Are you struggling with an ongoing illness or do you know someone who is? In either situation, sometimes a good support group can be one of the best ways to improve health, according to a story on MSNBC.com.

In fact, according a university professor quoted in the story, social support can strengthen the immune system and contribute to accelerated healing.

The story focused on caringbridge.com, a Web site that allows “patients to share the progress of serious injury or illness.” In a particular case, victims of the I-35 bridge collapse in Minnesota used the site to communicate with those interested in their conditions. In about six months, more than 400,000 visitors came to the site for updates on their recoveries.

Support sites such as caringbridge.com, according to an estimate in the story, are popping up about every 10 minutes.

One site that I’ve found informative is www.healthcentral.com, where online support groups are made available for several conditions, including acid reflux, allergies, diabetes and osteoarthritis.

It seems like most of the groups offer a moderator who is an expert on the specific health condition. It’s a great place to share stories about how enzymes and enzyme therapy have helped you tackle various conditions. Also, the site offers e-mail newsletters, which keep you informed on the latest posts from support-group members.

If you’re looking for another great option for natural and safe support, digestive and systemic enzymes can compliment online support groups, as they can help maintain a healthy immune system and improve healing.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 19th, 2008 at 7:13 pm and is filed under Enzyme Supplements, Enzymes.

Tags: support group, mmune system, caringbridge.com, healthcentral, enzyme therapy