A Message from Nature and Our Innate Immunity
The immune system is a complex mechanism. It also works in tandem with the signals being transmitted throughout the body. The innate immune system is our first line of defense and as I’ve pointed out in prior posts, it is activated shortly after the DNA shifts into stress mode. Again, this is a series of chemical changes in response to all threats…mental, emotional and environmental.
To be honest, the following information came about while I was investigating material for a plant-based hand sanitizer/ moisturizer. It began when a local store asked me to make something for their shop. That evening, a friend was sharing recent FDA warnings on a list of commercially available hand sanitizers. Because I believe everything happens for a reason, I followed my hunches and discovered several facts that confirm my beliefs surrounding nature and the immune system.
The first one is about AMP’s (antimicrobial peptides). According to Peptide Science, ‘AMP is mostly mediated by a non-specific process rather than by an interaction with a specific protein target. Most AMPs lyse bacteria by directly interacting with the lipid bilayer of the bacterial cell membrane and disrupting the lipid bilayer structure’ (Oren and Shai, 1998; Epand and Vogel, 1999; Shai, 2002; Bechinger, 2011)
This is HUGE as it suggests nature does not seek to kill. The intention is simply stabilization. This is what we see with the bees.
Honey bees live in harmony with a particular mite until their stress mechanism is activated, altering their neurochemistry which changes their hive hygiene. In turn, the mite population grows and potentially kills the hive. However, when stability is restored, the two populations live together with ease.
Antimicrobial peptides do not target bacteria to kill it. They promote non-threatening changes to the bacteria that protects the body from a potentially dangerous overgrowth and infection.
Needless to say, this understanding has prompted extensive research into how scientists might replicate AMP’s as an advanced therapeutic approach due to the growing problem we have with antibiotic resistance. AMP’s interact with bacteria that triggers no resistance at all. How can this be?
My best answer … natural persuasion. Thriving is a state of ease, and I believe, nature follows the path of ease.
Nevertheless, this is not our experience which prompted me to wonder, why …
What’s more, if AMP’s are so incredible, why isn’t the human body more fully protected?
The answer is unclear as researchers continue to study this issue …
However, I’m confident our use of manmade disinfectants, sanitizers, antibiotics as well as many other chemicals has both accelerated the rate of microbial adaptation and development while mitigating the body’s ability to maintain homeostasis.
Now what?
Well, researchers, realizing the value of AMP’s, are actively seeking ways to induce antimicrobial peptides in order to increase the level of innate immune protection. One promising direction involves the study of plant derived chemicals to boost the expression of one of the most efficient AMP’s (HBD3) without mitigating the production of proinflammatory cytokines.
Cytokines, as a side note, are critical humoral regulators signaling the actions of cells i.e. tissue generation, growth, development, differentiation, etc. Inflammation is inflammation, it’s neither good nor bad. Cytokines have a purpose when necessary. Therefore, the goal of the plant based study was to induce and augment AMP expression.
The result was a success as the natural molecules influenced the EGF receptor of the MAPK pathway and increased phosphorylation!!! This is exciting as I discovered and wrote about other plant components with ability to do the same thing! A fact that underscores the entire point of this post is nature does not seek to kill. There is a synergy to nature that promotes harmony and stability which are key to functional health.
What’s more, nature adapts to threats. Intelligence exceeds knowledge and life is orchestrated to survive.
Essential oils, although touted as antimicrobial, antiviral, antibiotic and so on are not exactly that. They are so much more as they enhance the body’s ability to do what it is designed to do.
The human body is not unlike a beehive with an incredible system of workers a.k.a. cells to clean house and maintain stability. BUT in the presence of instability a.k.a. stress the system becomes taxed and unable to promote ease; hence, dis-ease.
Thank you for being here and sharing in this journey with me. If you like this post, please comment and share. If you have questions, please comment down below.
With all of this in mind, I created plant based hand sanitizer/ moisturize combination salve called AMP. It not only benefits the skin, but the immune, digestive and hormonal systems as well! $28.00 which includes shipping and is payable via Venmo tammydavis8 or PayPal…
Blessings ….