Gut Health Equals Immune Health

As you may have heard by now, the bacteria living in our MALT play a critical role in the function of the immune system. These bacteria either produce or stimulate our own bodies to produce specific types of substances that are absorbed into the bloodstream and go on to communicate directly with immune cells. 

A subset of the MALT is the GALT, or gut-associated lymphoid tissue. In my area of practice as a nutrition support dietitian, we have been talking about this for years in relation to our patients who are unable to obtain their nutrition through the gut and instead are dependent on IV nutrition. It had been something of an enigma for years that this population was far more prone to infections, especially bloodstream infections, aka sepsis. We now know that this is due to the growth of undesirable bacteria in the gut and the subsequent increased permeability of the intestinal walls. It is common practice now that we administer a fiber-containing tube feeding formula into the gut as what are known as trickle feeds for the sole purpose of preventing this from happening, which has resulted in fewer bloodstream infections. 

Along these lines, scientists have begun studying the make-up of the intestinal flora of healthy people. While the communities of microbes can vary widely in the healthy population, there are some common themes among them and studies have shown that even small changes in the diet, specifically the presence or absence of certain types of fiber, can have an impact on the profile of the microbial flora. In particular, diets containing prebiotics, in conjunction with probiotics, are believed to be particularly beneficial. Click here for a brief article that explains this in a little more detail. 

It is very important to note that some people have difficulty digesting something called FODMAPs, of which prebiotic fibers are included. Symptoms of this can be gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, and fatigue. Click here to learn more about these symptoms and what to do about them.

Here's a good way to start the day:

Place 1/3 cup of dry, old-fashioned oats and about 2/3 cup of water in a cereal or soup bowl and cook in the microwave for 90 seconds. Stir in 2 heaping tablespoons of whole milk plain Greek yogurt, 1/2 sliced banana, and 1 tsp honey (opt.). Eat with 10-12 dry roasted, unsalted almonds and a small orange.

How the Immune System Works

I apologize for the formatting.  When I copy and paste directly from the web and, in this case, even from Word, weird stuff happens.  If anyone knows a way around this, please share in the comments (I won't necessarily publish the comment, but will take any helpful advise for solving this problem).

How the Immune System Works

The immune system is designed to provide protection from invading organisms, including bacteria and viruses, tumor cells, dirt, pollen, and other foreign material. Normally, barriers—including the skin and the lining of the lungs and gastrointestinal and reproductive tracts—protect the underlying delicate tissues from the outside environment. However, when there is a breakdown in that protective lining, germs and other irritants can enter the body. The immune system’s function is to conquer these foreign molecules by engulfing them or by destroying them with enzymes or other detoxifying means. In addition to fighting off these foreign invaders, the immune system has evolved to destroy abnormal cells (such as tumor cells) but occasionally reacts against the body’s own normal tissues (autoimmunity).

Innate and Acquired Immunity

There are two principal types of immune response, innate and adaptive (or acquired) immunity, which are distinguished from one another by both their speed and specificity. The innate immune system, so called because it is present from birth, involves nonspecific responses that are the first line of defense against common infectious agents, including bacteria and viruses. This system is generally able to recognize foreign organisms but is unable to distinguish between particular invaders. Thus, an innate response does not require stimulation by sophisticated cell­to­cell interactions to remove bacteria or other foreign material and degrade it.

In contrast to the innate immune system, the more specific adaptive (acquired) immune system must be triggered by a specific virus, bacterium, or other foreign material, which stimulates lymphocytes (see below) to produce antibodies that can combat the foreign substance. At the next exposure, the preformed antibodies will allow the person to respond with an even stronger, more specific response. This is called immunological memory.

Cells of the Immune System

The immune system consists of white blood cells (leukocytes), which are produced in the bone marrow and mature there or in the thymus and other lymphoid organs. Leukocytes circulate in the blood along with oxygen­carrying red blood cells. Under normal conditions, leukocytes leave the circulation and migrate into organs, including the skin, lungs, intestine, and reproductive tract, as these are places where germs can appear. There, they can wait for infectious agents, or they can migrate back through the circulation to other organs. There are three major types of leukocytes.

Neutrophils are the most plentiful of the white blood cells in humans. They are the immune system’s first line of defense, as they contain an arsenal of preformed chemicals known as enzymes, which are capable of destroying bacteria. In addition, they are phagocytic, meaning that they can engulf viruses, bacteria, or other foreign material, protecting the host from further damage. Neutrophils are very short­lived and are often destroyed during the process of fighting infection.

Monocytes are leukocytes that, after migrating to tissues, mature into macrophages. Like neutrophils, macrophages are phagocytic and can remove foreign material and parts of dead cells from the tissues. They too contain enzymes that can destroy infectious material but live longer than neutrophils and do not tend to self­destruct as easily. The tissue macrophage in the liver is called the Kupffer cell.

