Life Is A Helix...

By Juan Semo (Wenatex Health Advisor)

Our journey starts with a chance encounter, one egg and one sperm, an adventure of two nearly invincible cells, a fountainhead of creation, a symphony of trillions of biological melodies. The geometry of life is a helix, a whirlpool of mighty opposite forces. We can imagine the eternal spiral of day and night, with each turn the fight between cold and warmth, and with each screw the pull between life and death.

In nine months in the womb, we travel through 500 million years of evolution. From the early days when simple cells found ways to survive, to the days where the earth was ruled by reptiles, to the last seven million years where the final ‘touches’ that make us what we are today took place. In the infinity of biological possibilities, two indestructible forces persist in each cell of every living organism; the eternal fight for survival and the urge to find a way for each cell to reproduce itself.

Life would not be possible if each cell, plant or animal did not have a way to defend itself. The mission is simple and clear, to constantly scan our internal environment to identify what belongs to us and what is alien. If things go as planned, our cells remain untouched, and alien cells, parasites, bacteria, viruses, debris and some unanimated elements will be destroyed and evacuated. This is the immune system and without it, life would not exist.

Although life presents itself as a masterpiece of perfection, there is still a high probability of producing very costly mistakes. In the case of our immune system, three major types of malfunctions can occur: allergies, auto-immune diseases, and the failure to recognise particular alien structures as dangerous to our survival. A typical example of an allergic event is the adverse reaction that some people have to peanuts. A classical auto-immune disease is Multiple Sclerosis. Failure by our immune system to recognise structures alien or harmful to our survival are expressed in illnesses such as cancer or AIDS.

What exactly is an allergy? An allergy is an overreaction of our immune system to an alien structure called allergen. Very specific microscopic structures in things like pollens, peanuts, strawberries, bee stings, perfumes, dust mite excrement and countless other objects we come in contact with every day, can produce allergies in some people. Science is still debating the reasons why some people are allergic and others are not. The jury is still out on that one but nevertheless, we know that genetic and environmental factors are involved in an extremely complex Russian roulette game of biology and evolution. We also know that in the last ten years, the amount of allergic people has increased to unimaginable numbers. What could be the cause? Pollution? Supremacy of defective genes? Poor nutrition? Lack of sleep? Global warming? It could be a combination of all of them. We don’t know for certain but the situation is becoming alarming.

Dust mite excrement contains an allergen that may trigger asthma attacks in some people. Contrary to what many people think, asthma is not an allergy. It is an illness of the respiratory system characterized by a combination of the narrowing of the lung pathways and an increase in mucus production, making breathing very difficult. Asthma attacks can be triggered by a rapid change in temperature, smoking, humidity, exercise, stress, infections, and in some people, allergies.

How can the probability of an allergic reaction be reduced? This can be achieved by avoiding contact with the allergen and increasing the capacity of our immune system to perform its mission. Here is the process:

1. Identify the allergen and avoid it;
2. Improve the capacity of your immune system to perform its mission by having a healthy lifestyle and VERY IMPORTANTLY, a healthy sleep; and
3. Be aware of external factors i.e. heat, cold, smog etc., that may affect the allergy.
   

Every day medicine is providing more tools to deal with the causes of allergies, though it is not always possible to identify them. Furthermore, cross-reactions between different allergens are quite common. In some cases, the list of allergens is so long that patients would be better off if doctors told them what they are NOT allergic to.

Almost everybody can help their immune system to perform its duty by following some simple steps; healthy living and yes, good nutrition, a clean environment, clean water, exercise, mental training in the form of meditation, yoga etc. and importantly a good sleep may help all of us live better.

Everyone knows about the importance of good nutrition and exercise but what has healthy sleep got to do with our immune system? When we all seem to have a relaxing and calm night, our immune system is experiencing ‘its finest hour’. Fierce battles between the brave warriors of our immune system and invaders in the form of bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites etc. are taking place when we are in our non-REM sleep phase. If these golden hours are interrupted, we are looking for serious trouble. To put it in simple terms, sleep and the immune system are inseparable partners in this strange puzzle that some bright spark named ‘life’.

To all those interested in knowing more, we now have now a Sleep Health Advisory Service. Please email us at sleepscience@wenatex.com.au.

Register to attend a “Healthy Sleep for a Better Life” seminar »