Why Molecular Mimicry Is Causing So Many Autoimmune Conditions

If you’ve ever caught yourself wondering why there are so many people coming down with autoimmune diseases I may be able to help clue you in.

I believe it has something to do with a phenomenon known as molecular mimicry.

My guess is you’ve never heard of molecular mimicry before. But, if you know much about autoimmune disease, then you’ll recognize what molecular mimicry is.

Understanding how molecular mimicry contributes to autoimmune disease is one thing.

Figuring out what causes it and how to reverse it is something else altogether, especially since many of the ways to fix molecular mimicry aren’t difficult and could improve other aspects of your life as well.

What’s Molecular Mimicry Anyway?

As the name implies, molecular mimicry occurs when one molecule mimics another.

In this instance, foreign particles that enter your body are identified by your body as problematic and your immune system attacks them. This is exactly what your body was designed to do, and should do.

Now, if these foreign particles only entered your body every once in a while, the immune response wouldn’t be that big of a deal.

However, because these particles share physical characteristics that are similar to your body’s own tissue, when they’re constantly absorbed into the gut your body’s immune system gets confused and will attack both the invading particle and your body’s own tissue.

This creates the classic autoimmune response we’re becoming increasingly familiar with here in the United States (and worldwide).

Here’s How Dr. Lauren Deville describes molecular mimicry:

“When you first get infected with a bacteria or a virus, prowling cells called macrophages will notice that it looks fishy, and will gobble it up. Then they’ll post segments (or antigens, usually about 10 amino acids long) of what it just ate on its surface, so that the circulating T-cells (part of your body’s specific immune system) can have a good look at it. A T-cell with a receptor that matches the presented antigen will lock onto it, and will then in turn tell the B-cells to make lots of antibodies against that antigen—or (and here’s the important part) against any other protein with an amino acid sequence or confirmation that behaves like that antigen.”

• Soluble antigens: these come from food.
• Insoluble antigens: these come from infectious agents like viruses and bacteria.
• Self antigens: these are to your own tissue.

When molecular mimicry contributes to an incessant autoimmune response it can cause hundreds of different health problems.

Chief among them are conditions like MS, RA, Lupus, Hashimoto’s, Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Psoriasis and more.

These are hallmarks of autoimmune attacks but they’re not the limit of what happens when your body is under a constant state of attack.

So what causes molecular mimicry?

The most likely causes are the introduction of food antigens like dairy and gluten which mimic your body’s tissue and cause an autoimmune response.

Then there’s the insoluble antigens from chronic infections like Epstein Barr Virus and Lyme Disease, as well as exposure mold toxins and environmental toxins.

I’ve written about each of these topics in-depth and I’ll link to some of these articles below:

How Hidden Mold Could Be What Causes So Many Incurable Conditions

Some Sad News For My Readers about Dairy

How Kissing Could Slowly Steal Your Life

Important Things You Must Know About Liver Detox

Easily the most important lesson about fighting molecular mimicry is identifying what is causing it in a person’s body.

Everyone’s genetics are different.

Some people are sensitive to gluten, and some aren’t.

And, everyone’s personal situation is different. If you don’t come into consistent contact with mold, or environmental toxins then you won’t have much to worry about. But, if you do, or you succumbed to Mono as a child that caused you to develop full-blown Epstein-Barr Syndrome, then there might be something going on.

This is why I suggest if you’re concerned about not feeling well despite your best efforts, or have a diagnosed auto-immune condition, then you should book an appointment to see if we can help identify what may ail you.

A big part of treating autoimmune disease is trying to identify the potential culprits that may be causing the molecular mimicry.

And we’ve been able to improve and in some cases even reverse autoimmune disease by removing the cause of molecular mimicry that is causing you to be sick in the first place. 

If you’d be interested in trying to figure out the root of your auto-immune condition and what could be contributing to the molecular mimicry that’s causing it, be sure to call us at 336-768-3335 or schedule an appointment through the online portal today.