John Arts - Natural health researcher John Arts is a natural health researcher and supplement formulator. If you have questions or would like a free health plan you can contact John on 0800 423 559 or join his newsletter at www.johnarts.co.nz.

A few weeks ago I wrote a column about Polymyalgia Rheumatica.
I have written hundreds of columns in the past five years but was astounded by the numbers of people who called me. If you missed this article please give me a call and I will send you one. Today we look at autoimmune disease in general. I do not have the accurate figures, but it seems that as a class of disease the numbers are rising rapidly.
The most common include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, polymyalgia, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. For people with autoimmune problems their immune system does not act normally and instead of just attacking foreign invaders it attacks its own cells including joints, blood, brain and nerves.
The biggest problem with autoimmune diseases is that they become a cycle where the disease process actually feeds the original problem. Think of it like a bad burn. You burn your hand, but instead of running it under the cold tap you put it under the hot tap, which just makes the burn worse. After a while it's hard to know what is hurting the most - the original burn or the hot water. It might sound simplistic but the way to help your burn heal is to turn off the hot tap and to turn on the cold.
Increasingly, researchers are now identifying factors common to most autoimmune diseases. Certainly genetics are involved as they are with most disease. However, the two most common destructive processes that either cause or promote autoimmune disease are the twin processes of oxidative stress and inflammation. Free radical oxidation and inflammation are central to every autoimmune process. In one person these processes may lead to rheumatoid arthritis while in another chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia.
On a weekly basis I hear from people with various autoimmune problems that they are improving. This improvement is based on adoption of anti-inflammatory dietary and other strategies that allow cell activity to become more normal. I have found that most people respond to intensive nutritional therapy in 3-6 months before moving towards a more maintenance programme. It is critical though to get advice specific for your situation.

John Arts is a natural health commentator, researcher and supplement formulator. If you have questions or would like a free health plan, you can contact John on 07 578 9051 or 0800 423 559. You can join his newsletter at www.johnarts.co.nz