Today I’m going to share some thoughts about the immune system, viruses, and what bacteria really are. Also an excellent video tutorial on the role of the extracellular matrix—the terrain surrounding our cells—in the development of disease.
Everywhere we hear people talk about a weak or deficient immune system as the cause of frequent colds or flu. If we trace the origin of this line of thinking, it is usually a magazine or health guru giving enthusiastic advice on how to “boost your immune system” to prevent infections. These articles are always popular as winter approaches.
But, as you will know if you have been following my Substack, colds and flu are not infections. They are not caused by “viruses”. Or at least not by what we are told is a virus—a bit of DNA that burrows into our cells in order to reproduce itself, and kills the cell as its new offspring emerge.
If not viruses, then what exactly is our immune system supposed to be protecting us from?