How To Strengthen Immune System To Help Reverse Diabetes
Author Sidebar: You may be wondering: What does strengthening or boosting your immune system have to do with diabetes? Well, diabetes and the high blood glucose weaken your immune system and make you more susceptible to infections and other diseases. FYI: When I was diabetic, I didn't realize how my diabetes negatively affected my immune system until I accidentally cut my finger in the hospital. I also had no idea what comprised the immune system. The immune system is divided into two different types of immunity: Innate Immunity and Adaptive Immunity. Innate Immunity is something already present in the body. As soon as something enters the skin, blood, or tissues, the immune system immediately goes into attack mode and provides a rapid response. It does this by identifying certain chemicals in the bacteria, antigen or other substance that tells the innate response it shouldn’t be there. One example would be white blood cells fighting bacteria, causing redness and swelling, when you have a cut. Adaptive Immunity is created in response to exposure to a foreign substance. When a foreign invader enters the body, the immune system takes it in and analyzes it in detail. Then, the adaptive immune response organizes cells to attack that foreign substance every time it enters the body. There are two types of adaptive immune responses: cell-mediated immunity, which is mediated by T lymphocytes; and, humoral or antibody-mediated immunity, which is mediated by antibodies produced by B lymphocytes. Cell-mediated immunity is an immune response that is triggered by specialized T Helper or Th1 cells and involves the activation of phagocytes, antigen-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes, and the release of various cytokines in response to an antigen. Humoral immunity is an immune response Continue reading >>
Diabetes Complications: The Immune System
Renegade macrophages—the garbage collectors of the immune system—go rogue in obesity and Type 2 Diabetes The interrelationship between obesity, type 2 diabetes, complications of diabetes, and immune dysfunction has been suspected for more than a decade1. But it has only been in recent years that many of the threads connecting these conditions have been defined. The diagram below illustrates how energy imbalance in adipose tissue, innate immune activation, and alterations in gut microbiota all contribute to potential chronic inflammation, type 2 diabetes, and diabetic complications. The starting point for this begins in white adipose tissue where innate immune cells such as macrophages and maturing adipocytes interact as they deal with diet-driven energy imbalances. The latter causes a massive infiltration of macrophages (the big eaters of the immune system) changing their representation in the tissue from 10% to an estimated 40% of cells. These macrophages polarize into a subtype (called M1) that are pro-inflammatory and behave as if they are fighting a never-ending bacterial infection. Specific lipid metabolites use toll-like and NOD receptors on macrophages to activate a protein complex known as the inflammasome, and this further increases cytokine (and other) mediators of inflammation produced by the M1 macrophages. The macrophage-driven inflammatory attack depletes the maturing adipocyte population causing those cells that survive to swell as they accumulate an inordinate amount of lipids per adipocyte. This progression of the macrophage inflammatory attack in the adipose tissue is bad enough but unlike what happens in Las Vegas, the inflammatory insult does not stay just in the adipose tissue. Instead, an increasing number of metabolically-intolerant, polarized Continue reading >>
6 Ways To Boost Your Immunity With Diabetes
Diabetes is often considered an autoimmune disease, especially type 1. The body is unable to produce any insulin. In type 2, the body either does not produce enough insulin or does not use it correctly. Either kind of diabetes can lower the actions of the immune system. People with diabetes are more prone to sickness and infection due to reduced action of white blood cells. Discover ways to boost your immunity with either type of diabetes and combat attacks from invaders such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Portion Size and Carbohydrates Make a Difference The foods we eat can boost our immune system and may help people with diabetes control blood sugar levels. Conversely, the wrong foods can be unhealthy and cause our blood sugar levels to rise which ends up decreasing our immunity. Portion control is crucial as weight gain can harm the immune system by increasing inflammation and make it more difficult to