curb the inflammation storm and to reduce pain. 

Carefully weigh the risks and benefits all medications, including vaccines 

Most medications, including vaccines, acid reducers and antibiotics, can affect your gut health and immune function.   

Read package inserts for ALL drugs and vaccines, use medications only if absolutely necessary, and talk to your doctor about natural alternatives.  If he or she is unwilling to discuss the matter with you, find another who will. 

Treat your immune system like the precious gold that it is and support its proper functioning.   

To your health, 

Sherry Brescia