Prevent your immune system from attacking you! – Between 25 and 50 is when you can do the most about your immune system turning against you.
An operating room nurse once told me that often surgeons can’t clamp the blood vessels of older patients because they’re so calcified that they could fracture. This isn’t unusual; it’s a result of our immune system harming us when it tries to help us. It starts in our mid-twenties or before.
Our body does a good job of keeping us out of trouble in the short run when we have an injury or minor infection, but it morphs from friend to foe when it tries to protect us from chronic assaults. This deep flaw described in hundreds of studies goes by names such as “Inflammaging” and “Immunosenescence”. It’s like a slow version of the better-known autoimmune disease. Among the least noticed yet most dangerous triggers are;
- Toxins that accumulate in tissue
- Low-grade infection that goes undetected for years
- Elastin fiber degradation slowly turns us into stone
One of the body’s responses is oxidative stress, which is useful when cells use it to destroy invading pathogens, but when there’s too much stimulus, the imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants sends the immune system into silent overdrive. An early sign is chronic inflammation. A later sign is the hardening of your tissue.
Ultimately this triggers chronic conditions such as the calcified arteries that surgeons often see, as well as hypertension, reduced lung capacity, bladder weakness, wrinkles, and sagging skin. When our body is constantly fighting itself, a slow decline follows.
So, what’s to be done?
Many product manufacturers advise “bolstering” your immune system, but this isn’t necessarily the right answer. Your immune system is already over-activated by chronic irritants. On the other hand, suppressing the immune system while the problem still persists just masks it.
A better strategy is to get rid of the irritants to calm down that over-reaction. In the case of persistent toxins such as heavy metals, certain foods will help your body get rid of them (see examples in my column on conquering hidden stress). Toxin-specific infusions are also used, and these often require medical supervision. With low-grade infections, the important thing is to test properly for them so they can be treated (see examples in my column on what are hidden infections).
Elastin degradation can be slowed by those interventions. Tools like nutrition, stress reduction, and the right kind of exercise are also worthwhile. Despite those though, the body still needs to have its genetic clock rebooted so its elastic fiber can rejuvenate, because after the age of 30, it stops assembling elastin fiber. Scientists have long sought to halt or reverse this process, but elastin’s intricate structure and function pose significant challenges. Advances in biotechnology, however, have reignited hope.
Researchers have developed innovative ways of stimulating elastin synthesis and repairing damaged fibers. These efforts include reactivating the genetic pathways responsible for elastin production, as well as the development of biomaterials that can mimic the properties of natural elastin. Oddly, the major players in this high-stakes game are hard to find, as they haven’t been in the news much, so here’s a primer on who they are;
- Allergan Aesthetics (an AbbVie Company) acquired a tropoelastin scaffold technology that prevents scarring in wound healing.
- Nectero Medical, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developed therapies for aneurysms, particularly abdominal aortic aneurysms
- Neolastin has a cream by the same name reported to restore elastin in the skin.
- Elastin Therapeutics has technology for systemically restoring elastin throughout the vascular system.
- Elastin Biosciences is a pre-clinical stage company developing small molecule therapies for elastin deficiency diseases.
Research is also going on to adapt mechanisms from animals that handle the chronic immune response better than humans do. These include;
1. Sharks and long-lived whales
- Extraordinary antiviral defenses. Squalamine compound can thwart infections like dengue fever, hepatitis B and D. Remarkable immune system adaptation
2. Ostriches
- Considered to have the strongest immune system among animals. Highly resistant to viral infections. Antibodies can remain active at high temperatures (up to 100°C)
- Effective against viruses like influenza, avian flu, MERS, Zika, and Ebola.
3. Bats
- Can carry many dangerous viruses without getting sick. Immune system specially adapted to tolerate viruses. Exceptional ability to limit inflammation. Unique viral defense mechanisms.
4. Alligators
- Strong innate immune system. Blood serum can destroy 23 harmful bacterial strains. Demonstrated ability to deplete HIV virus reserves.
5. Vultures
- Evolved strong gut immune system and consumed rotting flesh without getting sick. Extremely acidic stomach (10-1000 times more acidic than humans). Specialized immune cells for destroying germs.
Another roadblock is healthcare systems that don’t recognize toxin accumulation, low-grade infection, and elastin degradation, as therapeutic targets. If they did, we might not have to bother with many drugs that get approved for symptoms rather than causes.
On this score, you can do something. Integrative and holistic practitioners are often more tuned in to the challenge than the conventional medical community, as is the new generation of longevity practitioners. There are dozens of websites and conferences on longevity, and it pays to scan them or develop an RSS feed. A Google news feed on keywords like elastin and longevity is another way to keep track. Finally, ask an AI chatbot like Perplexity. for the latest information.
To learn more, see my earlier columns in Best Holistic Life Magazine on heavy metals in baby food, infections, and elastin, as well as the book Discovering the Nature of Longevity, and you can find a link to that here.
Get Douglas Mulhall’s Book
- About the author: Douglas Mulhall’s latest book, Discovering the Nature of Longevity: Restoring the Heart and Body by Targeting Hidden Stress, explores prevention and therapies for heavy metals contamination. The American Institute of Stress recommends it and carries a Foreword by the Chief author of the American Heart Association statement on toxic heavy metals. He co-develops award-winning certifications and standards for products globally and is a registered ISO expert on a global standard for declaring the contents of products.
- Read more from VIP Executive Contributor Douglas Mulhall