Understanding the causes of disease can be complex and overwhelming. However, breaking it down into four fundamental categories can help you identify and address specific risk factors in your daily life. These categories include genetic, degenerative, deficiency, and environmental causes of disease.
Genetic Causes of Disease
Many people confuse genetic causes of disease with family history, but there is a significant difference. While family members might share certain lifestyle habits like diet or exercise, which can affect their health, genetic factors are the actual written code that makes up an individual.
Fortunately, with the introduction of epigenetics, we now know that genes are not set in stone. Rather, RNA can switch DNA on and off, influencing the development of various diseases. In the future, this knowledge could help us repair damaged or overactive genes that lead to conditions like Down’s syndrome, Huntington’s Chorea, hemophilia, and Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Degenerative Causes of Disease
Degenerative diseases can be thought of as “wear and tear” on the human body due to inflammation and oxidative damage. Such diseases can include osteoarthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and some cancers.
Amazingly, many of these diseases can be prevented, slowed down, and even reversed. Contrary to popular belief, the human body doesn’t have to break down as rapidly as it tends to do in the modern world.
Deficiency Causes of Disease
A deficiency disease is caused by a lack of a specific mineral or vitamin that the body needs to function correctly. Some examples of these diseases include scurvy, pellagra, and beri-beri.
These conditions can often be undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, as their symptoms can mimic other diseases. Many undetected sub-clinical deficiency forms exist because our bodies are constantly fighting against negative influences and not receiving enough nutritional support.
Environmental Causes of Disease
Environmental causes make up the largest category of diseases, which are triggered by factors like viruses, bacteria, parasites, toxins, microbes, and exhaustion. Additional factors such as stress, psychological trauma, household environment, and financial worries also contribute to this category.
Unfortunately, mainstream medical science often views sick people as permanently broken and has difficulty recognizing the full recovery potential of patients. However, there is abundant opportunity for people to address environmental factors and achieve remarkable recoveries.
The Cascade Effect: Understanding the Root Causes of Disease
All diseases involve one or more of these four fundamentals. The intersections and overlapping areas between them can accelerate health issues. For example, a person with genetic problems might be exposed to an environmental trigger that worsens their condition rapidly. Alternatively, a patient with an infection may face more severe consequences due to their compromised immune system caused by nutritional deficiency.
What’s crucial to understand is that multiple failures within the human body must occur before a disease can manifest. Even a common cold has to fight through several defense mechanisms to take hold. Disease sets in when your natural defense mechanisms are finally overwhelmed, and a long breakdown process has already occurred.
By understanding these four fundamentals of disease, you can take the first step in turning your personal health journey around. Empowered with this knowledge, you can take proactive measures to address and prevent disease, leading to a healthier and more fulfilling life.
