by Dr. Marcel Hernandez, ND
The list of things that undermine the human immune system is now known to be much longer than previously suspected.
Does this mean that we should be scared out of our wits each time we enter the supermarket, or – heaven forbid – the neighborhood Starbucks?
Not necessarily. By being aware of six lifestyle factors that are powerful enemies of immunity, we can feel more safe, relaxed, and in charge of our body’s health defenses.
1. Lack of Sleep
Data from the Sleep Center at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston indicate that insufficient sleep is linked to a laundry list of mental and physical health problems, including impaired immunity.
The UT researchers report that our T-cells decrease, and inflammatory cytokines increase, when we are sleep-deprived. This makes us more vulnerable to catching colds or flu. A lack of sleep also contributes to systemic inflammatory conditions related to a variety of health threats.
2. Binge Drinking
While we hope that our readers can safely ignore this one, it’s good to be aware of a study reported in the medical journal BMC Immunology. The study confirmed that binge drinking undermines the immune system and weakens the body’s ability to fight off infection for at least 24 hours after the binge, by inhibiting certain signaling molecules that launch pro-inflammatory responses as a method of killing viruses and bacteria.
The researchers also found that the after-effects lasted for at least a day – some cytokines were still failing to show up on infection guard duty 24 hours after the binge ended.
3. Vaccines
On the one hand, vaccines do work. What’s controversial is how they work. The defenses of the human immune system have been described as resembling a fortified medieval castle. First there’s a moat around the outer walls. Atop the walls are archers and warriors. If an invader makes it past these barriers, the final line of defense are warriors on guard inside the castle walls.
Vaccines bypass the moat and the archers (the white blood cells). Once past this initial line of defense, the vaccines penetrate to the warriors within the walls: the antibody response system.
Thus, what the vaccine is actually preventing is not the disease, but the ability of our cellular immune system to respond and defeat the disease! In the long term, this weakens our immune response and leaves us vulnerable to infections.
4. Loneliness
New research from Harvard Medical School has linked loneliness to a number of dysfunctional immune responses. The researchers found that people who are more lonely show signs of elevated latent herpes virus reactivation, and produce more inflammation-related proteins in response to acute stress than people who feel socially connected.
5. Stress
Chronic stress weakens the immune system by causing prolonged inflammation, elevated cortisol, and reduced lymphocyte production. This increases vulnerability to infections, viruses, and autoimmune diseases.
While short-term stress can temporarily boost immunity, long-term stress exhausts the system, leading to immune suppression, slower healing, and chronic inflammation.
6. Sugar
According to Health Services at Columbia University, when you eat consume grams of sugar (about as much sugar as you’d find in a one-liter bottle of soda), your white blood cells are 40 percent less effective at killing germs.
This much sugar can cripple your immune system for up to five hours after consumption.
Also, sugar and Vitamin C are similar in their chemical structure, and when you eat sugar, it competes for space in your immune cells with Vitamin C. The more sugar in your system, the less Vitamin C can get into your white blood cells.
The Takeaway?
The common theme is that we can choose to enjoy a robust, vibrant immune system by making a few simple, effective lifestyle changes.
Drs. Connie and Marcel Hernandez
DrConnie@DrsHernandez.com
DrMarcel@DrsHernandez.com