Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
We are still in the midst of a pandemic and your health should be a priority. It is extremely important to turn to the fundamentals in order to keep your immune system working properly, including Vitamin C, Vitamin D and Zinc.
Many times during the summer months, we tend to put our guard down and may not think about the importance of immune function. But immunity is just as important in the summer! Here’s why folic acid should be apart of your summertime immune support arsenal.
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey. Ph
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In Part 1 of Restoring Your Aging Immune System, we discussed how your immune system becomes weaker with age, making you more susceptible to diseases and infections. If you missed that episode, click here to listen now! In today’s episode, Part 2, we will discuss what you can do to make your immune system stronger, including what supplements I take to help maintain overall health and wellness.
Probiotic Bacteria for the Immune System
Research shows that a healthy person has hundreds of strains of bacteria in their intestines, including strains of yeasts and viruses. A number of things can cause a decline in the number of these strains. These bacteria are intimately involved with controlling the immune system. About 70% of your immune cells come in contact with your digestive tract and there is an interaction between them and gut bacteria. If you don’t have sufficient quantities of healthy bacteria (the Probiotic-types), the harmful bacteria will confuse and active the immune system. This is implicated in many harmful things.
One is leaky gut syndrome. Toxins released by the bad bacteria inflame the lining of the intestines and you develop a leakage, where toxins from the intestines and possibly bacteria and viruses themselves leak into the blood stream and wreak havoc. In fact, leaky gut syndrome has been implicated in conditions such as systemic lupus and even rheumatoid arthritis. So, when you have sufficient, healthy bacteria your immune system is kept under control and they very quickly heal the lining of your stomach and intestines.
Probiotic numbers decline for a number of reasons –
You can obtain healthy bacteria or Probiotics from fermented foods like yogurt, kefir or a supplement. The strains of bacteria decline as we age, also. The journal Nutrients reviewed four different studies of people in their 60s and 70s. Researchers looked at a particular strain of bacteria called Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis and found, within a few weeks, it strengthened the activity of natural killer cells. In Part 1, we discussed how natural killer cells lose their strength as we age. This particular stain of Probiotic bacteria improved the strength of the natural killer cells in these studies.
In the journal of Dairy Science, researchers studied Lactobacillus plantarum; this is another beneficial strain of Probiotic bacteria. It reduced the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections in adults. It also reduced how long participants had the infection and the intensity of the symptoms. It also reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines and enhanced natural killer cell activity. This is what becomes dangerous in infections like Ebola or COVID-19. Pro-inflammatory cytokines over activate the immune system and make it attach your own organs.
In the journal of the American Geriatric Society a study was published by Mcmaster University of Ontario of 209 nursing home residence, aged 65 and over, from 14 different nursing homes. Taking the strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus reduced the number of infections with a virus by 45% over a six month period. This shows just how important probiotic bacteria can be to enhancing and directing your immune system.
Fiber and Prebiotics for the Immune System
There are also a lot of things in fiber that feed the good bacteria. This is why following a fiber-rich diet is so important. Fiber is a starch that you cannot digest or absorb. It is found in vegetables, whole grains, and seeds and nuts. When you put fiber and good bacteria together in a supplement, it is called a prebiotic with a probiotic. A prebiotic is simply the food for the probiotic bacteria. The probiotics work with the fiber to release a bunch of different things, including acids like lactic acid and propioic acid that benefit the digestive tract. Deeper down the intestines you actually release butyric acid; there is an interaction between good bacteria and good foods and the release of butyric acid. These three acids give energy to our immune cells and to our digestive tract so they can function properly. But the butyric acid also heals the lining of the intestines very rapidly and improves the absorption of minerals, such as calcium and magnesium.
Additional Methods to Enhancing A Good Diet
Cocoa has been shown to be great for brain health, specifically the circulation to your brain, and for heart health. But the active ingredients in cocoa have to be activated by probiotic bacteria otherwise it does not work. Another example is Green tea which has a vast majority of benefit; These benefits cannot be demonstrated unless probiotic bacteria is activated. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage and kale must also be activated in order to reap the benefits of their components.†
Older individuals make less Vitamin D when exposed to the sun. Normally, to make Vitamin D, the cholesterol from the sun is irradiated by ultraviolet radiation coming from the sun and it goes to a precursor of Vitamin D that is stored in your liver called 25-hydroxycalciferol. When released, it lasts about two weeks in your bloodstream which is the type of Vitamin D that your doctor is measuring. It is really a precursor to Vitamin D. Then, it must go to your kidneys to be activated. You require the mineral Magnesium for this. Then it becomes 125-hydroxycalciferol, which is the active version of Vitamin D.†
Your immune cells – your T and B-cells – have receptor sites for Vitamin D. Just like immune cells release Melatonin to be activated, there are receptor sites for Vitamin D to be activated. T-cells activate different parts of the immune system and coordinate the fight against an infection. Plus, at the end of an infection, they tone down the immune response. B-cells make antibodies. If you lack vitamin D, there is less chance that an immune cell will be properly activated.†
Melatonin Has More Benefits Than Just Sleep! Listen Now >>
Thank you for tuning in to the Invite Health Podcast. You can find all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting www.invitehealth.com/podcast. Make sure you subscribe and leave us a review! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at Invite Health today. We’ll see you next time on another episode of the Invite Health Podcast.
