The Immunity Fix - Book Review

Ollie

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This book, The Immunity Fix: Strengthen Your Immune System, Fight Off Infections, Reverse Chronic Disease and Live a Healthier Life, (2020, Great Britain, Amazon) by Dr James Dinicolantonio and Siim Land, was mentioned in an internet article (Simple Strategies That Will Improve Your Immunity) by Dr Mercola, the article also includes a video discussing ‘The Immunity Fix’. In terms of the authors track record: Dr James Dinicolantonion is the author of: The Salt Fix, Superfuel, and The Longevity Solution. Siim Land is a renowned author (e.g., Metabolic Autophagy, Stronger by Stress), speaker, and content creator, in addition, he is a renowned biohacker.

For a long time, I have considered that infection/inflammation is the major precursor to chronic illnesses, and in turn is a weakener of the immune system. In fact, inflammation is the innate immune system’s immediate response to an infection. Whilst pondering the causes of inflammation, after recovering from an infection, and inflammation being the cause of another problem, the necessary Mercola article appeared!

The arrival of this book is a ‘godsend’ for specific information on fighting infections, and for improving, even reversing, existing medical conditions, and all of it is contained in one place.

The book text is objectively based around 2415 referenced, scientific articles and reports: thorough and comprehensive. The authors have pulled out the relevant data, without bias. Nothing is specifically recommended by the authors; they just state what research has indicated as helping in a particular situation. It is technical, yet it is easily readable, and in the chapters the text is often annotated in the form of concise bulleted paragraphs giving examples, or summary explanations. These lead to clarity of what is happening, or what are the causes of, or what is required to ameliorate, conditions.

However, in terms of both context and content, quite a lot of it is in line with what can be found in various places on the forum. That said, it is still highly recommended reading for anyone interested in obtaining a healthy immune system.

As the book covers so much, and in such detail, what follows is the main chapter headings, and a summary of content for each, paraphrasing, and mainly as given in, the book. This will enable you to get a better, qualitative, feel for what the book contains.

Introduction: Why Worry About Your Immune System? The 2020 Pandemic was a Practice Drill and a Reminder
Provides a brief overview on the importance of the immune system.

Chapter 1 – Lessons from Past Pandemics and Future Projections
Gives an overview about the biggest and most important pandemics in history, starting with the Plague of Athens (430BC), and includes how the Spanish Flu that occurred across the globe at the end of WWI was treated, followed with 21st century Pandemics and lessons to be learned.

Chapter 2 – Fundamentals of the Immune System and Immunosenescence (‘immunity and the aging process’)
Discusses how the immune system works, what categories it is divided into, and the reasons it becomes dysfunctional; immunity disorders; interferon and anti-viral defences; and immunity and stress.

Chapter 3 – Immunity and Cancer: What is at risk?
Shows how immunodeficiencies promote the development of malignancies, the potential causes of cancer, shows what happens in cancer, and shows ways to enhance the immune system, such as the benefits of Beta-Glucons. Also, the Warburg effect (the preference of cells to burn glucose via glucosis) is explained.

Chapter 4 – How an Overactive Immune System Drives Chronic Inflammation and Autoimmune Diseases
Discusses the link between inflammation and a dysfunctional immune system and autoimmune diseases, what drives autoimmunity, and treatments for it. Additionally, the effects of COVID19 and an overactive immune system is discussed.

Chapter 5 – Insulin Resistance and Immunity: Drop the Sugar and Boost the Immune System
Focuses on metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and the immune system. Shows how the metabolic health and body composition affects immunity, and answers the question of what can be done about it, particularly how diet can improve metabolic syndrome.

Chapter 6 – The Fat Fix: Balancing Our Omega6/3 Ratio to Calm an Overactive Immune System
This reveals that the modern diet is the predominant source of inflammation and chronic diseases; how inflammatory fats cause metabolic dysfunction and immune disorders. Ways are given for balancing your Omega 6/3 ratio; to calm down inflammation and an overactive immune system.

Chapter 7 – Hot/Cold Therapy to Prime the Immune System: Tuning up the Heat on Viruses and Cooling Off the Cytokine Storm
Gives an introduction to the concept of hormesis, or a small amount of stress that has a positive effect on the body; such as fever and heat. In particular, using various forms of hot and cold therapy to strengthen immunity. The benefits of Hyperbaric conditioning and sauna therapy are given along with describing the difference between infrared and traditional saunas. Also, the concept of cold exposure and immunity is explored.

Chapter 8 – Eating for a Healthy Immune System
A review is given of which nutrients are needed for immunity, which foods strengthen the immune system, and which ones weaken it. Also, information is given about Endotoxins, that leads to Endotoxemia, and what to do, eat, take, and/or drink, to combat their harm.

