by Jes Williams @feelmoregooder
Especially as we transition from one season to another, concerns around keeping the immune system strong are prevalent. Many “fall under the weather” during the colder months (assuming there are 4 distinct seasons where you live).
This happens for a few primary reasons, which include decreased time spent outside (less sunlight, less fresh air, less grounding), increased stress and suboptimal food/drink intake around the holidays, and a general disconnection from nature’s rhythms, which throws off the ideal signals to our biology.
What is the Immune System?
According to Dr. Catherine Clinton, “Our immune system isn't a military. It is a communication system.” We have repeatedly been taught that our immune fights. It fights infections, fights ourselves in autoimmunity. (1)
However, when we take a deeper look at the immune system, the more apparently it becomes that it is a communication network responding to the world both around us and within us. This includes things that are commonly overlooked in mainstream approached to “boosting immunity” like optimal circadian rhythm and adequate unfiltered sunlight.
Instead of building the armor, so to speak, perhaps it can be more helpful for us to focus on taking a full inventory of our live’s inputs (light, stress, nutrition), and then “building the engine” of our bodies so that we are resilient and we keep this physiological network robust and strong. According to the National Library of Medicine, “the immune system orchestrates an exquisitely complex interplay of numerous cells, often with highly specialized functions, in a tissue-specific manner.” (2)
Because this vast network contains many systems with many mechanisms in the body, it makes sense to look at, focus on, and consider the whole body when addressing immune function.
Crucial Nutrients for Immunity
There are some key nutrients that play a vital role in the integrity of the immune system. A few of them include Vitamin D (some refer to it as hormone D), vitamin C, zinc, and selenium.
Dr. Jack Kruse Says: “The less Vitamin D you have the more leaky your tight junctions will be and this exposes you immune system to direct assault.” (3) Additionally, in June 2010, American Journal of Pathology published a study with the key finding in the article being that animals with an intact VDR (vitamin D receptor), faced less gut inflammation and had lower rates of infection. Since we synthesize vitamin D endogenously when we interface with sunlight, it’s most optimal to focus on vitamin D through this pathway, rather than reach for the supplement first. (4)
Moreover, our immune systems need zinc and selenium. A 2003 paper summarizes the evidence for the importance of selenium and zinc, and describes the mechanisms through which they affect the immune status and other physiological functions. (5)
Polyphenols for Immunity
In addition to the foundation of vitamin D, vitamin C, zinc, and selenium, adding in beneficial polyphenols moves a major level in regards to immunity. The literature shows us that the polyphenols quercetin, sulforaphane, and curcumin all work to improve the immune system through various mechanisms. (6, 7, 8)
We don’t make these polyphenols endogenously, meaning we need to get them from our nutrition/fuel intake. You can do so through a polyphenol-rich diet, and/or in a functional, bioavailable, effective dose in our plant-powered supplement line. Quercetin powers our product QuercElite, sulforaphane powers BrocElite, and curcumin powers CurcElite.
Role of Physical Exercise
In addition to helping you feel good, energized, motivated, and vital, it turns out that getting adequate exercise also plays a role in keeping your immune system robust.
Our bodies are built to move - think about the intricate design of the muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones, and fascia. These components of your anatomy are there in part to create, control, and carry out movement, lifting, and exerting. So, it’s imperative to include exercise in your daily life if you want to keep your body’s defenses vital.
Many studies show that regular exercise can boost your immune system and help you fight off infections. Exercise can help your body detect and respond to infections by increasing the number of immune cells circulating in your blood. (12)
Sunlight for the Immune System
In addition to being the source of life on earth, sunlight is an absolute powerhouse for boosting the body’s immune mechanisms. It is a widely accepted concept that when humans interface with sunlight, we synthesize vitamin D through the skin, endogenosuly. Human beings are built to receive this photonic energy, as we have vitamin D receptors all throughout the body, including on the surface of our skin.
But, the benefits of sunlight do not end with vitamin D production, though the literature does tell us that sufficient vitamin D is a key component of immunity. (11) Additionally, getting sufficient sunlight has been shown to energize T cells that play a central role in human immunity, through a mechanism separate than vitamin D production. (10)
Getting Outside for Immune Function
Many of us intuitively sense that if we aren’t feeling well, we can benefit from prioritizing more time outside. Perhaps we think of it as simply “getting some fresh air” or getting respite by stepping away from our stress-ridden workdesks.
However, it’s interesting that these practices are explained in the scientific literature. We know that trees emit phytoncides, which are beneficial chemicals that humans breathe in when outdoors. Phytoncides are shown to boost natural killer cell activity in the body and support your immune system’s functioning. (9)
Role of Circadian Rhythm
The importance of an intact, regulated circadian rhythm has gained traction in recent years thanks to new and continually emerging research on this topic. For so long, circadian rhythm has been looked at in the mainstream as a tertiary aspect of health, and one that perhaps only has a role in sleep quality. However, it’s abundantly clear now that circadian rhythm makes up a large part of the foundation of health. (13)
In regards to linking circadian rhythm to immune function, it makes sense that an impaired circadian rhythm would mean impaired immune function - as this master time keeping system “instructs” your body when and how to repair and produce certain necessary components for healing and recovery.
Research has found that circadian disruption leads to a decrease in the number of NK cells (natural killer cells, white blood cells that identify and destroy abnormal cells, such as those infected with viruses or cancer cells), an increase in aging NK cells, and affects the expression of NK cell receptors. In addition, circadian disruption reduces the immune surveillance ability of NK cells and their ability to clear tumor cells. (14)
Sauna + Cold Plunging for Immune Resilience
We took a deeper look into contrast therapy (alternative hot and cold exposure) in last week’s blog post. Check out that post for a more comprehensive look on sauna and cold plunging. Like that post mentions, we know from the literature that including a sauna practice and some form of cold exposure (hot air and cold water immersion appear to be the best/most studied options) is excellent for health.
Though these are hormetic stressors that many shy away from, this short term interface with more drastic temperatures turns on a bunch of different beneficial processes/upticks in the body. The science tells us that sauna benefits the immune system by increasing white blood cell count, particularly different types like neutrophils, lymphocytes, and basophils. (15) Too, cold exposure has been shown in studies to positively impact the immune system by enhancing humoral and cell-mediated immunity through the upregulation of antibodies, interleukin-2, and interleukin-4. (16)
References:
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https://www.instagram.com/dr.catherineclinton/reel/DDKVih6v7hL/
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https://jackkruse.com/where-autoimmunity-cancer-and-disease-collide/
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https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666566224000054
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https://www.nigms.nih.gov/education/fact-sheets/Pages/circadian-rhythms.aspx#
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https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S030645652400189X#
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