Dr Vernon Coleman - Superbody: How to Boost Your Immune System

We spend more on health care than ever before but people arenow far more likely to fall ill than they were a generation ago.

A major survey showed that today 95% of the population are illat least once a fortnight. The commonest illnesses are coughs, colds, sorethroats, sinus troubles and chest infections. The biggest and healthiestindustry in the world is the one which makes and markets pills and potionsdesigned to help us stay well and get better when we fall ill.

Infectious diseases are commoner today than at any time inliving memory: diseases as varied as pneumonia and tuberculosis are becomingcommoner and are killing more people than they did a decade ago. But they arenot the only cause of death and serious illness to be on the rise. And they arenot the only cause of death and serious illness to be rising because of damagedimmune systems. Our susceptibility to cancer is also increasing as our immunesystems become weaker.

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Part Two of Superbody explains why and how our bodiesare under siege and why the incidence of cancer and infectious disease isrising rapidly (and likely to continue rising).

I first forecast that infectious diseases were becomingresistant to antibiotics a quarter of a century ago. Since then the situationhas steadily worsened. I believe that it is now too late for the medicalprofession to reverse the situation. Infectious diseases are coming back in abig way. There are a number of reasons for this and little that you and I (or,indeed, anyone else) can now do to alter this tragic state of affairs. Ourvulnerability is increased because our immune systems are weakened by stress,poor diet and too many drugs.

The incidence of cancer is also rising dramatically and allthe evidence suggests that it is going to continue to rise. We are constantlyexposed to carcinogenic hazards (even in the food we eat) and our weakenedimmune systems make us more vulnerable to cancer than any of our ancestors everwere.

We have polluted our environment in every conceivable way usingit as a global rubbish dump. Most people in the developed world eat too muchfood but are malnourished. The food they eat is fatty, full of additives andchemicals and often poor in vitamins and minerals. Even the drinking waterwhich comes out of our taps is often heavily polluted with chemicals.

The air we breathe is frequently polluted. The land uponwhich we walk is polluted. The sea is polluted. And we surround ourselves withequipment for example, our mobile telephones which may appear to make ourlives easier but which, in reality, may damage our health.

Our bodies, weakened by poor food and too much stress, simplycannot cope with the enormous quantities of pollutants and contaminants.

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The Action Plan in Part Three of Superbody explains exactly howyou can protect yourself against these, and other threats.

First, you can reduce your chances of developing cancer oracquiring a potentially deadly infection by learning how to avoid, and how toprotect yourself against, external threats.

Secondly, you can improve your bodys ability to survive externalthreats by improving the strength, efficiency and effectiveness of your bodysnatural immune system.

A healthy immune system the key to a superbody wontsimply protect you against infection but will also prove to be an essential factorin your bodys ability to fight off all other diseases including cancer.

However hard you try it isnt possible to avoid all the externaldangers and pollutants which threaten you. Our environment is now irretrievablypolluted.

But there is a great deal that you can do to protectyourself, to strengthen your immune system and to improve your bodys abilityto protect itself against threats such as infective organisms and carcinogens.For example, by taking care over the foods you choose to eat and by strengtheningyour mind you can dramatically improve your ability to fight off potentiallylethal hazards.