The health of the immune system is greatly influenced by our daily thoughts and our daily activities. We know that sleep, exercise, smoking and alcohol consumption influence our immune system. How much sleep we do or don’t get, how much exercise we do, whether we smoke and how much alcohol we drink all significantly impact immune function. Sleep And Immunity Sleep restores and refreshes us mentally, emotionally and physically. Sleep is essential for the proper functioning of the immune system. Sleep-deprived individuals have decreased natural killer cell activity and decreased cellular immunity. Even a few nights of sleep deprivation can disrupt immune function. A pattern of insufficient and poor quality of sleep impairs nighttime secretion of cytokines, the messenger molecules that trigger a cell-killing attack by T-cells and natural killer cells. The relationship between sleep and immune function has been demonstrated in several studies of alcoholic patients, patients in the intensive care unit, depressed patients, patients with HIV, and patients with chronic illnesses. These studies connect the lack of restorative, or deep, sleep with reduced natural killer cell activity and reduced immune function. Sleeping stimulates the secretion of melatonin, a hormone released by the pineal gland. In addition to supporting deep sleep, melatonin also supports immune function. Melatonin has a number of critical immune-enhancing functions: • Acts as a free radical scavenger and antioxidant The stimulus for melatonin secretion is evening darkness. Many individuals who work during the night and sleep during the day lack sufficient melatonin levels. They also suffer from impaired immunity and higher rates of certain cancers, such as breast cancer. How much sleep is enough? While no one knows with certainty how much sleep is ideal, we have some general guidelines. Younger and more active people appear to need more sleep than older, inactive individuals. Everyone benefits from sleeping at night and being awake during the daytime. While each person’s need for sleep varies, a general consensus is that most individuals need between seven and nine hours of sleep nightly. Skipping sleep during the week and making up for it on the weekend doesn’t counteract the negative impact of weekday sleep deprivation on immunity. There is no substitute for a good night’s sleep. The right quality and quantity of sleep will optimize immune function and contribute to greater health and daytime wakefulness and alertness. Obtaining an adequate amount of sleep should be a high priority. Exercise And Immunity Physical activity exercises our body and our immune system. Daily physical activity is linked with increased immune activity. However, the type and intensity of exercise should be carefully considered. Interestingly, more is not necessarily better. In fact, research indicates that high intensity exercisers, such as marathon runners and triathletes, experience a higher incidence of upper respiratory infections than do moderate exercisers. Intense exercising slightly impairs immune parameters such as neutrophil function, antibody levels and natural killer cell cytotoxic activity. This immune suppression occurs because intensive exercise stresses the body. The anti-stress hormones produced in response to the stress of heavy exercise weaken immune function. In contrast to intense exercise, moderate exercise training stimulates these immune parameters. Exercising for 30 to 60 minutes daily will improve overall conditioning over time. Daily exercise will not necessarily improve immune function within the first several months. However, when exercise is maintained long enough to improve overall fitness and conditioning, immune function does improve. For instance, highly conditioned elderly women have superior natural killer and T-cell function when compared with their sedentary counterparts. For all of us, exercise should include both aerobic (such as walking, jogging, swimming, bicycling, basketball, dancing, tennis) and anaerobic (such as weight lifting, yoga, pilates) activities. Exercise should always be followed with gentle stretching to maintain flexibility and prevent injury. Physical activity should be enjoyable and not a chore. Exercising with friends, while listening to books on tape, going to a gym or to a beautiful park, or even dancing, are all ways to make exercise fun and therefore sustainable every day. Smoking And Immunity Smokers have decreased immunity and are at a higher risk for developing infectious diseases and cancer. There is no safe level of smoking. While an effective way to manage stress in the short term, the health cost of routinely smoking cigarettes, marijuana, or cigars is profound. Tobacco smoke and the many additives it contains are poisonous to immune cells. Smokers’ immune systems have sluggish natural killer cell activity, produce fewer defensive antibodies and are not as able to recognize and destroy infectious organisms. The good news is that when smokers quit, their immune function improves dramatically and quickly. Within just one month of quitting, previous smokers demonstrate increased natural killer cell activity and elevations in antibody levels. These immune changes, over time, will bolster their defense against cancer and infectious diseases. Alcohol And Immunity Alcohol abusers have suppressed cellular immune function. In fact, one of the least appreciated medical complications of alcohol abuse is immune impairment, which greatly increases the risk for infection and autoimmune disease. Alcoholics are more likely to develop bacterial pneumonia, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases. Liver disease is already the most deadly consequence of alcoholism. The effect of alcohol on immune function does appear to be temporary. Within two weeks of abstinence from alcohol, previously depressed cellular immunity improves. Within two months of sobriety, cellular immunity normalizes. Moderate drinkers do not seem to sustain direct harm to their immune function. Consuming fewer than two drinks daily for men and one drink daily for women appears to be compatible with healthy immune function. How we choose to spend our day influences our immune health. Developing an optimistic outlook, obtaining sufficient sleep, exercising regularly, avoiding smoking and minimizing alcohol form the foundation of a healthy immune system. Adding a balanced diet into this picture will greatly impact immune function. Additionally, using a moderate amount of recommended nutritional supplements will further enhance immunity. The payoff is a healthy immune system, fewer infections and allergies and decreased risk for autoimmune disease and cancer. |
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