Evaluating Your Immune Status

Evaluating Your Immune Status

A basic complete blood count (CBC) will tell you and your health care practitioner a
great deal about your immune system health. Some practitioners may be interested
in more subtle tests, for example, lab tests that examine NK cell population and
activity (a natural killer cell cytotoxicity assay), and the balance of various
cytokines, immune system chemicals that we’ll discuss in more depth in the next
chapter. But you and your health care provider can also tell much about your
immune health by simply observing a history of frequent infection, usually in the
upper respiratory tract, or frequent sore throats. Answering yes to any of the
following questions is a sign that your immune system needs greater nourishment:

• Do you catch colds easily?

• Do you get more than two colds a year?

• Are you suffering from any chronic infections?

• Do you get frequent cold sores or have recurring genital herpes?

• Are your lymph glands sore and swollen at times?

• Do you now have or have you ever had cancer?

Recurrent or chronic infections, even very mild colds, occur when the immune
system is weakened or overwhelmed. Antibiotics can compensate for the work that
your immune system has failed to do, but taking antibiotics doesn’t replenish the
nutrients lost during the battle to rid the body of microbes. Enhancing the immune
system with nourishing food and additional nutrients can help break the cycle of
immune deficiency and exhaustion.