B Immune
B IMMUNE
A Balance Resource Article
By: Alyson Mandel, PhD
“Ma ma ma my ... Corona” - Ramones (kinda)
It is on all of our minds. We are getting bombarded with lots of scary stories mixed with very practical reminders of ways to reduce our risk of contracting coronavirus – which are all things we should be doing on a daily basis anyway to avoid the flu and common cold. I am trying to walk the line between being informed and prepared (should the worst-case predictions play out) while not feeding into the fear frenzy. The common sense reminders about personal hygiene have been making me reflect about the other day to day things we could be doing (even without a Covid-19 scare) to keep ourselves healthy. There many things we can do to naturally enhance our bodies’ ability to fight off illness. Here are my favorite ways to naturally boost the immune system:
Get a good night sleep. Sleep helps our body recover and may help regulate the body’s immune functioning. Studies have shown that getting less than the recommended 8 hours of sleep is associated with a great risk of getting colds and respiratory infections.1 “Sleep deprivation makes a living body susceptible to many infectious agents.”2 Sleep also reduces our cortisol levels. Prolonged elevation of cortisol (our stress hormone) is associated with suppressed immune function.3 So go ahead and turn off the news (you don’t want to hear it anyway) and get that extra hour of sleep.
Meditate to reduce stress. Chronic stress has been shown to have a negative impact on immunity4 so it is important to engage in activities that reduce your stress levels. A meta-analytic review of the impact on mindfulness meditation on the immune system suggests that a meditation practice can help reduce inflammation, enhance immune cell production and even impact biological aging 5. The authors did emphasize that these relationships are just developing and need further research. However, since there is no harm in meditating, even the suggestion of these relationships is enough for me.
Laugh because ... laugher is the best medicine after all. Laughter, and having a positive attitude, lowers stress levels and can promote sleep, two crucial elements to staying healthy. Furthermore, studies have also shown that laughter has a positive impact on important aspects of our immune system, “including increased production of antibodies and activation of the body's protective cells.”6 So take any chance you can get to hang out with those friends who make you laugh until you cry or watch that Office episode for the tenth time because... you know, doctor’s orders.
Eat your fruits and veggies. We all know that we should eat lots of fruits and veggies. Here are some that are particularly good for your immune system (based on a sample of online recommendations):
Mushrooms – Shitake mushrooms have been correlated with enhanced immune function in women with breast cancer. While not officially correlated with respiratory infection, if they boost the immune system in general, it can’t hurt to include some delicious mushrooms in your diet for a natural boost.
Garlic – Garlic is a proven immune booster but heat makes it less potent. Add it last minute to recipes to add great flavor and a little boost to your immune system. Garlic’s immune-boosting properties seem to come from a heavy concentration of sulfur-containing compounds, such as allicin.
Citrus. Most people associate vitamin C with a strong immune system. That is because Vitamin C is thought to increase the production of white blood cells. Our bodies don’t produce or store it, so we need a daily intake of this important vitamin and all citrus fruits are high in vitamin C. Just remember that Vitamin C is not just about orange juice, red bell pepper is the top source of Vitamin C (95 mg) you can get from nature.
Broccoli. Packed with vitamins A, C, and E, as well as many other antioxidants and fiber, broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables you can put on your table. To ensure you are getting the most nutritive power from your broccoli, cook as little as possible.
Almonds. Along with Vitamin C, vitamin E is key to a healthy immune system. It’s a fat- soluble vitamin, meaning it requires the presence of fat to be absorbed properly. A half-cup serving, which is about 46 whole, shelled almonds, provides nearly 100 percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin E.
Green tea. Green tea has high levels of epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, a powerful antioxidant. EGCG has been shown to enhance immune function. Green tea is also a good source of the amino acid L-theanine. L-theanine may aid in the production of germ-fighting compounds in your T-cells.
Bone broth. There is a lot of talk about bone broth these days – and you can get it any grocery store now. Stock or broth made by boiling chicken bones contains gelatin, chondroitin, and other nutrients helpful for gut healing and immunity. Poultry is high in Vitamin B-6 which is important in many of the chemical reactions that happen in the body – particularly in the formation of red blood cells. Zinc. Zinc has been shown to play an critical role in our immune system7 through many different pathways – including altering our skin barrier to pathogens and influencing our production of certain types of cells such as T-lymphocytes. It is the main ingredient in Cold-Eze and other products that promise to shorten the length of colds. Good luck finding any zinc lozenges in CVS right now (they have sold out with the coronavirus news). There are many natural ways to increase your zinc levels though. Susan Brown, Balance’s integrative nutrition coach, explains, “when most people think of Zinc, they think of sucking on a Cold Ease lozenge, but a top plant-based source of zinc is pumpkin seeds. Try adding pumpkin seeds to your salad this week to boost your immunity using food as medicine!"
