My son asked me yesterday why I was taking colostrum, like what was it for and how could I get it from other foods? All I could tell him was that it has immunoglobulins that boosted the immune system. He said to me, “You should have an answer about why you believe this, Mom.” Or something similar to that. I thought about the fact that my daughter Jessica had an IgM deficiency on a lab test several months ago. Maybe looking a deficiency could tell me more about the immune system.

I found some interesting nuggets about that particular deficiency and maybe answers some questions about her health and issues now. I found this statement on the rare disease website, “IgM is the first antibody the immune system makes to fight a new infection.[3] Therefore, when a person does not have enough IgM, the body may have difficulty fighting infections. SIgMD can occur in infants, children, or adults.[1] The disorder may occur as a primary disorder (on its own) or more commonly, as a secondary disorder (associated with another underlying disease or condition). SIgMD may occur in association with some cancers, autoimmune diseases, allergic diseases, and gastrointestinal diseases.[2][4] https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/12547/selective-igm-deficiency

I found it interesting that selective IgM deficiency is more commonly occurs as a secondary disorder associated with an underlying disease or condition. They say that SIgM may occur in association with some cancers, autoimmune diseases, allergic diseases and gastrointestinal diseases. The reason this is so profound to me is because one of Jessica’s doctors diagnosed her with IBD. Several other doctors are debating that diagnosis with me. While her lab test shows that she no longer is deficient in IgM I have already shared my thoughts on lab tests and even though they may now say there is no issue with whatever it may be, that doesn’t mean there still isn’t a problem like with Jessica’s egg issue. She was IgE to eggs on a lab test and now she’s not but she still reacts badly to eggs. My thought is it might be possible that could be happening with her IgM issue.

An article I found in livestrong.com talks about the immune system and the fact that immunoglobulins play a critical role in immune function and that they actually act like antibodies to prevent illness. They talk about certain nutrients and studies which have shown that they benefit your immunoglobulins. They are vitamin A, zinc, and vitamin E. A study in the March 1994 issues of clinical and diagnostic laboratory immunology suggests that eating foods high in vitamin A may benefit your immunoglobulin levels and that can increase in children as well. Foods for vitamin A include eggs, cream, liver and kidneys. Two of those foods Jess can’t eat right now eggs and cream. We do eat liver though.

Research from February 2010 Journal of the Indian Medical Association says zinc boots immunoglobulin levels in patients with tuberculosis. Some foods high in zinc are of course oysters which many people talk about and we don’t eat but also red meat, seafood, pork and poultry, baked beans, cashews, beans and cheese. We do eat pork seafood and poultry and sometimes cashews but not beans or cheese right now.

February 2008 issue of Anatomia, Histologia, Embryologia noted a correlation between vitamin E intake and immunoglobulin even though the study was carried out on chickens we can still glean some good information from that. Foods with vitamin E are liver, eggs, nuts, dark green leafy greens, sweet potatoes and avocado. I don’t think we really can even eat enough to get all the nutrients because somehow I am still deficient of borderline deficient in vitamin E more recently on my lab tests.
So much to learn as I know these are not the only nutrients beneficial for the immune system. https://www.livestrong.com/article/501949-nutrients-that-raise-levels-of-immunoglobulins/

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