control blood sugar levels. Consider using portion plates to determine the proper amount of protein, carbohydrates and vegetables to serve during each meal. Never skip meals and always test your blood sugars as suggested. If snacks are recommended (depending on your medication regimen) eat them when scheduled. It may also be helpful to count calories. Too many calories can lead to weight gain which causes the immune system to slack. Instead of actual counting of calories, use a small kitchen scale or cup measurements to help you visualize portion size. After a while you will understand what a true portion is. You can also use common objects such as a fist, thumb, tennis ball or deck of cards to realize what a reasonable portion really looks like. Counting carbohydrates is critical to keeping blood sugars controlled and immune systems working properly. Schedule an app Continue reading >>
Immune System (lymphatic System)
Tweet The immune system plays an important role in the body by keeping us free from infection. As with other organ systems, problems with the immune system can occur, leading to the development of long term conditions, including type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The role of the immune system The role of the immune system is to protect the body from bacteria, viruses and tumours. The immune system deals with these threats in a number of different ways, from engulfing bacteria to killing parasites, tumours and cells infected with viruses. Components of the immune system The following organs make up the immune system: Thymus Spleen Lymph nodes A key part of the immune system are the white blood cells which are produced by bone marrow and help the immune system to perform its role. Bone marrow Bone marrow is a spongy tissue found within bones. Bone marrow is responsible for producing red and white blood cells. White blood cells play an important role in how the body fights infection. Read more about bone marrow Link to new content Thymus The thymus is an organ located between the heart and the breast bone. The thymus produces hormones involved in the immune system and is also responsible for the maturation of powerful immune cells called lymphocytes. Spleen The spleen is located between the stomach and the diaphragm and performs a number of activities for the immune system. The spleen filters bacteria and viruses out of the blood and stores red blood cells and lymphocytes for release when required. For example, if the body contracts an infection, the spleen can release a ready supply of lymphocytes to control the infection. Lymph nodes The lymph nodes are situated at several parts of the body including at the: Neck Armpits Groin Abdomen Pelvis Chest The lymph nodes filter the lym Continue reading >>
Immune Dysfunction In Patients With Diabetes Mellitus (dm)
Abstract Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) have infections more often than those without DM. The course of the infections is also more complicated in this patient group. One of the possible causes of this increased prevalence of infections is defects in immunity. Besides some decreased cellular responses in vitro, no disturbances in adaptive immunity in diabetic patients have been described. Different disturbances (low complement factor 4, decreased cytokine response after stimulation) in humoral innate immunity have been described in diabetic patients. However, the clinical relevance of these findings is not clear. Concerning cellular innate immunity most studies show decreased functions (chemotaxis, phagocytosis, killing) of diabetic polymorphonuclear cells and diabetic monocytes/macrophages compared to cells of controls. In general, a better regulation of the DM leads to an improvement of these cellular functions. Furthermore, some microorganisms become more virulent in a high glucose environment. Another mechanism which can lead to the increased prevalence of infections in diabetic patients is an increased adherence of microorganisms to diabetic compared to nondiabetic cells. This has been described for Candida albicans. Possibly the carbohydrate composition of the receptor plays a role in this phenomenon. 1Introduction The incidence of infections is increased in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) [1]. Some of these infections are also more likely to have a complicated course in diabetic than in nondiabetic patients [1]. Diabetic ketoacidosis, for example, is precipitated or complicated by an infection in 75% of the cases. The mortality rate of patients with an infection and ketoacidosis is 43%[1]. In a prospective study of 101 293 adult hospitalized patients, Continue reading >>
Can High Blood Sugar Affect The Immune System?