Take a multi-vitamin or mineral supplement If you can’t get what you need from your daily intake, you might need a daily supplement. Evidence is not definitive about the role of micronutrients on the immune system but there have been studies in older populations to examine why elderly are more susceptible to illness and cancer. One hypothesis is that eating less and eating a less diverse diet can lead to micronutrient deficiencies (zinc, selenium, iron, copper) that might weaken the immune system8. Supplements may help fill in gaps that your diet doesn’t. Just remember not to overdo it when it comes to supplements. There can be too much of a good thing!
Get outside. We have moved our clocks forward so it is official – spring is almost here. We are getting some beautiful sunny days. Sunlight triggers the production of Vitamin D in our bodies. Vitamin D receptors “live” on our immune cells and as a result can have an important impact on our immune system. Higher levels of Vitamin D are associated with reduced risk of respiratory infections.9 So get outside but just remember your sunscreen! You only need 15-20 minutes in the sun to get the Vitamin D you need.
Exercise regularly. We all know exercise makes us feel better. It lowers stress levels and blood pressure and can help prevent many chronic diseases. In terms of our immune system, the good news is that by reducing inflammation and enhancing the circulation of certain immune- related cells, regular exercise can positively boost the body’s ability to fight off infection.10 Interestingly, as with everything else we have reviewed, moderation is the key. If you go overboard in your exercise, you might leave your body more susceptible to certain illnesses and germs. Moderate exercise is key for boosting your immune system.
Check the humidity of your home (Tip courtesy of Susan Brown). One place you probably haven't thought of that impacts your immunity is your home humidity!! Instead of investing in Clorox wipes, you'd spend more wisely on a $10.00 hygrometer - an indoor thermometer that measures the humidity in your home. A NIOSH (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health) study in 2013 showed that when indoor humidity levels are at 23%, 70-77% of flu virus particles were still able to cause an infection. Raising humidity levels to 43% resulted in only 14% of flu particles to be able to cause infection. These findings were replicated by Dr. Stephanie Taylor from Harvard Medical School in hospital settings in 2019. The one factor associated most with transmission of infections in hospital settings was indoor air humidity. Invest in a basic Vick's humidifier in your bedroom to keep your indoor humidity at 43% and you can greatly reduce the chances of being infected by germs in the air. Most of you in the Balance community are engaging in all of these steps already but it never hurts to remind ourselves of what we can do naturally to help our bodies fight infection and illness. It is also better to focus on what we can control rather than all that is going on out of our control. Just keep being your healthy selves and feel good in knowing that you are taking active steps to keep yourself and your families healthy.
References:
1. Faraut B, Boudjeltia KZ, Vanhamme L, Kerkhofs M. Immune, inflammatory and cardiovascular consequences of sleep restriction and recovery. Sleep Med Rev. 2012;16(2):137-49. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2011.05.001 2. Prather AA, Leung CW. Association of insufficient sleep with respiratory infection among adults in the United States. JAMA Intern Med. 2016;176(6):850- 2. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.0787 3. 4. 5. 6. Asif, Nayyab et al. “Human immune system during sleep.” American journal of clinical and experimental immunology vol. 6,6 92-96. 20 Dec. 2017 Segerstrom SC, Miller GE. Psychological stress and the human immune system: a meta- analytic study of 30 years of inquiry. Psychol Bull. 2004;130(4):601–630. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.130.4.601 Black, D. S., & Slavich, G. M. (2016). Mindfulness meditation and the immune system: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1373(1), 13–24. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.12998. "Body's response to repetitive laughter is similar to the effect of repetitive exercise, study finds." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 26 April 2010.. 7. Shankar AH1, Prasad AS.. Zinc and immune function: the biological basis of altered resistance to infection.. Am J Clin Nutr. 1998 Aug;68(2 Suppl):447S-463S. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/68.2.447S. 8. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-boost-your-immune-system 9. 10. Aranow C. (2011). Vitamin D and the immune system. Journal of investigative medicine :The official publication of the American Federation for Clinical Research, 59(6), 881– 886. https://doi.org/10.2310/JIM.0b013e31821b8755. Nieman DC, Wentz LM. The compelling link between physical activity and the body's defense system. J Sport Health Sci. 2019;8(3):201–217. doi:10.1016/j.jshs.2018.09.009.