It is already known that if you have a chronic illness, such as Lyme or an autoimmune disease, that your immune system is compromised and needs added support. If you didn’t have any of these conditions, then how would you know if your immune system really needed a boost?
Let’s run through a quick checklist:
- Are you exhausted or feeling run down during the day?
- Are you under excess stress?
- Your diet is not the greatest, and you’re an “on the run” eater?
- Not able to get daily physical activity and mental health time in?
- Do you find yourself frequently getting colds or other illnesses?
- Do you suffer from allergies?
- Are you suffering from any gastrointestinal conditions?
- Do you have skin issues or are slow to heal?
If you answered yes to any of these, then you have something to think about when it comes to getting your health in order.
To give a little explanation as to why these may be causes of concern, any time you are under stress, it compromises your immune system. Your cortisol levels increase causing more inflammation and decreasing those much needed white blood cells, key players in the immune system. This also dominoes into your GI tract where inflammation increases, your microbiome gets thrown off, digestion becomes compromised, leaky gut ensues, and, thus, your immune system takes a hit. When people have compromised digestion or gastrointestinal illnesses, it is only natural for nutrient absorption to become depleted, creating nutrient deficiencies that impair our body’s ability to perform our best and for our immune system to function optimally.
The increase in inflammation impacts many aspects of your health leading to even bigger problems. Linked to leaky gut are chronic illnesses, such as allergies and autoimmune diseases. If not managed properly, they can wreak havoc on your immune system.
Let’s not forget that stress leads into poor sleep and bad coping habits, like poor eating, smoking, and drinking, which have no benefit to your immune system at all. Along with the negative impact on your immune system, these habits can damper the glow in your skin and slow down your body’s ability to heal. The ill-effects go on and on.
Increasing evidence shows that when the immune system becomes dysfunctional, there is an increase in chemical messengers that regulate the immune response causing inflammation that affects both the central and peripheral nervous systems leading to fatigue. Fatigue can also be caused by nutrient deficiencies, most commonly iron and B vitamins, or underlying illnesses.
Studies show that exercise augments immunosurveillance by increasing key players of the immune system that fight off pathogens including natural killer cells and cytotoxic T-cells. Not only does exercise benefit your physical health, but your mental health, as well. Numerous studies demonstrate how exercise is highly beneficial in alleviating anxiety and depression. Exercise helps balance several neurotransmitters linked to anxiety and depression such as serotonin and norepinephrine. It increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor and exerts neuroprotective effects on the brain.
Psychoneuroimmunology studies show that taking care of your mental health is extremely important in managing stress and has a profound impact on your immune system. Mind-body exercise interventions, such as meditation and yoga, have shown to enhance the immune system by improving CD4 T-cell counts immediately after and long-term.
To recap, immune system busters include:
- Stress
- Poor sleep
- Inadequate Nutrition
- Lack of Exercise
- Not Making Time For Your Mental Health
- Chronic Illnesses, Including Allergies and Diabetes
- Autoimmune Disease
- Gastrointestinal Disorders
Immune Boosting Strategies:
- Eat Nutritiously, Food High In Antioxidants
- Don’t Skip the Zzz’s
- Manage How You Perceive and Handle Stress
- Make Time For Daily Physical and Mental Wellness Activities
- Identify and Address Any and All Health Issues, Chronic and Acute
- Get Your Nutrient Status Assessed and Take Necessary Supplements to Replenish Your Nutrient Stores
In terms of additional immune support, I absolutely love mushrooms! There are countless studies supporting the immune modulating benefits of mushrooms, and they are even used as an adjunctive therapy for viruses and bacteria.
Above all- take care of yourself!