Our immune system becomes less competent with age. This makes a person more vulnerable to diseases and can make a common infection, such as the flu much more dangerous. Here’s what you need to know about your aging immune system.
In Part 2, we are going to dive further into the studies and science behind the very important and powerful antioxidant, Glutathione for lung health and beyond with Chief Scientific Officer and Pharmacist, Jerry Hickey, Ph.
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey. Ph
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Melatonin is a sleep hormone and it also helps restore immune system function. For sleep, Melatonin regulates your sleep and awake cycle; this is very important for aging where we start to lose control of our circadian rhythm. Darkness triggers the release of melatonin from a small gland near the center of your brain called the pineal gland to set you up for sleep. We now know that Melatonin is also released from the digestive tract and also the extremely important discovery that our immune system can manufacture and release Melatonin. This demonstrates the importance of Melatonin, like Vitamin D to our immune system.
How Vitamin D Supports Lung and Immune Health. Learn more >>
Melatonin and Sleep; the evidence
A meta analysis of modern research was performed by a team from MIT. This put an end to any discussion of Melatonin and it’s beneficial effects for sleep. A meta-analysis bundles together similar studies of high quality and essentially tells you yes or no; that a treatment works or doesn’t work. In this report, the scientists looked at studies of Melatonin and sleep. They analyzed 17 human clinical trials published in peer reviewed journals. The results of the analysis in well performed, non-biased, human clinical trials comparing Melatonin to placebo gave a resounding conclusion of “yes” – melatonin does work for sleep. They found that melatonin reduced sleep latency (how quickly you fall asleep), increased sleep efficiency and increased sleep duration. So, with melatonin, you fall asleep faster, sleep deeper, experience more refreshing sleep and sleep longer.
Melatonin and immunity; the evidence
In a study performed by the Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS) and Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital/CSIC/University of Seville, researchers set out to study melatonin and its impact on immune health. Besides the pineal gland, it has been found that other sites manufacture melatonin and a major site for melatonin is the immune system. The digestive tract also releases this hormone.
Our immune system responds to infection by two main types of immunity – the innate or non-specific immune system, and the acquired or educated and specific response. The innate, non-specific defenses are present even before an infection occurs. This gives a quick response to contain a virus faster, helping prevent it from getting too established and dangerous. The major components of the innate response are macrophages and neutrophils. In contrast to the innate response, the specific immune response is acquired and refined, but this takes time. NK Cells T and B lymphocytes are the main components of the acquired immune response. They travel around your body mostly via your lymphatic system.
Learn more about your Lympathic System by clicking here! >>
A large body of evidence has shown a clear relationship between the neuroendocrine and immune systems. Melatonin is considered to be a very important member of this network. Thus, evidence is emerging that the immune system is one source of extrapineal melatonin (melatonin manufactured outside of the pineal gland). By the time we reach 65 years old, we experience a process known as immune-senescence, which is aging of the immune system. We experience a drop in the number of immune cells and a weakening of their potency leading to an increased likelihood of developing an infection or cancer. The decline in the production of a number of hormones associated with aging, such as melatonin, has been proposed to play a significant role in contributing to immune-senescence. The age-associated decline of melatonin has been repeatedly reported and overlaps with age-related impairment of the immune system.
Currently, the role of melatonin as an effector that can modulate the immune system is undeniable. The almost ubiquitous distribution of melatonin receptors on immune cells and its synthesis by the immune system underpin the melatonin/immune system relationship. The effects of several immunological mediators on melatonin production close the bidirectional circuit.
Aging, for may reasons, leads to the decline in immune function known as immune-senescence. This situation implies increased susceptibility to infectious diseases and cancer due to a decreased capacity of the immune system to respond to antigenic stimulation. This results in altered cytokine microenvironment and impairment of both innate and adaptive immunity. The decline in the production of a number of hormones associated with aging such as growth hormone (GH), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), likely sex hormones such as estrogen, and the pineal substance melatonin play a significant role in contributing to immune-senesecence.
Thank you for tuning in to the Invite Health Podcast. You can find all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting www.invitehealth.com/podcast. Make sure you subscribe and leave us a review! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at Invite Health today. We’ll see you next time on another episode of the Invite Health Podcast.