Chapter 9 – The Power of Nutrients and Nutraceuticals for Boosting Immunity
Covers the power of nutrients, nutraceuticals, and other supplements. Although we are recommended to get our supplements from whole foods, some supplementation is not only beneficial, but may also be needed to fix the most common deficiencies people have. It explains how salt is used by our body to fight infection. Questions posed and answered include: should you take a vitamin D supplement, Magnesium supplementation, should you take NAD during an infection? Also covered is the role of Glutathione, NAD+ supplementation, and Adaptogens for boosting immunity.

Chapter 10 - Intermittent Fasting, Autophagy and Immunosenescence: How Fasting Helps Immunity
Describes another hermetic stressor, which is intermittent fasting. An explanation is given on how some aspects of time-restricted eating can be an effective strategy for strengthening the immune system. In particular, it describes: intermittent fasting and autophagy in relation to immunity; and immune rejuvenation - autophagy and the immune response. It describes the link between autophagy and viruses, as well as the different types of intermittent fasting. Also, it poses and answers the question - Should you fast when you are sick?

Chapter 11 – Exercise and Immunity: How Much is Too Much, What Forms of Exercise Are Optimal, and When to Exercise?
Goes into exercise and immunity. It discusses how much exercise is good and how much is harmful. It talks about protein intake and muscle growth, muscle mass and immunosenescence, exercise recovery, and heart rate variability. Additionally, the chapter covers how you can slow down immunosenescence and preserve metabolic syndrome with resistance training.

Chapter 12 – Sleep, Circadian Rhythms, and the Immune System
This chapter is about sleep and recovery. It talks about how sleep and circadian rhythm effect immunity as well as how to improve the quality of your sleep.

Conclusion
Bullet points the fundamentals of a strong immune system, and the actions to take, i.e.:
Eat a nutrient dense diet
Supplement to fix your nutrient deficiencies
Forest bathing
Regular exercise
Hot/cold hormeses, and
Intermittent fasting
Each chapter gives examples of foods, and/or supplements, herbs, spices, activities, nutrients, nutraceuticals, etc to take, or drink, or do. Out of interest, and taken overall across all chapters, I ranked the mentioned foods, and/or supplements, herbs, spices, activities, nutrients, nutraceuticals, etc. The result (and only counting those mentioned more than once) was:
Most mentioned (8 times) Sulphur-rich foods,
Then, (6 times) Exercise (all types),
(5 times) Green Tea,
(4 times) Curcumin, Magnesium, Zinc,
(3 times) Ginger, Ginseng, Probiotics, Quercetin, Selenium, Sunlight, Vitamin D,
(2 times) Berberine, Vitamin B’s, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Glycine, Music, NAC.

Once again, highly recommended reading for anyone interested in proactively improving their immune system, and hence, improving, and/or restoring, their overall health and wellness. Remember, your immune system is one of the only defences you have against the outside world, and it is one of the few things you can control with your lifestyle.
 
Here's the thing though: This process never ends. There will ALWAYS be new issues, situations and life circumstances that are 'asking' us to engage in, and potentially grow from. So one set of questions that seems to always be there are: How much do I want to grow? what am I willing to pay - with my time, energy, focus, etc.? How much humility can I find or nurture in myself to admit that this or that area of my lfe can use more work?

This book, The Immunity Fix: Strengthen Your Immune System, Fight Off Infections, Reverse Chronic Disease and Live a Healthier Life, (2020, Great Britain, Amazon) by Dr James Dinicolantonio and Siim Land, was mentioned in an internet article (Simple Strategies That Will Improve Your Immunity) by Dr Mercola, the article also includes a video discussing ‘The Immunity Fix’. In terms of the authors track record: Dr James Dinicolantonion is the author of: The Salt Fix, Superfuel, and The Longevity Solution. Siim Land is a renowned author (e.g., Metabolic Autophagy, Stronger by Stress), speaker, and content creator, in addition, he is a renowned biohacker.

Thanks for this, Ollie. A very timely reminder to focus on strengthening the immune system and this book does cover quite a few strategies - many networked here on the forum - in building a strong immune system.
With relevance to what's going on today, Covid-19 may be nothing more than an inconvenient mild flu virus for people with a functional immune system. But it's what is coming after it that will be the real test for humans. There may or may not be another bioengineered virus to follow Covid, but we can almost certainly expect a plague to accompany the accelerating Earth changes, as has been the case many times in the past. That'll be the big test for strong immunity.

I hope to read the book at some stage.
EDIT: OOPS, quoted from another thread.
 
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Thanks Ollie! The book looks very interesting indeed. I bought it already!

Immunity is such a complex subject and it's also sooo important for us to be healthy. Books like these really help us understand about it more and more, which then gives us the right knowledge to act appropriately when we have to make decisions regarding our health.
 
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