NATURAL KILLER CELLS
Your best defence from viral and bacterial infections is your immune system. Natural Killer cells are part of your first line of defence against invading pathogens. In the post-Covid era, having an appropriate amount of well functioning Natural Killer cells is vital to not only keeping infection at bay but also protecting your cells against cancer.
The main job of your immune system is to defend you against invaders or pathogens. Its sophisticated mechanisms detect anything that is ‘non-self’ in the body and react accordingly. However, the immune system is not just a single thing that goes up or down. It has several components that act like different divisions of a defending army against an invader. These divisions interact with and ‘talk’ to each other like well-coordinated divisions of an army.
Two Branches of the Immune System
The immune system can be divided into two broad branches - Innate and Adaptive immunity.
Innate immune cells act as the first line of defence against infections. Innate responses are therefore relatively rapid, occurring within 4 hours to try and head off invaders.
However, some pathogens can overwhelm the innate frontline defences and enter the cells. Once inside, these Trojan horses take over the machinery of the cells, thereby replicating and spreading infection throughout the body. The infection symptoms produced are the products of the immune system’s efforts to overcome the invader.
The adaptive immune cells then get mobilised so they can ‘adapt’ to these infections and form long-term solutions in the form of ‘immune memory.’ The resulting reservoir of long-term circulating memory cells can produce an effective response to a repeat encounter with the same invader.
Natural Killer Cells
Natural Killer cells are part of rapid innate immune defence. They do what the name suggests, circulate round the body looking for viral and bacterial infections to attack before entering cells.
However, if your Natural Killer cells have become depleted or ‘missing in action’ from too long a fight against chronic infections, this important line of defence no longer works properly, leaving you vulnerable to chronic infections. These infections could be opportunistic infections like the latest flu bug or could arise from the reservoir of infections that we all carry around in our bodies as a result of previous exposures.
Pathogens in the latter category should be in a sleeping state in the body for the host to remain healthy. It is when the burden in the immune system increases that the defences are gradually worn down and sleeping pathogens can ‘wake up’ or reactivate. Examples of sleeping pathogens waking up and blooming once again are shingles outbreaks (you need to have had a first encounter with chicken pox), Epstein Barr Virus reactivations (you need to have had contact with glandular fever) and Coxsackievirus (you need to have had contact with this common virus family).
In the post-Covid era, I have been seeing far more low numbers of Natural Killer cells on lab tests that I run for checking patients’ immune status. This is very concerning as Natural Killer cells not only defend against viral and bacterial pathogens but also against the formation of cancer cells. A lower number of Natural Killer cells is associated with poorer cancer treatment outcomes.
What depletes Natural Killer cells?
The following factors help wear down Natural Killer cells over time:
Unresolved dental/jawbone infections.
Unresolved tonsil infections.
Mercury amalgam fillings.
Heavy metal toxicity.
Chronically poor sleep.
The Standard Western Diet with gluten, cows’ milk and refined sugars.
Drugs and other toxins exposures (i.e.pesticides, chemicals).
Unresolved viral and bacterial infections like Lyme and co-infections which are very common.
Chronic hollow space infections (sinus, urinary tract, gut, lung etc.) pushing up Th-2 and Th-17 immune cell responses which by itself, pulls down the Natural Killer cell and Th-1 immune response.
Chronic unresolved unwanted stress.
Getting sick from mould exposure in water-damaging buildings.
Ever-increasing wifi exposures (3/4/5G).
What helps restore Natural Killer cells?
Addressing the factors on the above list e.g. dental pathology, avoidance of sugary foods, good sleep etc.
Support Natural Killer cells and T-cells which do the heavy viral lifting.
Compounds in the medical literature which support Natural Killer cells include: Vitamin C, astragalus, andrographis, black current seed oil, chlorella pyrenoidosa, reishi (ganoderma).
Address the factors which can push a person into Th-2 immune dominance which depletes Natural Killer cells - hollow space infections, stress, parasites, excess histamine, mould etc.
Takeaway Points
It is not enough to take an anti-viral or anti-bacterial if your Natural Killer cell numbers are low. You must restore your Natural Killer cell count to a healthy level to stay infection free. Having a healthy Natural Killer cell response is also vital in an age where cancer levels are rising dramatically.
It is easy to get lost chasing a multitude of symptoms like high histamine, low melatonin and poor methylation. These are all consequences of an infected, over-burdened sick body. The key steps that will make a difference are to restore appropriate immune response and reduce infection and inflammation. You need to do all three.
If you would like to know how healthy your immune system is, please get in touch with the Good Health Clinic on goodhealthclinic@outlook.com to request a free 30 minute Enquiry Call or book an appointment.
Please note that an Enquiry Call is not a consultation but an exploratory call to see if this a clinical approach you wish to pursue.
To your very good health,
Suzanne Jeffery (Nutritional Medicine Consultant)
M.A.(Oxon), BSc.(NMed), PGCE, MNNA, CNHC
The Good Health Clinic at The Business Centre, 2, Cattedown Road, Plymouth PL4 0EG
Tel no: 07836 552936/ Answer phone: 01752 774755
Disclaimer:
All advice given out by Suzanne Jeffery and the Good Health Clinic is for general guidance and informational purposes only. All advice relating to other health professionals’ advice is for general guidance and information purposes only. Readers are encouraged to confirm the information provided with other sources. Patients and consumers should review the information carefully with their professional health care provider. The information is not intended to replace medical advice offered by other practitioners and physicians. Suzanne Jeffery and the Good Health Clinic will not be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, exemplary or other damages arising therefrom.