The Immune System: exercise but don't over do it

As we know, foods and the nutrients found within them are important in keeping your immune system in an optimal state. There are also activities which can boost- or hinder- your immune system.

GET REST

Rest is perhaps the most important thing you can do to boost your immune system. If you eat all the right foods, but get little sleep and rest, your immune system will wear down, resulting in increased chance of disease.

According to an abstract in the April 1996 FASEB Journal, lack of sleep is associated with alterations of natural and cellular immune function. The authors note that the data demonstrate "that even a modest disturbance of sleep produces a reduction of natural immune responses and T cell cytokine production".

Be aware that rest means "doing nothing". Many people will say that watching television is resting, and in many ways it is. But when you are drawn into a drama, or sports event, it does affect you physiologically, and your immune system is not necessarily getting the rest it needs.

DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY

Having a good attitude toward life and relieving stress are also keys to immune system health. In 1973, Dr. Grossarth-Maticek gave a brief test measuring attitude- habitual feelings of pleasure and well-being - to 5,716 elderly residents of Heidelber, Germany. In 1993, he looked again at these subjects and discovered that the 300 people who had scored the highest turned out to be 30 times more likely to be alive and well 21 years later than the 200 who had scored lowest.

George Vaillant of Harvard University categorized Harvard students by the quality of their adjustments to life. Thirty years after the original interviews, in 1975, the subjects were interviewed again and their relative success was compared to their placement on the adult adjustment scale. Strong correlation was found to their level of happiness and also to their mental and physical health. Only one of the top 30 scorers had a chronic illness while half of the 30 worst scorers were either dead or suffering from chronic illness.

More recent reports reconfirm this. The August 1997 issue of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology notes that people who expressed a high level of despair had a 20 percent greater increase in atherosclerosis over four years. A recent study in Psychonocology (June 1997) notes that psychosocial counseling led to less tumor growth in some individuals. In five out of 35 patients, tumor growth became stationary during or immediately following therapy. In four patients this stationary period lasted three to nine months, and in one patient two years.

EXERCISE

It is a given these days that exercise can boost the immune system and be of special benefit to the elderly. An article in the February 1997 issue of Aging notes that "An appropriate regular regimen of endurance exercise might help elderly to lead a quality of life by preserving immune function... Recent studies have suggested that endurance training in later life is associated with a lesser age-related decline in certain aspects of circulating T cell function and related cytokine production."

More specific benefits of exercise, as noted in Physical Activity and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General include:

• Reduced risk of dying prematurely and from heart disease, and of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, and colon cancer.
• Reduced blood pressure in people who already have high blood pressure
• Reduced feelings of depression and anxiety and promotion of psychological well-being
• Healthier bones, muscles, and joints, and
• Greater strength and movement in older adults.

BUT NOT TOO MUCH

When people begin to discover the benefits of exercise, they, at times, have a tendency to over do it. Doing this can be harmful to the immune system. When you exercise to the point of exhaustion, or exercise too hard, for too long, you run the risk of depressing the immune system and increasing the risk of infection.

A study published in Physician Sports Medicine notes that marathoners who ran more than 60 miles a week had twice as many upper respiratory infections as those who ran less than 20 miles a week. The study also showed that those who completed a marathon race were twice as likely to develop an upper respiratory infection as those who trained but did not compete.

Although extrapolation can be dangerous, it does make sense to relate these findings to any type of exercise done to an extreme, whether it is cycling, walking, or baseball. Researchers theorize that the reason intensive exercise inhibits the immune system is due to the free radicals created during exercise.

STAY AWAY FROM SOME COMMON PAINKILLERS

Aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen, although useful at times, are harmful when taken routinely, or for minor problems. A study in the Journal of Infectious Disease (1990:162) notes that when volunteers were injected with cold virus, those who took aspirin and acetaminophen had a lowered production of antibodies, and increased nasal syptoms. With children there is a real risk. Acetaminophen doses even slightly higher than recommended for children can result in liver damage and even death.

STAY AWAY FROM SUGAR

Sugar depresses the immune system, and this includes what we often think of as healthy sugar, such as that found naturally in fruit juices. Consuming 3 oz. (100g) of sugar, or about two cans of soda, in one sitting significantly reduces the ability of white blood cells to attack and destroy bacteria. In the United States, the average citizen consumes over one-half pound of sugar a day, which suggests that everyone could have healthier immune systems, and healthier lives, if they cut back.

LIMIT EXPOSURE TO PESTICIDES AND OTHER TOXINS

Pesticides and other chemical toxins decrease both the number and activity of white blood cells. In a study published in the Journal of Nutritional Medicine (2:1991), pesticide exposure resulted in an 81 percent reduction of T and B cells. Organic solvents, such as paint thinners and petroleum distillates, can depress cell activity.