Lymphocytes, the most selective cells of the immune system, are specialized white blood cells that can combat specific infectious agents. There are two types of lymphocyte: B cells and T cells. B cells, which are responsible for humoral immunity (so­called because it takes place in the body fluids, classically known as the humors), release specialized, soluble proteins known as antibodies into the blood and other body fluids. The antibodies recognize and bind to the surface of foreign substances (i.e., pathogens), immobilizing them and further labeling them as foreign so that they can be more readily taken up by phagocytic cells.

T cells, in contrast, act directly on other cells rather than manufacturing antibodies to combat infectious agents. Because of this direct interaction with other cells, T cells are responsible for cellular immunity. They can be further divided into helper T cells, which recognize foreign invaders and stimulate immune responses from other cells; and cytotoxic T cells, which destroy infected cells. Whereas some of these cells survive only briefly, others are extremely long­lived, including “memory cells,” which are capable of remembering certain features on the foreign molecules so that, if the organism encounters that foreign molecule in the future, it can quickly stimulate its response team.

Communication Between Immune Cells

One form of communication between immune cells is direct cell­to­cell contact, which can occur either as a loose, transient association or as a tighter, more long­lasting encounter. Either way, cells must make physical contact with one another.

In the second form of contact, cells release small proteins called cytokines, which bind to specific receptors on the surface of target cells. This enables cytokines to interact only with the appropriate target cell with no effect on surrounding cells. Although many of the effects of cytokines are local, they have been called the hormones of the immune system, because like hormones, they are transported by the circulating blood.

Cytokines can affect the same cell that produced them, a neighboring cell, or a cell far away. They stimulate or dampen cell proliferation (replication), production of other cytokines, killing of damaged cells or tumor cells (cytotoxicity), and cell migration (chemotaxis). The latter response is controlled by a subset of cytokines called chemokines. Just as there are cells that can stimulate or inhibit immune response, cytokines produced by those cells can regulate a variety of cell functions either positively or negatively.

— Elizabeth J. Kovacs and Kelly A.N. Messingham

http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh26-4/257-263.htm

What is Happening Inside the Meniere's Ear?

Have you ever wondered what in the heck is going on inside your ear in the days and hours leading up to, and during, an attack of vertigo?  Professor Bill Gibson, Founder and former Director of the Sydney Cochlear Implant Centre, has written about his longitudinal flow theory for the Meniere's Research Fund, Inc. Please be mindful of the request to not print or copy the linked paper.  For reasons related to copyright, it may only be read on your computer.

Alcohol and Immune Suppression

Jessica Tyrrell, PhD, et al, published a study recently linking Meniere's disease with immune dysfunction.  This idea has been on my radar now for the past three years and there is quite a bit of literature out there to support this conclusion if you know what you're looking for.

Based on what I have learned, I don't want to imply that the answer is as simple as "boosting" our immune system through diet and lifestyle changes promoted on the Web.  Not that these things can hurt and, in fact, for some people, and in the early stages of the disease, they might be enough to tilt the immune system just enough to keep symptoms at bay for a while.  However, I can't emphasize enough the complexity of the underlying cause(s) of this immune dysfunction which is thought to lead to Meniere's symptoms and progression.  That being said, why not take some steps to avoid further compromising immune function?  One of the things that can be done to this end is minimize or avoid alcohol consumption.

This is sad news for many of us, myself included.  I do enjoy my red wine and before Meniere's disease,  I used to enjoy a whole lot more of it.  I quit drinking for the first three years after I was diagnosed and while that didn't seem to make any difference in my symptoms at the time, when I did reintroduce the occasional drink I found it often correlated with an uptick in my symptoms for the next few days.

The article entitled Influence of Alcohol and Gender on Immune Response, published by the NIH's National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism,  provides an excellent explanation of how alcohol, in any amount, can compromise immunity.  As a bonus, it provides a basic primer explaining how the immune system works.  It is a long read, but well worth it if you're just becoming familiar with the idea that Meniere's disease is one of immune dysregulation.

For those who are following my progress on the Stephen Spring Treatment Protocol, I continue to feel very, very well.  Quite normal actually.  My hearing is excellent, perhaps only a little lingering loss in the high frequencies as a result of the three gent injections I had several years ago.  For the past several weeks, my only symptoms have been soft, humming tinnitus with only a momentary buzz here and there and a few thirty-second mini-spins most days which are unrelated to any other symptoms, as compared to before when I had a host of symptoms that went along with mini-spins and vertigo.  I am able to just push through these without having to stop what I am doing.  They feel like a burst of nystagmus (eye-darting) in my right eye.  It starts off fast and slows down gradually, then passes.  My energy level and mental clarity remain very good.  I am only requiring 7 hours of sleep each night.  And still no more chronic sore throat.