No, I'm not talking about New Years, Christmas, Hanukkah, Ramadan, and Kwanzaa. I'm talking about "Cold and Flu Season". Of course, the aforementioned holidays play a part in this. The month of December typically brings lots of holiday parties, which means lots of people, lots of handshaking, and lots of interaction with their germs.
So while we're being bombarded with the message to get our flu shots, how can we make sure we keep our immunity high without the need to get ourselves injected (with who knows what)?
Watch Your Sugar And Processed Carbs
Being the nice guy that I am, I'm starting things off by taking away your cookies, cakes, and pies. Aren't I sweet, no pun intended? Why though? Well, sugar and processed carbs cause an inordinate rise in insulin production, which causes a suppression of growth hormones. Unfortunately, there's also a suppression of the immune system when these growth hormones are suppressed. Further, a high level of sugar in the blood reduces the ability of white blood cells to engulf bacteria and other infections.
But just how bad can it be?
These studies show that in adults, cell mediated immunity is significantly depressed after sugar ingestion (75 grams). A 100g portion of sugar can significantly reduce the capacity of white blood cells to engulf bacteria. Maximum immune suppression occurs one to two hours after ingestion and remains suppressed for up to five hours after feeding.
A 12oz Coke contains 40g of sugar. Add a cookie or two on top of that and you're already up there around 75g. And of course, it's unlikely that we're dealing with a binary variable here (that's an "on/off" variable in non-geek speak). More sugar is going to suppress the immune system more, but that doesn't mean that the 40g from a Coke leaves you in the clear.
How delightful is that piece of fudge now?
Keep Your Stress Levels Low
The holidays are a stressful time. In years past, I've had four different families to visit on Thanksgiving Day alone. Christmas was often two or three different houses to go to, with Christmas Eve pulling in another one or two. Talk about stress! And I'm not just talking about all that time with all the people around. That's a lot of driving and a lot of time planning to make sure you're here on time and there on time.
Unfortunately, stress is a potent immune suppressor.
Acute stressors (lasting minutes) were associated with potentially adaptive upregulation of some parameters of natural immunity and downregulation of some functions of specific immunity. Brief naturalistic stressors (such as exams) tended to suppress cellular immunity while preserving humoral immunity. Chronic stressors were associated with suppression of both cellular and humoral measures.
So limit the number of trips you have to make. It's your holiday also and you should be able to enjoy it without running all over the place. If your family situation is stressful, try to put aside differences for the few hours you're together, enjoy the company, then move along.
Limit Your Drinking
Alcohol packs a double whammy on your immune system when you over-imbibe.
First, it produces an overall nutritional deficiency, depriving the body of valuable immune- boosting nutrients. Second, alcohol, like sugar, consumed in excess can reduce the ability of white cells to kill germs. High doses of alcohol suppress the ability of the white blood cells to multiply, inhibit the action of killer white cells on cancer cells, and lessen the ability of macrophages to produce tumour necrosis factors.
So how much can you drink without ill effects?
One drink (the equivalent of 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1 ounces of hard liquor) does not appear to bother the immune system, but three or more drinks do. Damage to the immune system increases in proportion to the quantity of alcohol consumed. Amounts of alcohol that are enough to cause intoxication are also enough to suppress immunity.
For Pete's Sake, Go To Bed!
If you haven't gotten the message about why you need to sleep yet, this probably isn't going to do it. But I'll just keep repeating myself until it gets through or I pass out. You need at least 7 and preferably 8-9 hours of sleep each night, especially during the winter. Turn off Leno, turn off the internet, and go to bed. Why? Well, here's one way that sleep deprivation may directly suppress the immune system.
To make a long and fascinating story short, it turns out that when animals are sleep deprived, a protein known as di-muramyl peptide accumulates in their spinal fluid. The peptides do not originate in the brain. Instead, they come from bacteria in the body, suggesting that sleep deprivation may enable bacterial growth and that sufficient sleep impedes bacterial growth.
