Hey ya’ll (redneckese for “Hi all”). I noticed that many people with Morgellons believe their immune systems are compromised or depressed and this may contribute to parasitic infections. I talked some about this in the web document from my first post a few days ago (“nutrition can cause symptoms” under “theories and speculation”) but thought it might help to provide some more info. Several vitamins and minerals are very good immune system “boosters”.
Vitamin C – Based on my research, I believe vitamin C may be the closest thing there is to being a true “wonder drug”. In addition to being required for collagen production, vitamin C boosts the immune system several ways (collagen fibers in the body are critical to the immune system – some cancer research shows that if these fibers are dense enough they can “trap” cancerous cells which prevents them from spreading as rapidly and allows the immune system more time to attack them). Also, vitamin C boosts the adrenal response of the body to stress. Another thing vitamin C does is help create hydrogen peroxide in the blood stream (I didn’t realize the body creates hydrogen peroxide as part of the immune system until I did all this research - see the link at the bottom of the post). Part of the natural immune system response to “invaders” is for white blood cells to attack them and “zap” them with oxygen in the hydrogen peroxide (enzymes then destroy what’s left of the invaders). Generous doses of vitamin C help the body generate more H2O2 filled white blood cells – it also helps lower LDL cholesterol and elevate HDL cholesterol (comparably to statins according to several studies).
Zinc – Zinc is responsible for the production of more than 300 enzymes in the body (research is discovering more all the time). It also is very important for the Thymus gland being able to make the “killer” T-cells of the immune system.
Silica – in addition to silica being a required ingredient of collagen (which I think may explain why silica is identified as being a component of some Morgellons fibers) it also is required by the Thymus gland which produces T-cells to fight infection. Silica is important in many aspects of health because it is found in all connective tissue in the body – some studies show it also helps with Alzheimer’s by reducing aluminum absorption in the body.
Garlic – garlic has antiseptic and antiparasitic properties (been used for thousands of years as such). It also contains 33 compounds of natural sulfur and 17 amino acids and has slight blood-thinning effects (which is why it is believed to be good for the heart – the heart is made of collagen fibers and keratin). It is also believed to help the immune system partly by increasing blood flow (strengthen the heart and thin the blood).
Beta carotene and Vitamin E – Beta carotene is part of a group of “carotenoids” that are required for keratin production. Much of the immune system effects come from its properties as an antioxidant. Vitamin E is also an effective antioxidant and studies show it may help prevent heart attacks with long term use. The antioxidant properties of these substances are maximized by combining them with vitamin C (which also acts as an antioxidant in some roles).
The human body literally IS a chemical reaction and nutrients are most effective when they interact with each other. There is lots of info on the web that discusses the nutrients above – just google “immune system vitamins”. There’s also a lot available about hydrogen peroxide and how the body uses it. The link below is for an article I found very interesting:
http://educate-yourself.org/cancer/b...e17jul03.shtml