Science Behind Immune System Function with Dr. Shiva
The current medical model of how your immune system works is not accurate according to the latest scientific research. Researchers have shown that your immune system is much more than basic innate and adaptive immune systems. It also includes your nervous system and bacteria that live in your gut called your microbiome.
Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai has his doctorate in biological engineering from M.I.T. He holds degrees in electrical engineering, computer science, visual studies, and mechanical engineering, all from M.I.T. as well.
As a scientist, his research has shown that your immune system is like your body’s operating system. You can think of your immune system like the software that your computer uses to run. In this analogy, the nervous system is the hardware of the computer used to run this software.
Dr. Shiva has written several books, with his most recent titled, Systems Health. Using his computer science background, he has been able to use computer modeling for health. What he has found has changed the understanding of our immune system profoundly.
According to Dr. Shiva, your body has a set point, which in scientific literature is called homeostasis. He also showed that this set point is different for every individual. As he says, “It is not one size fits all.” Your set point is the optimal functioning state of your body.
This set point can be altered a little by genetics. However, stresses are what cause the most significant shift. Stresses come in all different forms. Physical stresses; like accidents, sports injuries, or falls. Chemical stresses; like what we eat,and other toxins in our environment. Or mental and emotional stresses; like relationships, work, or other societal pressures like isolation.
Dr. Shiva Talks About Chiropractors
What Is The Old Model of The Immune System?
The old medical model is a two-part system- innate immunity vs. adaptive immunity. Innate immunity is the outer layer of the system, which consists of your skin, eyes, nose, and mucous membranes. The adaptive immune system is the internal system consisting of antigens that attack pathogens that get into the body. These two systems need to work together.
The innate immune system is the first line of defense. You know it is working when you get watery eyes or a running nose. It uses immune system cells like macrophages and neutrophils. The main job is to attack the pathogen on the outside of the body.
The adaptive immune system is more specialized and precise. As Dr. Shiva states, “these are more like sharpshooters.” The body takes out the pathogens with specific antibodies. The body’s production of antibodies is the underlying concept of vaccines.
The Old Model Is The Basis For Vaccines
The idea behind vaccines relies on this old two-part model of the immune system. A vaccine tricks the body into producing antibodies to the pathogen. The vaccine stimulates the adaptive immune system response.
We now know that because of the new model of how the immune system works, vaccines are ineffective in providing immunity for an extended period of time. Research shows that most vaccines, like the flu vaccine, lose effectiveness in a few weeks.
Dr. Shiva also talks about the safety of vaccines. To date, there have been no double-blind, placebo-controlled studies on vaccines for safety or efficacy. The Cochrane review also shows that research for the flu shot is neither safe nor effective. The analysis of research showed that 2% of people get the flu without a vaccine, and 1% get the flu with the vaccine.
What Happens To The Body When Is Stressed By a Virus?
As Dr. Shiva described, the pathogen (virus or bacteria) is not what eats away the body. It is the immune system that is trying to modulate itself. In a stressful environment, it will hyper respond cause the breakdown of the other systems of the body. Your body is disturbed or in dis-ease.
The wrong environment, such as eating poorly, not getting enough exercise or social isolation like we are experiencing now, causes many more issues with your immune system response. The immune system in the right environment works perfectly.
What About Germ Theory?
If the medical model of germ theory were correct, nobody would be around to know about it. Germs are all-around use and are attacking our body and immune system daily. Challenging our immune system is a natural part of life.
Think about diseases of the past like scurvy. Doctors at the time thought a pathogen caused scurvy. Not until British sailors realized that eating limes kept them from having this “disease.” We now know that it wasn’t a disease at all but a nutritional deficiency. Once again, emphasizing that the wrong environment, lack of vitamin C, is what causes an imbalance in your immune system and body.
How Does The Neurological System Play a Role In Immune System Function?
If your immune system is like the software you run on your computer, your immune system is the hardware that the software runs on. Scientists have shown that you can’t separate the nervous system and the immune system.
The body’s natural system state relies on the nervous system and immune system working together to help keep your body in homeostasis. As long as the inputs from your environment are allowing your body to stay at it’s set point, then you will be healthy and happy.
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What Steps Should You Do To Help Your Immune System and Body Get Back To Health?
Dr. Shiva talks about 3 steps-
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Know Who YOU Are
Your body system or any other system in nature has three significant forces of transport, conversion, and storage. Your body system has a unique combination of these forces to stay in balance. Once you know your body’s specific set point for these forces, you have your baseline for where you function best.
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Knowing When You Are Not YOU
Much like an airplane flying from point A to point B, there are systems to let the pilot know if the plane is getting off course. When you have your set point, then you can find out if day to day stressors are sending you off course.
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Be Happy, Be YOU!
Once you notice your system is not where it should be ideally, then you can take steps to return to your set point. Things that you can add in to change the forces we talked about in step one are nutrition, exercise, prayer/mediation, and chiropractic adjustments. Adding all of these will get you back to feeling like the best YOU possible.
Dr. Shiva’s Full Video-
Conclusion Of The Science Behind The Immune System
The concept of how the immune system functions have changed dramatically since the 1960s. Our current policies for dealing with pathogens are based on that old understanding of how the immune system worked. The lack of knowledge about the immune system means that vaccine policy is an outdated way of dealing with viruses. There haven’t been reliable double-blind, placebo-controlled studies to validate the use of vaccines.
The new understanding of immune system function that is backed up by science is your immune system helps your body system stay in balance. It uses not only innate and adaptive immunity, but it also uses your nervous system and microbiome to help keep that balance. The most significant factor of your immune and body system getting out of balance is the stressors in your environment.
You can follow the three steps that Dr. Shiva recommends, know when your body is in balance, know when your body is out of balance and do the things to restore that balance. I talk about how chiropractic adjustments help your immune system function in this article- What Does Science Say About Chiropractic and Immune System Function. If you do this, you will be happy and healthy for a lifetime.
