In this book review of The Infection Game; it's an Arm's Race by Dr Sarah Myhill, I look at Dr Myhill's important thesis that microbial causes underlie many (if not all) chronic disease - something which you may not realise. This results from a reduction in natural immunity from our poor diet (high carb, nutrient depleted), intensive farming, lack of microbial diversity (from fermented foods, soil) and lack of quality sleep. There is also the fact of climate change forcing new and novel microbes to adapt to new environments and hosts. In the era of #covid this is highly relevant and prescient.
Solutions according to Dr Myhill are the #paleo-ketogenic (#PK - or high fat diet), and some supplements and herbs, better sleep, light and heat therapies and protecting ourselves from electromagnetic radiation which all help our immune system to fight infections.
Immunity is very energy hungry process and cannot function without the right raw materials (vitamins and minerals) which help to fuel our our energy delivery system (mitochondria, thyroid and adrenals). She likens this to a car with these as engine, accelerator, and gearbox respectively. She also talks about the importance of the #microbiome and #fermented foods.
Talking about energy delivery and how to enhance it with some specific supplementation and diet changes, she outlines her framework which she calls Groundhog Basic, Acute and Chronic.
In the Basic approach are:
· PK diet
· #Vitamin_C,
· Iodine (very useful for skin infections and prevention of #breastcancer and low thyroid - and easy to skin test to see how low you are)
· light and heat therapy
· sufficient exercise
· quality sleep (use blackout masks or curtains), switching off phones and electro-magnetic radiation during the night.
In the Acute approach where we become aware of an infection, then everything as above but adding in:
· #Vitamin_ D (as a mixture with K2 or Sunshine salt)
· fasting (avoiding constant snacking)
· improving energy delivery (glutathione, CoQ10)
· detoxing
· taking thyroid glandulars.
Finally for Chronic infections, the systems are so depleted/ rundown you have multiple infections you need to add:
· herbals (astragulus, cordyceps and rhodiola)
· D-ribose
· reviewing medications for side effects
· maybe some antibiotics after proper testing
All in all this is an important book with some slightly annoying stylistic quirks (little inserts of somewhat irrelevant and for me slightly annoying philosophical/historical asides) - very British approach e.g. 'gobs and guts' and mentions of Latin, school experiences and chess approaches! I love her for her honesty and integrity. The content is also accurate and relevant.
See Drmyhill.co.uk for her comprehensive (if slightly confusingly dense) website with more information and her other books.
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