B vitamins bolster immune response to fight infection and chronic disease

Saturday, October 13, 2012 by: John Phillip
Tags: B vitamins, immune response, infections

(NaturalNews) A vibrant immune response is important to fight viral infections and the common cold, but is also essential to protect against the development and progression of chronic illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and dementia. Many of the most advanced natural therapies to fight and treat the most prevalent illnesses that plaque the young and old alike are centered on heightening our own immune response to accurately detect and eradicate foreign invaders in our body.

A study team from the University of Melbourne in Australia has published the result of a study in the journal, Nature describing how specialized immune cells recognize products of vitamin B synthesis that are unique to bacteria and yeast, triggering the body to fight infection. This body of work is important because it provides a natural method to help the body fight dormant viral and bacterial infections that ultimately promote DNA alterations and mutations that become cancerous over a period of decades.

B vitamins stimulate immune T cells that recognize and destroy pathogens

The research team examined how byproducts of bacterial vitamin synthesis, including some derived from Folic acid or vitamin B9 and Riboflavin or vitamin B2, could be captured by the immune receptor cells to fine-tune the activity of T cells. T cells are the white blood cell components that are responsible for activating our immune reaction to invaders, and can sometimes become ineffective against viral and bacterial pathogens, due largely to poor lifestyle habits and diet as well as aging.

The study leader, Dr. Lars Kjer noted "Humans are unable to make vitamin B and obtain it mostly from diet. Because bacteria can synthesize vitamin B, our immune system uses this as a point of difference to recognize infection." The scientists concluded that since the human digestive tract has an abundance of specialized T cells known as 'mucosal associated invariant T cells' (MAIT cells) lining the mucosa of the mouth, intestine and lungs, it is most likely that they play a protective role in many infections from thrush to tuberculosis, and a host of more serious chronic diseases.

This study demonstrates the critical importance of optimal nutrient intake to prevent disease. Low intake of nutrients (in this case, the B vitamins B2 and B9) over the course of years and decades degrades the very foundation of our immune response leading to the development of infections and chronic conditions. Consuming large numbers of calories from nutritionally-depleted, highly processed foods leads to overall nutrient deficiency, denying each of our trillions of cells the vitamins and minerals necessary to promote long-term health.

Sources for this article include:

http://truthwiki.org

http://www.nature.com

http://www.sciencedaily.com

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com

About the author:
John Phillip is a Certified Nutritional Consultant and Health Researcher and Author who writes regularly on the cutting edge use of diet, lifestyle modifications and targeted supplementation to enhance and improve the quality and length of life. John is the author of 'Your Healthy Weight Loss Plan', a comprehensive EBook explaining how to use Diet, Exercise, Mind and Targeted Supplementation to achieve your weight loss goal. Visit My Optimal Health Resource to continue reading the latest health news updates, and to download your copy of 'Your Healthy Weight Loss Plan'.