Passive immunity is built when antibodies are transferred from
mother to child. Acquired immunity develops through exposure to antigens over time. A strong immune system is
crucial to good health since many pathogens, such as parasites, viruses and bacteria, come our way on a daily basis. Allergies
are inappropriate reactions to normal substances and are essentially manifestations
of immune responses as well as nervous system responses. Autoimmune disease may be a manifestation of delayed response
to allergens.
Allergies may be the immediate response type (IgE) typically tested using
the standard "prick" tests and treated by injection, which are actually only about 5% of the existing allergies,
or they may be delayed response (IgG) allergies which encompass about 95% of existing allergies and are not typically tested by
the standard methods. To address the root causes of allergies, Dr. Christopher Jackson, Ph.D., D.O.M., A.P. (FL) uses biofeedback combined with cold laser acupuncture. Inducing endorphin production as a response to
allergens, this method treats individuals with both immediate and delayed response allergic reactions, without painful "prick"
tests or injections.
Immunity is also very important in the prevention and treatment of cancer.
Our bodies carry tiny cancer cells frequently and it is the job of our immune systems to attack and devour these cells.
Additionally, our food can help to inhibit blood flow to cancer cells (angiogenesis) if chosen appropriately.
As
researcher Dr. William Li has stated, "What we eat is really our chemotherapy, three times a day."
As world-renowned physician, author,
and medical educator Andrew Weil, MD, has stated,
"In
the not too distant future, chemo and radiation will be obsolete. Clearly, the future will be immunotherapy."
The current application of chemotherapy
for treatment of cancer tends to weaken the immune system of the cancer patient, setting the stage for further
susceptibility to cancer development in the future. Radiation therapy has a similar effect, since ionizing
radiation itself is carcinogenic (cancer-causing). X-rays are also ionizing, including those used in mammography
and CT scans. Studies show that non-invasive alternatives to these methods, such as thermography, may be much more effective at early detection.