Why enzymes are essential to a healthy immune system

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, June, 2006 by Ellen Cutler

For a long time, doctors and researchers believed that the intestinal wall blocked these food particles from getting into the bloodstream. Now, we know that this isn't the case. Studies suggest that people with food sensitivities have leakier intestinal walls than those without sensitivities, which means that a greater-than-average number of food particles can pass into the bloodstream. This seems to create a vicious cycle because the inflammation that occurs with the immune response can make the intestinal walls even leakier, especially if there is a localized allergic response to the undigested food. Over time, this cascade effect can overwhelm the immune system.

While the exact method of detection isn't yet understood, we know that the immune system senses these undigested food particles (antigens), labels them as foreign invaders, and begins pumping out antibodies, such as immunoglobulin G. These antibodies attack and neutralize these antigens by joining with them to form circulating immune complexes (CICs). The problem is, these immune complexes are highly inflammatory. They can create damage within the body even if they are present for only a brief period of time. Fortunately, the body is aware of this fact and has an built-in defense mechanism, a large number of cells known as macrophages that go into action to extract the CICs from the bloodstream. If the CICs are small enough, the macrophages are usually able to eat them up like Pac Men and transport them to the liver or the spleen. Usually, after only one pass through these organs of elimination, the blood can be largely cleared of these immune complexes--at least in someone who is healthy.

Problems arise when the macrophages become so saturated with CICs that they are no longer able to remove them from the bloodstream. When this happens, the circulating immune complexes tend to deposit their contents into certain tissues and organs, such as the kidneys, joints, and blood vessel walls, where they trigger inflammatory conditions that eventually lead to illness.

Where the CICs settle depends largely upon two factors: (1) heredity and (2) weakness in an organ, organ system, or joint caused by injury or trauma. This is why symptoms of food sensitivities can vary so greatly from one person to the next. While one person might develop joint pain, another might experience migraine headaches. Still others will experience kidney disease or even kidney failure when the kidneys become so scarred that they can no longer function.

Autoimmune Disorders

At their worst, CICs confuse the immune system so it loses its ability to distinguish between what belongs in the body and what doesn't. It starts attacking perfectly healthy tissues and organs as if they were antigens. This process sets the stage for serious autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, thyroiditis, chronic pancreatitis, lung disease, chronic inflammation of the kidney, ulcerative colitis, or Crohn's diseases. (1) And infection by various viruses and bacteria can lead to auto-aggressive diseases, such as infectious hepatitis and syphilis, which can cause heart muscle inflammation.