When you have an injury or infection, your body sends white blood cells to heal the damaged tissue. But too much glucose in your blood can slow the work of white blood cells, resulting in cuts and bruises that never seem to heal. Even minor injuries like a cut with a razor will take longer to heal and may become infected. When your blood sugar goes up above 200, your white blood cells can't fight really well. And that weakens your immune system. Continue reading >>
People At Risk - People With Weakened Immune Systems
CDC estimates that Listeria infection is the third leading cause of death from food poisoning in the United States. About 1,600 people get sick from Listeria each year, and about 260 die. People with weakened immune systems due to underlying medical conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, liver or kidney disease, alcoholism, and HIV or AIDS, are more likely to get a Listeria infection. Treatments that make it more difficult for the body to fight off illness, such as steroids and chemotherapy, also can increase the chance of Listeria infection. Did You Know? Continue reading >>
Immune Dysfunction In Patients With Diabetes Mellitus (dm).
Abstract Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) have infections more often than those without DM. The course of the infections is also more complicated in this patient group. One of the possible causes of this increased prevalence of infections is defects in immunity. Besides some decreased cellular responses in vitro, no disturbances in adaptive immunity in diabetic patients have been described. Different disturbances (low complement factor 4, decreased cytokine response after stimulation) in humoral innate immunity have been described in diabetic patients. However, the clinical relevance of these findings is not clear. Concerning cellular innate immunity most studies show decreased functions (chemotaxis, phagocytosis, killing) of diabetic polymorphonuclear cells and diabetic monocytes/macrophages compared to cells of controls. In general, a better regulation of the DM leads to an improvement of these cellular functions. Furthermore, some microorganisms become more virulent in a high glucose environment. Another mechanism which can lead to the increased prevalence of infections in diabetic patients is an increased adherence of microorganisms to diabetic compared to nondiabetic cells. This has been described for Candida albicans. Possibly the carbohydrate composition of the receptor plays a role in this phenomenon. Continue reading >>
Diabetes Mellitus And Infectious Diseases: Controlling Chronic Hyperglycemia
As the incidence of diabetes mellitus continues to rise, common focus areas for diabetes control are blood glucose levels, diet, and exercise. Addressing and controlling these factors as well as other factors associated with diabetes are essential for a better quality of life; however, awareness of an increased risk of infections is also warranted in diabetes patients with chronic hyperglycemia. The immune system is comprised of two subcategories: innate immunity and adaptive immunity. Innate immunity, the first line of defense, is activated when a pathogen initially presents itself. This portion of immunity is inherited at birth and is not specific in its mechanism of defense. In addition, it serves the overall immune system by alerting specific cells of pathogen invasion to activate the adaptive immune system. The innate immune system has physical and chemical mechanisms of response. These include but are not limited to sneezing, coughing, sweating, maintenance of normal body temperature, and gram-positive normal flora on the skin. Adaptive immunity is a very specific aspect of a properly functioning immune system that provides protection against previous infections experienced by the host. These responses are mediated by lymphocytes, which consist of natural killer (NK) cells, B cells and T cells. Vaccinations and exposure to pathogens benefit the adaptive immune system by establishing immunologic memory. In the event of another attack by the same foreign organism, the adaptive immune system is able to provide a more efficient response. Complications of Chronic Hyperglycemia Patients with uncontrolled diabetes are considered immunosuppressed due to the negative effects of elevated blood sugars on the immune system. Hyperglycemia impairs overall immunity through diffe Continue reading >>
10 Little-known Facts About Your Immune System
