Are Your Cells Talking To Each Other?

Communication! It permeates our lives. We communicate for many reasons such as: 1) to get what we want, 2) to get rid of what we don't want, 3) to let people know how we feel, 4) to show people we care, 5) to work productively with co-workers, etc. As members of the human race we are fortunate to have various ways to communicate our needs and desires. We can talk, use body language, write our requests or key them into the computer.

But what would happen if we spoke one language and the intended receiver of our message spoke another language. Or perhaps we are speaking on the phone to a friend and static interfers so much that they only hear some of our words or we say one word and they hear it as a different word. Perhaps we are sending our message via computer but some of the keys are either missing or mixed up. That could cause some confusion, right? And the more static or more keys that are missing, the more confused the message is. On the other hand the better we can communicate with other people, the higher level we can function at.

Did you know that the same thing happens in our body? Our body is designed to function at an amazing level. When we think of how complicated our body is, of all the things that could go wrong, and of how much actually goes right without our even thinking about it, it is truly amazing. But why do things sometimes go wrong?

Our body is made up of various systems (circulatory, nervous, muscular, etc) that are made up of organs (heart, lungs, blood vessels) that are made up of cells. To understand the importance of communication in our body, let's take a look at what would happen if our body was a business.

If our body was a company, our systems would be the various departments in the company, our organs would be the teams of people working together within each department, and the cells would be each individual person within the teams. The individual people are the powerhouses of the company. If they are doing what they are supposed to do, when and how they are supposed to, and if they are communicating well to each other to get their individual needs met, then the team will work well. If the teams are working well and communicating so their needs are met, the department will work well. And if all departments are communicating and getting their needs met, the company is successful. But if communication brakes down at any level, it puts the success of the company in jeopardy.

Just as people power companies, our cells power our bodies. So what do our cells need and how do they communicate to each other? Let's look at their needs first. In order to work optimally our cells require nutrients which they use to produce energy and repair themselves. This process produces waste materials which they must eliminate. And they must identify themselves as to what kind of cells they are and if they are native to our body or if they are an intruder (virus, bad bacteria, etc). Each cell is covered with glycoproteins (much like a fuzzy ball). When our cells touch each other these glycoproteins pass messages from one cell to another. The glycoproteins are comprised of variations of 4 proteins and 8 essential sugars (also called carbohydrates or saccharides).

If all glycoproteins are completely formed (no missing sugars or proteins), the message gets passed along intact and the needs of the cell are satisfied. However, just like having static on the phone lines or missing keys on the computer keyboard; if something is missing from the glycoproteins, communication breaks down and the cell either doesn't get what it needs or is sabotaged by sending out a wrong message.

What happens if a cell doesn't get the nutrients it needs to produce energy or repair itself?
Oooh! Energy drain! Premature aging!

What happens if it's message to get rid of waste material is not understood?
Ouch! Toxin build-up! Yuck!

What if it is an invading virus but the body doesn't know it because of faulty cell communication?
Cold? Flu? Pneumonia? _____?

What if it is in fact a native cell that gives out a message that is interpreted by another cell that it is an invader?
Oh-oh! The macrophages are called in to eat it up pac-man style. If this happens frequently enough, we will eventually be diagnosed with one of the 85 known auto-immune diseases.

Wow! Did you have any idea how important each of your cells is (yes, all trillions of them). So how do we keep our cells communicating? It is in the glycoproteins. If our glycoproteins are complete and properly formed, our cells are happily sending and receiving the right messages. Highly functioning cells make highly functioning organs, which make highly functioning systems, which make a highly functioning body for us. The bottom line is getting the right nutrition so our cells can make complete and properly formed glycoproteins.

? Jan Barosh 2004. Permission is granted to reprint this article in print or on your web site so long as the following paragraph is included and contact information is provided to http://www.janbarosh.com

Jan Barosh's degree is in health and physical education with post- graduate work in exercise science and psychology. She is a licensed corporate wellness coach and a certified teleclass leader and has helped adults and children be more healthy and fit for over 25 years. Jan has developed a unique weight management program called LifeWeight? which is being taught in the US and licensed for distribution in the UK.

shuttle from O'Hare Benton Harbor ...

In The News:

LastPass said Wednesday it had determined an unauthorized party was able to gain access to certain elements of the password manager's customer information.

The Vatican's official website has been the target of repeated cyber attacks, forcing the site to send users to 404 error pages, officials confirmed.

Spotify launched its long-awaited annual Spotify Wrapped summary on Wednesday, with the top artists including Bad Bunny, Taylor Swift, Drake, The Weeknd and BTS.

Tech giant Apple announced the best apps and games of this year, including the ultra-popular BeReal social app and fitness tracking app Gentler Streak.

The U.S. Air Force and Northrop Grumman plan to unveil the newest stealth bomber called the B-21 Raider in Palmdale, California on Dec. 2, 2022.

While televisions may be cheaper during this time of the year, it may not guarantee crystal clear resolution.

Meta said earlier this month that it would shift resources to the metaverse, firing thousands of employees. Is its virtual reality headset worth the price?

National security officials and lawmakers are uncomfortable with the rising number of Chinese-manufactured camera drones flying in the Washington, D.C., area.

Twitter CEO Elon Musk posted a photo of a new t-shirt on his account Wednesday afternoon that seems to troll his critics and others that spoke out against his work policy changes.

The holidays don't have to be stressful if you internalize these tech tips which will help you keep track of your luggage, avoid overpaying, and more.

Some tax filing websites have reportedly been sending financial information, including email addresses and refund amounts, to Facebook through a shared code.

Researchers at Mysk claim that analysis shows that the detailed analytics data Apple records about what users do in the App Store can be linked directly to accounts.

With rumors of a Twitter collapse following the layoffs and resignations of thousands of employees in recent weeks, some social media users are jumping to Mastodon.

Facebook and Instagram accounts are often targeted by hackers. Here are proactive and preventative steps to take right now to ensure your Meta profile stays yours.

Twitter is losing more employees a day after CEO Elon Musk gave them a deadline to choose to work “hardcore” or resign with severance pay.

When it comes to holiday gifting, we're all looking for bargain. Instead of hoping you spot the best deal, let tech do the work for you.

Google has announced new Google Maps features ahead of the holiday season. The search engine giant promoted the releases, including an accessibility function.

Taiwanese researchers found that Apple's AirPods Pro headphones could potentially be a hearing-assistive device for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss.

CommonSpirit Health is continuing to investigate a ransomware attack that forced the health system to shut down of its computer systems last month as a cautionary measure.

IPhone 14 users who are off the grid can now share their locations with friends and family — and emergency call centers — using the Apple Emergency SOS feature.

Are Your Cells Talking To Each Other?

Nutrition Nutrition