The importance of having a strong immune system has never been magnified before as it is now. People are becoming more aware that the best defense from viruses, bacterias, and other environmental toxins would always be having a healthy body. However, did you know that our immune system not only has to be strong, but it also has to be balanced in order for it to function properly? As with anything in life, too much or too little is bad, thus we must always strive for balance.
Having a weak immune system can make us defenseless against microbes, viral infections, and other environmental hazards that can lead to more serious diseases. Our body can easily succumb to bacterial or viral infections like the common cold, fever, or to more serious pneumonia, tuberculosis or worse, Covid19.
However, having a hyperactive or over-sensitive immune system also posts some health problems such as allergies, inflammatory diseases and autoimmune disease. The hyperactive immune system can be dangerous because instead of protecting our own cells and tissues, it does the complete opposite and attacks it, thinking it is a foreign entity that needs to be eliminated. Examples include psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis to name a few. Another effect of having a hyperactive immune system is recognizing ordinary unharmful elements like pollen or gluten as a “threat”, causing a potentially severe autoimmune response such as severe allergic reaction, Crohn’s or Celiac disease, and sometimes breathing difficulties.
There can be a number of factors that contribute to an imbalanced immune system, however the top 3 causes are:
- Malnutrition – not consuming the right amount of nutrients like carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, and key minerals in your daily diet. For example, having too little Vitamin C can cause Scurvy, which symptoms include weakened connective tissues, bleeding gums, gingivitis, fatigue, internal bleeding, and depression. However, consuming too much can cause stomach hyperacidity, diarrhea, headache, stomach pain, and insomnia. Additionally, Vitamin D helps our immune system function properly and supports healthy bones. A food example could include consuming too many refined carbohydrates that lead to an increased amount of glucose circulating in the blood, and in the long term can lead to Type-2 Diabetes. Excess sugar suppresses good immune function, notably.
- Not Having Enough Sleep – sleep is our body’s way to naturally heal itself by replacing dead cells with new cells, replenishing lost energy, and releasing certain hormones, antibodies, immune cells and proteins, and even cytokines that help control infection and inflammation. A study published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information states that sleep promotes adaptive immune responses and enhances the formation of immunological memory. In contrast, they also concluded that prolonged sleep deprivation invoked a production of pro-inflammatory protein in our body leading to more chronic inflammatory conditions and allergic reactions. So what is the right amount of sleep? Different age groups need different lengths of sleep, but in a nutshell, the younger we are, the longer our need for sleep is. For adults, aged 18 years old and above the average duration should be around 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep.
- Stress – stress can trigger our body to react like we are being attacked. When our ancestors were out in the wild facing unspoken danger, stress was our body’s alarm system that triggered the fight or flight response that was necessary for survival. Nowadays, stress can come from a multitude of factors such as work, family, peer pressure, environment, uncertainty, etc. However, the effect it has on our bodies remains the same. Initially, it causes our body to release Adrenaline and Cortisol that increases our heart rate, blood sugar, and alertness so we can easily react to our stressor. But the aftermath, when this is prolongedly happening, can lead to hormonal imbalance, insomnia, and an over-reactive or dysfunctional immune system. Some people get allergic reactions like hives, rashes or acne when exposed to stress while others get insomnia or anxiety issues.
Finding the right balance can be a challenge especially when we do not know which side of the fence you fall under. So figuring out if you have a weakened or overactive immune system should be your top priority so we can rightfully support it and learn what needs to be done to improve it. If you want to better understand the status of your immune system, then talking to a dedicated holistic health care provider would help. Consider scheduling a FREE consultation with Dr. Eric Wood through this link and start your journey in improving your overall immunity.