ANH-Intl Feature: Are we lighting the fuse of an autoimmune time bomb?

By Rob Verkerk PhD, founder, executive & scientific director

There’s been increasing concern voiced by world-leading immunologists that we could soon witness a devastating super-epidemic of autoimmune diseases. Some think it’s our exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus that’s the major concern. While others are more worried about the novel, still experimental vaccines, delivered at an unprecedented scale. But could it be both? In this piece, we aim to get under the covers of this complex area that’s been getting very little airtime in the mainstream media.

KEY POINTS

• World-leading immunologists are concerned we may witness a super-epidemic of autoimmune disease linked to the SARS-CoV-2 virus as well as the vaccines designed to counter it
• Our modern day lives put us at increased risk of developing autoimmune disease
• Coronaviruses have the potential to trigger autoimmune disease in susceptible individuals
• Israeli immunologist, Prof Yehuda Schoenfeld, often to referred to as the ‘father of autoimmunity’, has warned an adverse reaction to a vaccine could tip someone into autoimmune disease
• The nano technology used in some covid vaccines bypasses our normal defence systems presenting yet another dimension of concern
• Governments are not telling citizens about these potential issues
• If you have a history or family history of autoimmune disease caution is required
• Everyone benefits from using dietary and lifestyle strategies that optimise the resilience of your immune system.

Autoimmune 101

Autoimmune diseases represent a diverse group of over 100 diseases including type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, lupus, psoriasis, coeliac disease, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, Addison’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, pancreatitis, Graves disease, Hashimoto’s, fibromyalgia, and many other common diseases.

The underlying mechanism that links all these diseases is the loss of self-tolerance. As a result, the body starts to attack healthy cells or parts of itself, leading to the characteristic symptoms of one of the myriad autoimmune diseases.