Eugene R. Zampieron, Ellen J. Kamhi

Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), involve destruction of healthy cells by the body’s own defensive mechanism. If the immune system’s faux pas is not corrected, the attack can progress to the heart, lungs, and other vital organs. The mechanisms that cause the deregulation of the immune response are not entirely understood. It can be assumed that heavy metal toxicity, leaky gut syndrome, infectious bacteria and parasites, and nutritional imbalances can overburden the body’s immune system, thus deregulating immune signals and responses. Ongoing research investigates the mechanism by which these factors cause the immune system to attack the body’s own tissues. In this paper, we discuss natural therapies that can help regulate the immune system’s aggressive behavior without suppressing or altering its necessary defenses.