The Selfish Immune System when the Immune System Overrides the ‘Selfish’ Brain

Authors : Leo PRUİMBOOM

Pages : 1-34

View : 19 | Download : 5

Publication Date : 2020-03-31

Article Type : Review Paper

Abstract :The brain and the immune system are the only two systems of the human body that can dominate all others by extracting resources, including glucose. The brain dominates during daytime hours and stressful situations, whereas the immune system protects us principally at night, during periods of infection and when wounds are healing. Both systems are similarly capable of drawing on energy and other essential resources using strategies beneficial to their own function and anatomy. Human evolution has made the brain the most important of the body’s systems, resulting in a shift from strong to smart. However, the immune system is very old and robust; when necessary it is activated by a variety of non-specific immune challenges such as psychoemotional stress and most often when immune activating risk factors insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(including endotoxemia); are not solved in an appropriate timeframe. When chronically activated, the immune system demonstrates even more selfish behaviour than the selfish brain, inducing chronic low-grade inflammation and multiple related diseases. But before castigating the immune system for this behaviour, it is crucial to recognise that it is only doing what it is made for: trying to protect us.
Keywords : immune system, selfish brain, inflammation, evolution, stress, chronic disease, Alzheimer, fibromyalgia syndrome, insulin resistance