I honestly thought that with Type 1 diabetes, my immune system was shot to hell. But my husband and oldest daughter always get sick faster and longer than I do. Somehow I seem to fight off "bugs" better than they do. How can this be? Curious as ever, I spent a little time looking into the human immune system and found some pretty intriguing trivia, compiled here for your reading pleasure: 1) Type 1 diabetes doesn't hamper the day-to-day activity of your immune system if you have good blood glucose control. "The autoimmune part of type 1 is very particular, as only the beta cells in the islets are targeted; not the other cells in the islet, and not the other cells in the pancreas. In all of the usual ways, the immune system is just fine," my co-author Dr. Jackson tells me. "There are a few other autoimmune endocrine disorders that are slightly more likely if you have type 1 diabetes. Autoimmune thyroid disease is the most common, resulting in either an overactive or underactive thyroid." 2) Autoimmune (AI) disease is primarily a women's issue. This according to Rosalind Joffe in her new book, "Women, Work, and Autoimmune Disease" (due out in May '08). The ratios of AI diseases vary from 2:1 to 50:1 in favor of women, she says. 3) Allergies are also an "immune system mistake." "For some reason, in people with allergies, the immune system strongly reacts to an allergen that should be ignored. The allergen might be a certain food, or a certain type of pollen, or a certain type of animal fur. For example, a person allergic to a certain pollen will get a runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing, etc." 4) Your immune system is a three-layer deal. Backing up for a moment, did you know that the immune system is composed of these three "layers" or mechanisms? (info from Bio-Medicine) i) Continue reading >>
Diabetes
To understand diabetes, first you must understand how glucose is normally processed in the body. Insulin is a hormone that comes from a gland situated behind and below the stomach (pancreas). The pancreas secretes insulin into the bloodstream and the insulin circulates, allowing glucose (sugar) to enter your cells. Insulin lowers the amount of sugar in your bloodstream. As your blood sugar level drops, so does the secretion of insulin from your pancreas. Glucose is a source of energy for the cells that make up muscles and other tissues. Glucose comes from 2 major sources: food and your liver. Sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream, where it enters cells with the help of insulin. Your liver stores and makes glucose. When your glucose levels are low, such as when you have not eaten in a while, the liver breaks down stored glycogen into glucose to keep your glucose level within a normal range. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are conditions characterized by high blood glucose levels caused by either a lack of insulin (type 1) or the body's inability to use insulin efficiently (type 2). Two factors are important in the development of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes: a predisposition to the disease is inherited and then something in your environment triggers the onset of the disease. The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown. What is known is that your immune system attacks and destroys your insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. This leaves you with little or no insulin. Instead of being transported into your cells, sugar builds up in your bloodstream. Type 1 diabetes is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental factors, though exactly what many of those factors are is still unclear. One trigger might be related to cold weather. Type Continue reading >>
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Re-educating The Immune System To Treat Type 1 Diabetes
Dr. Matthias von Herrath, an award-winning researcher, is in the division of developmental immunology and director of the Diabetes Center at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology in La Jolla, Calif. He studies the mechanisms behind autoimmunity, the process in which the immune system attacks the body’s own cells, and looks specifically at ways to intervene in the autoimmune process in Type 1 diabetes. Dr. von Herrath is studying vaccines that cause the immune system to dampen its attacks on the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. The technique is promising, but such a vaccine is probably years away from becoming available. Q: We know that the epidemic of Type 2 diabetes is often related to obesity and diet. But Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder, in which the body’s immune system begins to destroy the pancreas’s insulin-producing beta cells. Why is Type 1 diabetes on the rise? A: That is a question that puzzles all of us, and one has to propose that lifestyle and environment probably play a significant role. One very interesting aspect is what people call the hygiene hypothesis. Because we now have improved hygiene and improved living conditions and improved vaccines — which are all good, which are all a big reason that all of us live longer and that child survival is so much higher than 150 years ago — we have less infection, especially childhood infections. Viral infections, when you undergo them, “tune” the immune system, and this tuning is lost when you avoid the infection. You’re better off, because you don’t have the risk of dying from a virus infection. But the immune system evolved to defend us from these things and so it loses its practice, or its tuning aspect. These tuning effects are beneficial things. How can we mimic Continue reading >>
Sugar And Immune System: A Health Hazard
