Back when I was a kid the toy section in most department stores sold kaleidoscopes. These were cylindrical shaped tubes through which you could look at one end. At the opposite end were a few pieces of colored glassy that when turned council form an infinite number of geometric patterns.

In some ways, your own immune system is much like this apparatus that I enjoyed in my childhood. With only a limited number of weapons, it puts up an almost endless variety of defenses against diseases.

Personal immunity is threatened whenever there are antigens in the system. Antigens are viruses, bacteria, cancer cells, fungi, protozoa, particles and anything else that might challenge the integrity of personal immunity. In fact, antigens are the very reason that an immune defense exists at all.

The immune system employs different methods of fighting these antigens. One way is for some immune cells to "eat" antigens; these specialized white blood cells are called phagocytes. Another way is to cut a hole in the surface of the bacteria's cell. This then destroys the bacteria by permitting water, sodium, and other substances to leak in and out of the cell, upsetting its homeostasis or state of steadiness. Poison can be used to kill antigens. Or a cover can be slapped over that part of the antigen which does the damage (The toxic sited).

There are different types of white blood cells, each with its own name, size, shape, and function. Besides a variety of phagocytes and leukocytes, there are also a number of different lymphocytes originating in the lymph glands of the body: T-cells, natural killer cells, helper cells, suppressor cells, and B-cells. But behind these immune troops is further backup in the form of the complement system, immunoglobulins, interferon, and interleukin. Everything that I've just mentioned forms your defense network. And as antigens float around in your system trying to form some pattern of disease, your immune system like the kaleidoscope mentioned earlier is forming endless arrangements to stop this process from ever happening.

Garlic to the rescue

In keeping with my medical friend's recommendation, I wish to share with you something about garlic. Garlic, as most herbalists know, is outstanding for high blood pressure. But no one seems to understand exactly how it works within the body to accomplish this.

That is, until now. I've fin ally figured out how the stuff works so well for hypertension. Now high blood pressure, as everyone knows, is induced by stress. And stress, of course, is caused by people. Therefore, it stands to reason, that if you eat lots of garlic, it will make the people go away, which in turn relieves the stress. And when this sequence of events happens, then blood pressure returns to normal.