Immunity: Your Body’s Best Defense
Posted by Scott V Watkins, MD
Basics For A Healthy Body Extend To A Healthy Immune System
The human immune system has occupied our minds for the last several years, even now as we continue to maneuver the COVID-19 pandemic.
The immune system is our body’s best defensive system — the organs and processes of the body that provide resistance to infection and toxins. Think of it as protecting the body from outside invaders. The Functional Medicine approach to developing immunity (protection against infection) relies on the same underlying principles as all of Functional Medicine: The healthier you are, the better your immune system.
Sometimes, however, your immune system may do your body more harm than good. That’s why this important system must be carefully balanced — always ready to react, but requiring controls to prevent overreaction. For instance, much has been written about the idea of a “cytokine-storm” reaction with COVID-19, with the idea being the more inflamed the body is, the worse the overall response. That does seem to hold true, as many patients who have died of COVID-19 had significant comorbidities (such as diabetes, asthma, coronary artery disease (CAD), or hypertension (HTN). Restoring homeostasis, or balance, in the body allows our immune system to respond appropriately.
There are two main parts of the immune system, and they work together: innate immunity and acquired immunity.
- Innate immunity is our natural immunity, which allows our bodies and defenses to recognize foreign invaders or self vs non-self. The innate immune system responds to invading bacteria, viruses, and injury. The process is incredibly complex, balanced, and well beyond easy explanation.
- Acquired immunity (also called adaptive immunity) is what develops after our bodies have been exposed to a foreign invader. The system develops a response, and then when that invader is encountered again, the immune response is much faster, specific, and enhanced. This is the idea behind an influenza vaccine. The virus (killed or weakened) is introduced, a response is mounted, and then, when the actual virus attacks, the body responds to this known invader very quickly.
Our goal is to keep the innate immune system healthy, primed, and appropriate.
The basics for a “healthy body” — what we call Modifiable Lifestyle Factors — are also the foundation for a healthier, happier, and more productive you, and this extends to your immunity as well:
These basics include:
- Sleeping well: Make time for shuteye that’s adequate in quantity and quality, 7-9 hours per night, with regular sleep and wake times (even on weekends). Don’t eat 2-3 hours before bedtime, and avoid alcohol and caffeine at night. Gentle stretching before turning in can also help.
- Eating the Rainbow: Different-colored foods have different phytonutrients (plant-based nutrients) that help maintain balance and reduce inflammation. Try to avoid processed foods.
- Exercising: Physical activity can have anti-inflammatory effects, as noted in previous Learning Center articles (such as “You Can Stand To Hear This Get Moving!” and “No Time to Exercise? Here Are 4 Ways To Fit It Into Your Day).” Remember, we are trying for 150 minutes of activity per week, or 30 minutes daily for 5 days. Find an activity you enjoy and do it: walking, running, strength training, horseback riding, tennis, even ballroom dancing!
- Staying hydrated: Water is necessary for bodily processes and normal function. I was taught in medical school to drink enough water so you have to urinate every two hours, or you’re not drinking enough. Anyone who urinates just twice a day is probably dehydrated, which can hamper your body’s ability to carry out its normal functions. Dehydration can lead to issues like heat exhaustion, constant fatigue, constipation, and muscle weakness. Don’t forget to also replace electrolytes, those minerals in the body that carry electrical charges through the blood and help balance the body’s fluids.
- Meditation: There are various ways to practice meditation, which allows the nervous system to rest, heal and reorganize, and can help manage stress hormones that affect the entire body. Even short sessions of meditation can begin to “rewire” the brain. A popular form of meditation is mindfulness, which can be done anywhere: It involves focusing your mind on remaining aware and present at the moment and what you’re doing now, rather than dwelling on the past or dreading the future. You can achieve mindfulness through activities like yoga or t’ai chi, or even through mindful-moment practices like taking the time to pause and breathe when your phone rings instead of reacting quickly to answer it.
In the next several articles, we will discuss additional ways to support your immune system.
Be well!
