Inflammatory Ailments & Immunity

The immune system is a complex and tightly regulated system designed to protect the body from all invading pathogens and repair damage caused to cells by injury, infection and stressors. The correct functioning of this extremely precise process is dependent on numerous factors including diet, stress and sleep – each of these factors has the capacity to disrupt the process and create systemic havoc!

Autoimmunity is a huge burden in the western world; the third biggest cause of morbidity and mortality, it is the clinical manifestation of an immune system so overwhelmed that it goes into overdrive and begins to attack cells and systems of the body, causing diseases such as type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis and hyper/hypo-thyroidism, to name but a few of the 80+ classified autoimmune conditions. Autoimmunity arises with the established presence of three key factors:

• First there must be a trigger which switches on the immune system – for example, chronic stress, viral infection or food sensitivities.
• Then the environment must allow the immune system to remain consistently overwhelmed until it begins to lose control. ’Environment’ refers to the state of the body. Poor diet, gut dysbiosis, intestinal permeability and high physical or mental stress all reduce the ability of the body to naturally deal with the trigger and control the immune system.
• There must be genetic susceptibility present, determined by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in an individual’s genetic code, which results in one or several organs being the specific target for the rogue immune cells

Inflammation is an essential component of the body’s immune response, but it can wreak havoc on our mental and physical health if it is not properly regulated by the body. Chronic inflammation influences biological processes that can adversely affect the behaviour of all cells and disrupt immune function. The management of inflammation offers wide-ranging benefits to health and may provide immune support, as well as benefiting mood and developmental disorders, heart health, metabolic disease and inflammatory conditions affecting joints and skin. Whilst the area of EPA is still in its relative infancy, with the broad ranging actions of EPA, both in the prevention and resolution of the inflammatory response and in subsequent immune control, it is clear that high-dose EPA has an important role to play in dealing with the huge burden of autoimmune disease

Pharmepa Restore & Maintain™ is a two-step nutrition regime formulated to re-establish healthy inflammation levels within the body by influencing an important inflammation biomarker – the AA to EPA ratio. The omega-6 AA produces pro-inflammatory chemical messengers, while the omega-3 EPA produces anti-inflammatory chemical messengers. Targeting and managing the ratio of AA to EPA at a cellular level is a highly effective way of addressing and reversing the body-wide complications caused by chronic inflammation. RESTORE pre-loads the body with a high dose of EPA omega-3 (1000 mg), while MAINTAIN introduces anti-inflammatory GLA, for long-term balance. The Pharmepa protocol offers targeted treatment support for people with specific conditions.

Echiomega echium seed oil is a vegan alternative to fish oil-derived omega-3 fatty acids, offering a rich source of the rare anti-inflammatory omega-3 SDA. Also rich in omega-6 GLA and omega-9 oleic acid, echium seed oil provides a unique profile of important fatty acids which help regulate inflammation.

Homocysteine Control™ provides important micronutrients that support proper homocysteine processing in the body. A deficiency in vitamin B6, B12, or folate is the major cause of elevated homocysteine, which is linked to a pro-inflammatory state. Taken daily, Homocysteine Control supports the recycling of homocysteine to methionine – an amino acid vital for maintaining good health – and glutathione – a major antioxidant.  Managing homocysteine therefore helps to prevent the production of inflammatory products whilst supporting many vital ‘methylation’ pathways and the body’s natural immune and detoxification pathways