Supporting Your Immune System Naturally
While I love and appreciate herbs and their abilities to help us heal in many ways, they can only do so much. It is up to us to make sure our bodies are capable of mounting a correct immune response. There are issues of genetic inheritance that do make real difference, but how we live our lives, what we eat, and how we invest our mental/emotional energy can change how our genes work. This is the field of epigenetics and is a fascinating topic to study. We will also be incorporating some of the concepts of psychoneuroimmunology in today’s topic.
The summary of what we will discuss today is as follows:
What you do matters!
That’s really it. In a world which at times can feel out of control and random, there are things we can do that can make a difference. Let’s jump right in shall we?
What is your immune system and what does it do?
Your immune system is a vast network of cells, tissues, and chemicals that protect you by identifying which substances in your body are helpful and which are harmful. This can include things like poisons, bacteria, viruses, and fungi. In some with allergies, it can also include things like pollen, peanuts, or shellfish.
Your immune system cannot be found in one place as it spreads through your whole body. Some areas like your digestive tract, your respiratory system, and your skin are more rich in immune cells as they act as the body’s bouncers. Keeping out the riffraff.
Your immune system is complex and multi-layered. There is no one test that can measure the totality of your immune system. There are actions of our immune systems that we still do not understand. We know that our immune system does not act alone and that it affects and is affected by our pain levels, our moods, our hormone levels, our nutritional status, our stress level, our sleep, our hydration, our movement, and all activities of our body.
How can we support our immune systems?
Nutrition:
We are what we eat and absorb. Every cell of our bodies including the vast array of immune cells is made up of what we eat. Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Fats make up the basic physical structure of our cells. Vitamins, Minerals, and Phytonutrients specialize our cells and are used in the building of, regulation of, and the jobs of our cells. For instance, your thyroid cells have an outer membrane made up of fat and carbohydrates with a few proteins thrown in. The support structures of the cells are made of carbohydrates and proteins. In order to make thyroid hormone, they need thyronine (from protein), iodine, selenium, and zinc. This is just a small piece of what our bodies do.
Since our immune systems are intertwined with all other systems, you could say that all nutrients are directly or indirectly important for immune function. A few nutrients get highlighted often and this is because deficiencies in these key nutrients will put a hard stop on immune function. These nutrients include: zinc, selenium, Vitamin A, C, D and others.
A good rule of thumb when eating for our immune systems is to eat 7-10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. You want a variety of colors as each color indicated different nutrients. Some make it a goal to eat no fewer than 30 different plants each week. This is an admirable goal to stretch for. Currently the average American eats potatoes, tomatoes, and onions regularly but infrequently eats any other vegetable. (1) The CDC reports that less than 10% of the US population eats the USDA recommended 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables. This is a big deal as 7 of the top 10 causes of death in the Unites States can be avoided or managed through a healthy diet. (2)
The basic nutritional recommendations I give to all patients when we first start working together is to eat as follows:
7-10 servings of fruit and vegetables. 3 Vegetables for each fruit. Try for a rainbow of colors through the week.
Eat 20-30 grams of protein with each meal.
Don’t skimp on healthy fats: olive oil, grass-fed butter/ghee, avocados, nuts and seeds.
Stay hydrated through fruits, vegetables, herbal teas, and water. If you’re thirsty, drink some water. I like to try for 2-6 ounces of liquid per hour while I’m awake.
If you eat grains, make sure they are whole grains which have all their nutrients intact
Eat organic as much as possible and if you need to prioritize, follow the Environmental Working Group’s Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen lists for guidance.
Stress
Stress comes in two flavors: short-term and long-term. Most people consider short-term stress when they are reporting on how they are feeling. Short-term stresses last for minutes or hours and can be quite intense. They can come in the form of an argument, injury, fright, or surprise. They resolve and you are able to get back to your life.
Chronic stress lasts for days, weeks, months, or years. This can come in many forms: pandemics, parenting, financial worries, worries about our environment, fears of nuclear war, divorce, marriage, etc. These stresses cling to us and become our “new normal” we adjust and often don’t realize how stressed we really are.
Our bodies are built to respond well to short-term stresses but not long-term ones. Short-term stresses are actually good for us. They mount a response in our bodies strengthening our immune systems, create psychological resilience, and help us develop new problem-solving strategies. This is where the old adage “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” comes from. (3)
Chronic stress on the other hand depletes your ability to respond. Our immune systems get burnt out and we see lower levels of immune cells, lack of coordination in immune responses, autoimmunity develop, and increased risk of pain and cancer. (3)
We cannot always change the circumstances we find ourselves in, but we can change our responses to them. Counseling, meditation, religion/spiritual practices, time in nature, sleep, herbal medicine, good nutrition, exercise, craniosacral therapy/acupuncture/massage, and learning to say “no” all have been shown to reverse the ill effects of chronic stress.
Sleep
Sleep is not a holding pattern where our bodies simply turn off. There are many things that happen when we sleep. We grow and repair, we move short term memories into long-term storage (learning), our muscles are resupplied with glucose, and more. According to Johns Hopkins, “When people don’t get enough sleep, their health risks rise. Symptoms of depression, seizures, high blood pressure and migraines worsen. Immunity is compromised, increasing the likelihood of illness and infection. Sleep also plays a role in metabolism: Even one night of missed sleep can create a prediabetic state in an otherwise healthy person. “There are many important connections between health and sleep,” says Wu.” (4)
Lack of sleep is a very common problem in our society. It brings many people through my doors. Most people are looking for something to take that will bring sleep blissfully on. Sometimes this works, but most often, additional changes are needed. Sleep hygiene and circadian rhythm support are things I work with my patients on in these cases.
