Boosting immune systems

Well said Experigran

I think the "horrid article" () simply means exercise can knacker you out. I fully agree with it.

I could be referring to the wrong article. (Aka' s)

I'm going to get some Echinacea. I've got this tickly cough which can only be relieved by a good hack. Sorry if TMI.

www.ageuk.org.uk/health-wellbeing/healthy-eating-landing/foods-to-improve-immunity/

This is the article described as so bad! mainly because it suggest echinacea

It was Experigran's link Jess was referring to, jingl.

x posts...!

It's actually stated the Age UK link is so bad!

But later on Jess referred simply to 'the horrid article', which could have been confusing because Aka had also posted her link by then.

Read that one now. How can there be anything wrong with that? Glad to see the mention of beef too. And chicken. Can't be all veg.

Age concern are not going to put any old stuff out.

Anyone can write an academic review and reach their own conculsions. They may not have searched the literature thouroughly or they may be biased. The gold standard systematic reviews are Cochrane reviews . This one found no preventative effect of Echincacea nd a possible weak shortening effect on colds. This is a long way from eulogising it as nature's antibiotic etc etc which that author does.
summaries.cochrane.org/CD000530/echinacea-for-preventing-and-treating-the-common-cold
Just about every paragraph in the ageuk article is riven with non-sequiturs or just plain nonsense. There is for instance no evidence that oils or vitamin E help prevent colds. Or indeed antioxidants. I have complained to Ageuk about the poor quality of the article.
Experigran of course some medicines are derived from herbs. That does not mean all so called herbal medicines are useful and should be accepted uncritically. Why lay the blame for everything on "big pharma". I'm sure they would like to isolate powerful new compounds from plants that can be sold in tested and measured doses, with proper safety checks. Don't you think they have looked?
"A cure" will never be found for cancer because it is hundreds of different diseases. There is nothing simple about the interaction between the immune system - it is as complex as the brain - maybe more so. And nothing simple about the relationship between immune system and cancer. In some situations the immune cells are helping the cancer cells to thrive. If there was a simple relationship between cancer and the immune system, those with damaged immune systems would be getting cancers all over their bodies. But as it is, even in advanced AIDS there are only a few specific cancers that tend to take hold.

Well said, jess.

Try keeping an open mind.

experigran It depends what you mean by keeping an open mind.
If you mean accepting something is true, without examining all the evidence, or accepting something as true without any evidence at all, it's not a good thing.
If on the other hand you mean questioning assertions and assuring yourself that they have a foundation after you have looked at the evidence, then that is a good thing.

Let's keep an open mind as to what an open mind is..OK?

What I mean by an open mind is not accepting what you have been told is the absolute truth, but to question and explore, find out and don't be blinded by the little knowledge that you may have.

The article Wasn't referring to coughs and colds specifically. It refers to building up a healthy immune system. To have a healthy immune system you need good all round good health. Vitamin E is necessary. Seeds, oil, etc - good source. I would substitute rapeseed oil personally.

I think most people realise there is no proven evidence re ech inacea. There is no evidence against it either. Advice harmless and might do some good.

Do you never swig down the red wine to get your antioxidants Jess?

I'm sure all the old folks would love to wade through a load of Cochrane reviews.

Horses for courses.

I'll shut up now.

jingl, you do make me laugh!

'Do you never swig down the red wine to get your antioxidants?' it's as good an excuse as any

Just back on after difficulties with connection

Aka - apparently the shingles vaccine is (or was) not available privately as all the available stocks were bought up by the NHS and offered to 70 and 79 year olds (very strictly) and even people with compromised immune systems were unable to receive it. That was before Christmas and I have not enquired since.

Gaga only just seen this!
Vitelligo is just de pigmentation of the skin.
It is not an autoimmune disease, but, a higher proportion of people with vitelligo have been found to have autoimmune problems.
My gran had it very badly and my daughter has it mildly.

I found last night's documentary on BBC 1 - Who's Paying your Doctor? - very informative and it proved the point I made about pharmaceutical companies control over what drugs are prescribed for us. They must hate it when we find a natural remedy that works just as well.