Currently, the average person in the U.S. gets 5 colds per year. Respiratory infections and allergies constitute approximately 80% of visits to the doctor. If germs cause colds then why do some people in a family household get sick while the others don't even though they live in the same house and are therefore exposed to the same germs? Are these "colds" caused by germs like we've always been told or could they be due to something else? Let's investigate.

Our body is equipped with an immune system that acts as a "shield" against sickness and disease. Our immune system in Livonia is a one trillion cell army that patrols our 100 trillion cell body and serves two main purposes: (1) it destroys foreign invaders - viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens and (2) it destroys aberrant (damaged) cells in the body that can cause cancer and other autoimmune disorders.

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Our Immune System's two lines of defense in Livonia

• The skin and mucosa are our body's first line of defense. They act as a shield to invading, harmful germs. If they encounter a germ they trigger an immune response to rid the body of these harmful germs before they have a chance to get into your body
• The blood is the body's second line of defense. It targets the harmful germs that got past the first line of defense (skin and mucosa) and also targets and kills aberrant (damaged) cells such as cancer cells

Let's closely look at these two lines of defense and how they operate to help us survive.

• First Line of Defense: Skin and Mucosa
  The first line of defense consists of our skin and the lining of our nasal cavity, sinuses, mouth, ears, throat and lungs. If our skin and mucosa detect a germ that is perceived as harmful, an immune response is triggered that results in the production of mucous and experience a runny nose, lung congestion, sinus congestion, watery eyes and fluid pressure in the ears. Mucous is created by our body and is designed to trap the germs so the body can rid of them through the previously mentioned symptoms. If our body does this effectively, we never truly get "sick" because the germs never got past the first line of defense.
• Second Line of Defense: The Blood
  If our immune system is weakened and allows any harmful germs to get past the first line of defense, the immune system components of the blood now go to work. The body will create cells called antibodies in the blood that are designed specifically for each germ to neutralize them and take them to our lymph system to be removed from the body. The lymph system is a series of interconnected nodes (glands) throughout the body that act as a prison for germs. Antibodies and other immune cells in the blood take the germs hostage and put them into our lymph nodes to keep the germs from attacking the vital organs of our body. The lymph system then takes the germs to our skin, mucosa, bladder, and colon for excretion from the body.

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Purpose of Bacteria and Viruses

We have been taught that germs (bacteria and viruses) are evil but they actually have a very important purpose on our planet. They are designed to decompose dead and dying material. Germs turn deadwood to rotting wood and then top soil. Germs do the same thing with dead animals. Germs are our planet's recyclers and without them, life on earth couldn't exist.
In fact, we have billions of bacteria and viruses in our bodies at all times. Most are considered "good germs". Bacteria and viruses are essential for proper digestion and they scavenge dead cells in our body so they can be replaced by new healthy cells - they act as garbage men. Bacteria and viruses only become a problem when our body and immune system becomes weak due to living an unhealthy lifestyle by:

• Eating an unhealthy diet
• Not sleeping properly
• Having a poorly functioning nervous system
• Not handling stress properly
• Not exercising
• Ingesting too many harmful toxins

When our body becomes weak due to poor health management, normal bacteria and viruses start to multiply and scavenge our unhealthy, dying cells. Our body then begins an immune system response as a survival mechanism and we develop all the symptoms of being sick but we must realize that the germs are just doing their job.

The question then becomes, what creates sickness and illness? Is it the germs or is it an unhealthy body?

The germ theory was developed by Louis Pasteur in the 19th century when he examined humans and animals that showed signs of being sick and found that they had very high levels of bacteria and viruses compared to people who were not sick. He then made the assumption germs infect our body and cause sickness and disease. Most of the practice of traditional medicine to this day is still based on this theory.

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Problems with the Germ Theory

If the germ theory were true then every time we came in contact with a virus or bacteria, we would become sick yet this doesn't happen. For example, the pneumococcus bacteria is credited with causing pneumonia. If we all had a throat culture performed, most of us would find the presence of the pneumococcus bacteria in our throats yet very few people have pneumonia.

The same goes for e-coli and salmonella outbreaks. You hear of people dying from these but what you probably didn't hear is that many others were exposed to and ingested e-coli and salmonella during these outbreaks and didn't develop any sickness because they had a stronger immune system that effectively handled the germs without any problems.

BJ Palmer, the developer of Chiropractic, famously stated "If the germ theory was true, there would be nobody left alive to believe in it."

Scientific research shows that germs don't make people sick. An unhealthy body makes people sick by creating a perfect environment for germs to proliferate. Blaming germs for causing sickness and disease is like blaming cockroaches for making houses dirty.

Worry less about germs and focus more on living a healthy lifestyle by eating well, exercising, effectively handling stress, getting adequate sleep, and keeping your nervous system free of interference by receiving chiropractic care. Yes, that's right…chiropractic care helps prevent colds, flu's, and other immune system illnesses such as cancer!!

One of the most important studies showing the positive effect chiropractic care can have on the immune system and general health was performed by Ronald Pero, Ph.D., chief of cancer prevention research at New York's Preventive Medicine Institute and professor of medicine at New York University. Dr. Pero measured the immune systems of people under chiropractic care as compared to those in the general population and those with cancer and other serious diseases. In his initial three-year study of 107 individuals who had been under chiropractic care for five years or more, the chiropractic patients were found to have a 200% greater immune competence than people who had not received chiropractic care, and 400% greater immune competence than people with cancer and other serious diseases. The immune system superiority of those under chiropractic care did not diminish with age. Dr. Pero stated:

"When applied in a clinical framework, I have never seen a group other than this chiropractic group to experience a 200% increase over the normal patients. This is why it is so dramatically important. We have never seen such a positive improvement in a group…"

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-Pero R. "Medical Researcher Excited by CBSRF Project Results." The Chiropractic Journal, August 1989; 32.