What's even more interesting is that these di-muramyl peptides enhance non-REM sleep (but not REM sleep). [REM=rapid eye movements] The peptides also cause fever. The two effects are dissociable, however; the sleep effect is independent of the fever. More interesting still is the fact that the peptides stimulate cells in the brain and the body to produce interleukin-1, a powerful immune-system molecule that promotes the destruction of both bacteria and tumor cells. Highly significant and desirable health effects are mediated by interleukin's ability to encourage the B lymphocytes to produce antibodies, which kill viruses, and to trigger the proliferation of T lymphocytes, which attack microbial invaders. The net effect is to mobilize the body's defensive forces.
Hit A Brief Workout
Exercise boosts your immune system, at least in its "moderate" form.
During moderate exercise immune cells circulate through the body more quickly and are better able to kill bacteria and viruses. After exercise ends, the immune system generally returns to normal within a few hours, but consistent, regular exercise seems to make these changes a bit more long-lasting.
Just remember that you don't need to overdo it. Too much training is detrimental to immunity. Marathoners take note:
However, there is also evidence that too much intense exercise can reduce immunity. This research is showing that more than 90 minutes of high-intensity endurance exercise can make athletes susceptible to illness for up to 72 hours after the exercise session.
Even intense exercise sessions can produce short-term immune suppression, an effect that I've noticed once or twice after a record-setting Fran (CrossFit workout):
Intense exercise seems to cause a temporary decrease in immune system function. Research has found that during intense physical exertion, the body produces certain hormones that temporarily lower immunity.
A Few Supplements Wouldn't Hurt
There are a few vitamins that are noted to improve immune system function. For starters, vitamins C and E increase production of immune system cells and interferon. And then there's zinc, also important for immune function.
Zinc affects multiple aspects of the immune system, from the barrier of the skin to gene regulation within lymphocytes.
Magnesium has a role as well (hmm…ZMA anyone?):
Particularly, Mg has a strong relation with the immune system, in both nonspecific and specific immune response, also known as innate and acquired immune response.
But the most important vitamin for your immune system may be vitamin D. This article was posted recently on Performance Menu and sheds some light on how vitamin D works to improve immunity.
The UCLA group confirmed two other recent studies, showing that a naturally occurring steroid hormone - a hormone most of us take for granted - was, in effect, a potent antibiotic. Instead of directly killing bacteria and viruses, the steroid hormone under question increases the body's production of a remarkable class of proteins, called antimicrobial peptides. The 200 known antimicrobial peptides directly and rapidly destroy the cell walls of bacteria, fungi, and viruses, including the influenza virus, and play a key role in keeping the lungs free of infection. The steroid hormone that showed these remarkable antibiotic properties was plain old vitamin D.
….
We have only recently learned how vitamin D increases production of antimicrobial peptides while simultaneously preventing the immune system from releasing too many inflammatory cells, called chemokines and cytokines, into infected lung tissue.
Of course you need vitamins A and K to make good use of vitamin D, so just keep eating your liver.
How The Holidays Conspire Against Us
So look back at the list above and think about the holidays. They are typically marked by tons of sugary sweet and processed carbs, alcohol flows freely, sleep takes a backseat to socializing, and the stress to find the perfect gift and visit everyone is high. What happens when you come across sick Uncle Al? Is it any wonder that 10-20% of us catch the flu yearly or that the average adult gets 2-4 colds per year, typically in fall and winter?
And Why I Avoid The Flu Shot?
Every year, I hear someone say something like:
I get the flu shot every year and I don't get the flu. It obviously works.
And of course, I reply:
I never get the flu shot and yet, I also don't get the flu.
The fact of the matter is that there's no need for a flu shot to avoid getting the flu. As our pal Mark pointed out, the flu shot is often mismatched on the particular strain circulating that year anyway.
Strong Immunity Is Better Than Iffy Vaccinations
So in the end, it's your decision: build a strong, healthy immune system that can identify and fight off the cold and flu viruses or rely on a vaccine that may or may not get the job done. I know which way I'm leaning. It seems to me that continuing my diet of Real Food, getting my usual 8-9 hours of sleep, and throwing in a bit of exercise should keep me humming along nicely, just like in years past.
What other tips do you have for keeping the immune system strong? Do you get a flu shot?
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