Circadian Rhythm Support:
Our bodies have built-in systems to time when things happen. As we are diurnal creatures as a species, we are designed to be most active when the sun is up. This means we are naturally more active in the Summer and least active in the Winter. Most people in our society do not allow for these seasonal changes and we see a sharp rise in depression, anxiety, memory issues, and all medical complaints in the Winter. Many of us also push ourselves to stay up later at night whether we sleep in in the morning or not.
A good rule of thumb is to be awake and active from sunrise to sunset and allow ourselves to engage in quiet activities and rest when the sun is down. This isn’t possible for everyone - especially shift workers. So, another method is to mimic the sun when we need to be active and block out the sun when we need to rest.
To best support our circadian rhythm we can take the following steps:
When you wake up, get full spectrum light as soon as possible. Open your window to the sun or turn on a full-spectrum light box.
Eat within an hour of waking. This will get your metabolism up and running and provide needed energy. Your insulin sensitivity is highest in the morning, so this is the best time for more carbohydrate rich foods such as oatmeal.
Get moving, get some form of exercise/movement in 20-30 minutes this is best if done before you eat a full breakfast, but do eat afterwards.
Avoid naps during your active period, if you need one, try for a 20 minute cat nap vs a 2-3 hour nap.
When your active time has ended, put away all screens or wear blue light blocking lenses if this is not possible (no screens 2 hours before bed). Turn down the lighting in your home.
Make dinner your lightest meal of the day and finish eating at least 2 hours before bed.
Avoid sugary foods at night - if you must indulge do so earlier in the day.
No caffeine or other stimulants within 6 hours of bedtime.
Sleep Hygiene:
While circadian rhythm support is something we do away from sleeping, sleep hygiene is what we do to promote sleep.
Create a wind down ritual - this should be reliable and pretty routine. A bath, a gentle yoga routine, reading a book with a loved one, brushing your teeth, washing your face, taking any medications or supplements specifically recommended for bedtime, playing gentle music, dropping lavender essential oil on your pillow, etc. Find what works best for you.
Avoid drinking fluids 1-2 hours before bed if you wake to urinate regularly
Avoid alcohol within 2-4 hours of bed
Create an environment for rest wherever your bed is located
Do not work or use screens in bed - paper based books are okay, but the material should be light and relaxing - no studying in bed.
Avoid vigorous exercise too close to bed
Remove as much light from your sleeping space as possible. Black out curtains, tape over lights on electronics, etc. A sleep mask may also be your best friend.
Remove as much noise as possible from your sleep space. A white noise machine of fan may be needed to drown out noises from outside (or inside) your room.
If you have older pets, try feeding them earlier in the evening and taking them out to pee just before you go to bed.
Movement
Exercise has long been linked with increased immune function. Not only does it have direct effects on our circulation, cardiovascular health, insulin sensitivity, and numbers of immune cells, it also improves our mood and reduces our reactivity to stressful situations. It also helps us sleep better and improves our appetite helping us get our nutritional needs met.
One single bout of moderate intensity exercise shows measurable changes in the numbers of immune cells, their location, and their activity. (5) Exercising too hard over long periods of time can have detrimental effects (like long-term stress), but moderate exercise over a long period of time shows beneficial long-term changes.
Experts recommend 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise weekly. But what does that look like? Here are a few examples of moderate intensity exercise to get you inspired: (6)
Walking two miles in 30 minutes.
Biking five miles in 30 minutes.
Swimming laps for 20 minutes.
Running one and a half miles in 15 minutes.
Doing water aerobics for 30 minutes.
Playing volleyball for 45 minutes.
Playing pick-up basketball for 20 minutes.
Jumping rope for 15 minutes.
Walking stairs for 15 minutes.
Washing your car for 45 minutes to an hour.
Gardening for 30 to 45 minutes.
Raking leaves for 30 minutes.
Dancing for 30 minutes.
Now that we know how to support our immune system, the herbs and supplements we take will be able to help us even more. We provide the environment in which they will work. Our immune function and overall health will improve even when we don't use herbs.
On another note, everything listed above that improves our immune function will help with weight loss, diabetes, hormonal issues, cardiovascular disease, cancer risk reduction, depression, anxiety, autoimmune issues, and so much more. The quality of care you provide for yourself will directly affect the quality of your life. It’s never too late to start, so pick up your fork, put on some good sneakers, get outside, and work on your sleep. Your body, mind, and loved ones will thank you.
To our health!
References:
USDA, Food Availability and Consumption, https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/ag-and-food-statistics-charting-the-essentials/food-availability-and-consumption/
CDC, Only 1 in 10 Adults Get Enough Fruits or Vegetables, https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p1116-fruit-vegetable-consumption.html
Dhabhar FS. Effects of stress on immune function: the good, the bad, and the beautiful. Immunol Res. 2014;58(2-3):193–210. doi:10.1007/s12026-014-8517-0
Johns Hopkins, The Science of Sleep: Understanding What Happens When You Sleep, https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-science-of-sleep-understanding-what-happens-when-you-sleep
Simpson RJ, Kunz H, Agha N, Graff R. Exercise and the Regulation of Immune Functions. Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci. 2015;135:355–380. doi:10.1016/bs.pmbts.2015.08.001
Travers, C, What does Moderate Exercise Mean, Anyway? https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-does-moderate-exercise-mean-anyway/