Why do so many children have problems with their immune system?
Allergies, asthma, food sensitivities, and autoimmune conditions all have one thing in common.
They represent an immune system that has gone haywire!
The immune system is one of the most important parts of the human organism. Without it, we would be vulnerable to every bacteria, virus, fungus, and parasite out there. These microorganisms would kill us in a matter of days if it wasn’t for our immune system.
The immune system is incredibly powerful. Many children in today’s world actually have an immune system that is overactive. It is chronically stimulated, and as a result, it is no longer able to create a proportionate response. The immune system becomes like a bull in a china shop, attacking everything (including healthy tissue).
There are many reasons why this happens. One of the most commonly overlooked reasons (the missing link if you will) is that the nervous system is no longer properly controlling the immune system. Without the proper guidance from the brain, the immune system does not know how to have a healthy response.
Many children’s nervous systems are stuck in sympathetic dominance (chronic Fight, Flight or Freeze).
This means that their nervous system is constantly on edge. As a result, the body is focused more on immediate survival. Digestion, proper hormone production, development, and the immune system become a distant afterthought to a nervous system that is in sympathetic mode.
The children who undergo our program often have one major thing in common: when we can restore a normal, healthy balance to the nervous system, the immune system improves.
When the immune system becomes balanced, many of the hyper-allergic responses that the child has been suffering with go away. This leads to healthier, happier kids, who get sick a whole lot less.
The Digestion Connection
Another system that is intimately related to the nervous system is the digestive system. Children who have problems with their digestive systems are much more likely to have problems with their immune system.
When the digestive system is irritated, it becomes inflamed. This starts a problem called Leaky Gut Syndrome, which causes the digestive system, immune system, and nervous system to be chronically irritated.
One of the most important steps to heal the digestive system is to remove offensive foods that trigger a negative immune response and cause leaky gut syndrome.
The GAPS diet and Specific Carb Diet are two fantastic diets to help heal leaky gut syndrome. Gut and Psychology Syndrome: Natural Treatment for Autism, Dyspraxia, A.D.D., Dyslexia, A.D.H.D., Depression, Schizophrenia by Dr. Natasha Campbell-Mcbride is a great book on this topic and outlines the diet that can significantly help the digestive, immune and nervous systems.
All my best,
Dr. Garrett Gripp
P.S. Do you know someone who could benefit from this info? Consider forwarding it to them so they can benefit from it as well!
