Hi J.---In the absence of any answers from her doctors, I would suggest your friend look at her diet and other lifestyle habits that may not be supporting optimal health. I think that Amy's post suggesting that the body's autoimmune system may be compromised is a good one.
Our bodies can only function as well as the food we put into it will allow. Please understand that I am not saying that your friend has a horrible diet. But with all of the processed, genetically modified and nutrient deficient food that we are exposed to, what we think is a good diet may not be enough to keep us healthy. We are also exposed to more and different environmental toxins every day, further challenging our bodies ability to function properly.
Autoimmune disorders are the biggest growing classification of diseases today. These disorders, as well as cancers, heart disease and diabetes, just to name the big ones, are all impacted by our diet. It is said that 70% of all disease can be drastically reduced by diet and lifestyle changes.
To give ourselves a fighting chance, we need to focus our eating on 4 main food groups. Those are fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes (black, kidney beans, chick peas, lentils). It is also best to minimize or maybe even eliminate animal products, and that includes cows milk. We can actually balance our immune system function with these foods. It is now recommended we get 9 to 13 servings of fruits and veggies every day. If we suffer from disease processes or are VERY active (working out, athlete), we will need even more.
I am studying Wellness Education through a naturopathic doctor, who also has a PhD in nutrition, from Columbus OH. I have a number of references on how to incorporate more of these health supporting foods into the diet. I would be happy to share these resources with you. I also would highly recommend a proven whole food supplement, fruits and veggies in a capsule, to help with getting more nutrients into the body. It's called Juice Plus+ and independent research has shown that it balances the immune system. These studies have been done at prestigous universities all over the world and more than one study has confirmed improved immune system function.
Please feel free to contact me to learn more. There is no obligation. I look forward to it. In health, D.
###-###-#### www.dianeshealthed.com