Ongoing inflammation is loss of immune tolerance

Excess inflammation (some is normal and necessary!) is sometimes framed as the body attacking itself. But in functional health it's about the immune system losing tolerance to the world.

Tolerance as the immune system’s ability to stay calm, discern real threats from harmless exposures, and maintain peace with the body’s own cells. When it becomes overwhelmed or dysregulated, our immune response becomes hypervigilant, and even harmless signals can trigger chronic inflammation.

Causes of Immune Intolerance

Leaky gut (intestinal permeability) - gut lining breakdown, which allows undigested food particles and toxins to slip through and trigger immune alarms

Loss of oral tolerance - gut imbalances, low SIgA, or chronic stress can erode the gut immune system's ability to learn food and microbial antigen tolerance

Environmental toxins - mould, heavy metals, pesticides, plastics can overwhelm detox pathways and immune regulation, leading to a loss of chemical tolerance

Molecular mimicry - infections or cross-reactive foods can confuse the immune system so it attacks its own tissues thinking its an invader (autoimmunity)

Nervous system imbalance - a dysregulated vagus nerve and sympathetic overdrive reduce immune modulation, feeding inflammation

Functional Approach to Restoring Tolerance

1. Rebuild gut integrity with nutrients like glutamine, zinc, polyphenols

2. Restore microbial balance with targeted probiotics and prebiotics

3. Reduce the total load of immune triggers (toxins, allergens, infections)

4. Support regulatory T cells with vitamin D, omega-3s, curcumin, short-chain fatty acids

5. Calm the nervous system through vagal toning, breathwork, and practices like Psych-K

6. Address trauma and beliefs that keep the body stuck in a state of threat

Healing isn’t just about suppressing inflammation, but teaching our body how to tolerate again.