Naturalism vs. Artificialism: What Nature Intended for Immunity (And What We Changed)
Part 3 of the series: The Five Most Important Conversations in Healthcare
Your immune system did not arrive fully assembled. It developed — through a carefully sequenced series of exposures and experiences that began before you were born. Understanding that developmental arc is the foundation of everything we do in perinatal and pediatric care, and it sits at the center of one of healthcare’s most charged conversations.
This post covers sensitive territory around vaccination. My goal is to strike a tone that is educational and balanced — presenting the conversation, because informed choice matters.
How Immunity Begins
Immune development starts in the womb. The natural course of gestation, birth, and early feeding is designed to hand off a functional immune system from mother to child — a process that modern obstetrics and public health have profoundly altered without always understanding the downstream consequences.
Key stages of the developmental handoff:
- In utero — Transfer of maternal antibodies; early immune priming through the placental environment
- Canal flora during vaginal birth — Colonization with Lactobacillus and Bifidus at the moment of birth; the microbiome established in these first minutes shapes immune function for life
- Breastfeeding — Ongoing transfer of maternal antibodies, immune factors, and a “grocery list” of instructions for the developing gut-immune axis; 80% of immune function lives in the gut
The Two Branches of Immunity
Understanding the conversation around vaccination requires understanding how immunity actually works — specifically, the two functional arms of the immune system:
Th1 Immunity (“Cellular” or “Chicken Pox type”) — Circulating self vs. non-self recognition; expulsive immunity; slower to activate; confers approximately 60% lifetime immunity. This is the branch that matures through exposure to environmental antigens — dirt, dander, mild forms of microorganisms.
Th2 Immunity (“Humoral” or “Emergency type”) — Recognizes floating invaders; surrounds and dissolves; faster activation; approximately 90% immunity but cyclical (requires boosting). This is the branch most targeted by vaccination.
These two branches are in dynamic balance. Factors that shift this balance include chemical messenger secretion, nervous system dominance, gut flora variations, and adjuvants (substances added to vaccines specifically designed to shift the immune response toward Th2 activation).
Naturally Boosting Th1 Immunity
The most powerful supports for Th1 immune development are also the foundations of overall health:
- Vaginal birth → breastfeeding → Lactobacillus and Bifidus colonization
- Anti-inflammatory, low-glycemic diet; real food
- Adequate rest
- Exercise
- Learning and reading (cognitive engagement supports immune regulation)
- Nervous system balance — including chiropractic care
- Relationship building and social connection
The Questions Worth Asking
This conversation is not about being for or against any particular intervention. It is about being informed enough to participate in decisions about your family’s health. Good questions to ask, regardless of where you stand:
- Why do I need to take this? What is the evidence base?
- What are the possible side effects, and how were they studied?
- Did the clinical trials include women? Children? Pregnant women?
- How long has this been on the market?
- How does this interact with other interventions my family is receiving?
- What is the natural course, and what happens if we support it instead of circumventing it?
The goal is not to tell you what to decide. The goal is to make sure you have a real conversation — with your provider, your family, and yourself — rather than a transaction.
Dr. John Edwards DC, DACCP is the founder of One Belly Two Brains, a perinatal chiropractic mastery program. This post is adapted from the “5 Conversations in Healthcare” public education series.