Who doesn’t love a bit of sugar? Whether it’s to sweeten your coffee, in your ice cream, or baked into a cake, sugar is just a delicious part of life that can’t seem to stay away from. But did you know that it’s HORRIBLE for your health? You’d be amazed by how much of an impact sugar can have on your body, particularly your immune system. Read on to find out what is the connection between sugar and immune system and just how bad sugar can be for you… SUGAR’S IMPACT ON YOUR BODY Resistance to insulin, which leads to diabetes Inflammation in the body, which can lead to serious health problems Weight gain and obesity Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease A decrease in HDL cholesterol, as well as an increase in LDL cholesterol Reduced absorption and processing of proteins and lipids Basically, sugar is the villain you should avoid like the plague! SUGAR AND IMMUNE SYSTEM In order to understand how does sugar affect your immune system you need to understand a bit more about the immune system itself. First of all, the immune system isn’t a single organ, but it’s composed of millions of tiny cells and organisms that help to protect your body. It’s a HUGE system that spans your entire body. When your body is invaded by bacteria, fungi, viruses, or other pathogens, your body responds by producing a special cell called a phagocyte. Phagocytes are white blood cells that basically envelop the bacteria causing the infection, stopping it from spreading and effectively killing it. These phagocytes absorb and destroy everything that could cause harm, or at least neutralize them long enough for your body to flush them from your system. Vitamin C is one of the nutrients that your immune system needs in order to function properly, which is why so many people tell you to dr Continue reading >>
How Diabetes Affects Immune System
How Diabetes affects Immune system ? Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that affects how the body uses food for energy due to insulin resistance. Diabetes affects the metabolism as well as the immune system. The disease causes the immune system to destroy insulin producing cells within the pancreas. The immune response is also much lower in people who have diabetes so they are more susceptible to getting infections that could result in the loss of a limb. Diabetes is widely recognized as one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. In 2006, it was the seventh leading cause of death. However, diabetes is likely to be underreported as the under lying cause of death on death certifi cates. In 2004, among people ages 65 years or older, heart disease was noted on 68 percent of diabetes-related death certifi cates; stroke was noted on 16 percent of diabetes-related death certificates for the same age group. Diabetes is associated with long-term complications that affect almost every part of the body. The disease often leads to blindness, heart and blood vessel disease, stroke, kidney failure, amputations, and nerve damage. Uncontrolled diabetes can complicate pregnancy, and birth defects are more common in babies born to women with diabetes. People with diabetes should see a health care provider who will help them learn to manage their diabetes and who will monitor their diabetes control. Most people with diabetes get care from primary care physicians—internists, family practice doctors, or pediatricians. Often, having a team of providers can improve diabetes care. A team can include a primary care provider such as an internist, a family practice doctor, or a pediatrician an endocrinologist—a specialist in diabetes care a dietitian, a nurse, and o Continue reading >>
Diabetic Complications And Dysregulated Innate Immunity
Go to: 2. INTRODUCTION Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease estimated to affect over 19 million people in the United States. Based on an evaluation of NHANES 1999-2002, the prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes was estimated at 9.3% in U.S. adults, with an additional 26% having the prediabetic condition of impaired fasting glucose (1). The two major forms of diabetes mellitus are type 1 and type 2. They share similar diabetic complications but have distinct etiologies. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the beta cells of the pancreas are destroyed and insufficient amounts of insulin are produced. In most cases, type 1 diabetes is due to autoimmune-induced inflammation with destruction and apoptosis of beta cells (2). This is usually associated with infiltration of innate immune cells that produce cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) which promote beta cell apoptosis and increased infiltration of islet-specific T cells which attack and destroy beta cells (3). Approximately 90% of patients with diabetes have type 2 diabetes (4). The development of type 2 diabetes is directly related to increased amounts of visceral adipose tissue (5, 6). Weight gain in early adulthood is linked to a higher risk and earlier onset of type 2 diabetes and is particularly troublesome considering that the incidence of obesity has increased progressively over the last 5 decades (7, 8). Adipose tissue is viewed as an active hormone-regulating organ that releases metabolically active molecules that can inhibit the body’s ability to respond to insulin contributing to insulin resistance (9). Early in the development of type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance requires the production of extra insulin to maintain normal blood glucose levels. In the majority of obese individua Continue reading >>
