The everyday causes of disease, and why posture matters

Overview

The body can make every chemical it needs. But seven ordinary causes slow or spoil the work of its organs and glands: no control over what we eat and how we spend the day; sitting and rising in a wrong way; a polluted environment; mental tension; work beyond one's capacity, of body or mind; poor nutrition; and fear and anger.

Then the glands make fewer chemicals and hormones, the body's acid–alkali balance is upset, and illness follows. Notice that there is no germ, curse or bad luck on this list, and that two causes are states of mind.

Small daily habits matter because they repeat. Each robs the digestive organs of a little blood; done for twenty years, they explain why a belly of fifty does not work like a belly of twenty.

Posture matters too. Most people lean to one side while sitting, standing or walking. The organs on that side are pressed for much of the day and may get less blood, which is why one kidney, not both, is often found sluggish. Pressure on a tight limb gives it a stretch like a yoga posture, which helps people who cannot do yoga themselves.

Key points

• Seven ordinary causes slow the organs and glands.
• Two of the seven are states of mind: tension, and fear and anger.
• Small habits matter because they are repeated for years.
• Leaning to one side can leave organs on that side short of blood.
• Paired organs do different work, so the side named matters.

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Read the full guide

This topic is part of: The Body's Own Pharmacy: How the Body Makes and Balances Its Chemicals