Could you be sabotaging your immune resilience?

Our immune health is definitely at the front of our minds after the last couple of years of the covid pandemic and now going into our first winter post covid lockdowns, we are certainly feeling cautious of the vulnerability of our own immune health.

I am a strong believer that we all need to be looking at what we are doing to weaken our immune health and what we can do naturally and holistically to strengthen it. In my first blog of my immune series, I discussed how we can recognise in ourself whether we have weak immune resilience. You can read more about this here.

Could there be things you do on a daily basis that could actually be weakening your immunity again and again? What could be sabotaging your immune resilience?

• NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES

Poor diet which will no doubt lead to nutritional deficiencies; especially if we are lacking in the vital nutrients that support our immune health such as the antioxidants and particularly vitamin C and D and Zinc. We’ve forgotten why we need to eat food! It’s not just about stopping us from being hungry and satisfying our taste buds, filling a gap in our day or just part or our routine. Whatever passes through your mouth will have an impact on how your body works. Eating junk food all the time is eating food that is void of nutrient value and you are depriving your body of everything it needs to work. In terms of immunity, the body needs foods high in antioxidants to help us fight off disease such as essential vitamins A,C, D and E as well as essential minerals like iron, zinc, folic acid and selenium. Eating foods rich in these will strengthen our immune response and help us fight off disease.

• LACK OF SLEEP

The sleep hormone; melatonin, is also a really important immune mediator, as it helps the immune cells to release cytokines, a protein, which helps to fight off infections and inflammation. Getting a good nights sleep on a regular basis allows for healthy activity of our white blood cells; microphages and neutrophils and natural killer cells, which support antiviral and anticancer actions in the body. Not getting enough sleep on a regular basis suppresses this activity and we then have a weakened antibody response when we need it.

• STRESS

Our fight and flight response, which is our normal reaction to any stressful situation will be on high alert which means our rest and digest, and other bodily functions like our immune health are put on the back burner. Chronic stress reduces the activity of certain immune cells and prevents the body from mounting an optimal antibody response. Studies have shown the body produces fewer natural killer cells and their infection-fighting T-cells were less responsive when the body is in stress mode. Studies have also shown that excessive cortisol (our stress hormone) actually weakens the gut immune barrier by reducing the IgA antibodies that line the mucus-gut-barrier which actually acts as our first line of defence and protection. Because of this, virus or bacterial microbes are more likely to pass through the intestinal lining into our blood stream. Stress also causes a shift in the pH to a more acidic environment and disease thrives in an acidic environment.

• A HIGH SUGAR DIET

Studies have shown that eating sugar has the potential to weaken your immune system by 75% for up to 6 hours. This is not a new theory but came about from a leading expert in Microbiology, Dr. Linus Pauling, in the 1970s, who found that sugar can slow down our ability to fight off infections. Glucose (Sugar) has a similar chemical structure to vitamin C and can be mistakenly substituted by the body if vitamin C is in low supply and glucose is in high concentration in the blood cells.

When we metabolise sugar, it has an acidic response in the body. Our blood naturally needs to be slightly alkaline. So if we eat and drink too many acidic foods our blood will be too acidic which will effect cellular functions, deplete our body of essential minerals, increase inflammation and encourage disease. When insulin levels are elevated in excess, studies have shown there is reduced activity of white blood cells and T-cells and therefore affects our ability to fight off pathogens.

• TOO MUCH ALCOHOL

Alcohol is processed in the liver by vitamin-dependent enzymes, so excessive alcohol consumption will need a greater amount of these enzymes. As alcohol is a diuretic, it also depletes our stores of essential vitamins and minerals such as  A, C, D, K, the B complex vitamins and also zinc, iron, magnesium, potassium and selenium. Heavy drinking can damage the intestinal wall causing poor absorption of nutrients leading to further vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Alcohol also suppresses the body’s ability to multiply its’ white blood cells in response to a bacterial or viral invasion making it harder for our body to fight off infection.

• TOO MUCH CAFFEINE

Although coffee does have some antioxidant benefits, overdoing it with your coffees throughout the day will suppress your immune system. Many of the chemicals in coffee can also irritate the stomach lining which can contribute to too much stomach acid, which can lead to digestive issues.  Coffee and Tea, mostly black tea but also green tea, contain tannins which can decrease the absorption of iron which we need for enhanced immunity. Caffeine is also acidic and as mentioned, having an overly acidic pH can encourage disease and inflammation. As it is a diuretic, like alcohol, it can also deplete our stores of essential vitamins and minerals and naturally dehydrate us.

• DEHYDRATION

Being dehydrated will effect every cellular function within the body. Our body naturally detoxifies and if we are chronically dehydrated then this severely impairs our ability to get rid of toxins. Dehydration also contributes to an acidic environment in the body.

• MEDICATION

Drug-induced nutrient deficiencies are becoming more and more common as we become a nation of pill-poppers. The side effects of many medications such as blood pressure regulators like Beta-blockers, which are diuretics, can lead to deficiencies in magnesium, zinc, potassium and B vitamins. Antacids or proton pump inhibitors reduce the production of stomach acid but this will also impair digestion and can affect the absorption of essential vitamin and minerals that are needed for our immune system. Hormone Replacement Therapy and oral contraceptives will deplete the stores of B vitamins, magnesium, calcium, zinc and vitamin C. Antidepressants affect our stores of the B Complex vitamins etc. So if there is a need to take medications, it’s advisable to take a good quality multi-vitamin and mineral, in addition to a healthy diet in order to support your health needs.

• SMOKING

Smoking damages the immune cells within the lining of the lungs that affectively gobble up any invaders. Cigarette smoke actually paralyzes the Cilia, which are cells in the lining of the lungs that propel bacteria. It also weakens our ability to produce antibodies to fight against infections and increases inflammation. Smoking will deplete our absorption of vitamin C, essential for keeping our immune system strong. Our immune supporting, white blood cells need 50 times the concentration of vitamin C than would normally be found in our blood cells, when there is a need to engulf viruses and bacteria to break them down and detoxify them.

• NOT ENOUGH SUNLIGHT

Vitamin D is essential for a strong immune system by transforming our white blood cells into killer T cells which will fight infections. Our body gets most of its vitamin D supply by converting it from the suns’ rays. So yes, sitting out in the sunshine for short periods is good for your health, as well as your mood and also plays an important role in supporting your circadian rhythms.

• DEPRESSION AND GRIEF

Depression or grief can also impair our immune resilience. One study on depressed lymphocyte function on bereavement, showed that those who had experienced extreme grief had a much weaker immune system, showing B-cells and T-cells are less responsive in times of extreme stress and grief.

Having read through this list, are there some things you are doing that could be affecting your immune health? Why not make some goals this winter to reduce some of these factors so you can support your own immune resilience? You may also like to read my blog on how you can change the environment in your body to rebalance and heal.

My next blog in my immune series is all about how you can support your immune health naturally and what you should keep in your natural first aid box to support your immune health. Coming soon.