In this episode, we discuss The Immune System and Its Key Influencers.
Our immune system’s main functions are to defend against foreign invaders and repair injuries. A healthy immune system is watching and waiting, only reacting to dangerous strangers. It should respond appropriately to the level of threat that it presents and should be able to turn itself off appropriately. It should be able to differentiate between self and non-self.
Our immune system has to be tolerant and not respond to the normal bacteria naturally occurring in our bodies.
When the immune system senses something foreign in the body or if there is an acute trauma like a burn, for example, it triggers a purposeful series of responses called the acute inflammatory response to defend itself. This process is very complex and recruits many different signals and cells to complete the process. As seen with a burn, this often results in localized redness and swelling and begins the tissue repair process. Even though this can be uncomfortable, it is part of the healing process and is self-limiting.
A healthy immune system will go back to its inert state once the damage has been fixed or foreign invader has been removed.
Chronic inflammation occurs when the injury or insult is ongoing or the immune system becomes intolerant and fails to turn itself off properly. When the immune system becomes intolerant, it can lead to overactivity. Some of us genetically have immune systems that can easily get overactivated, others have lifestyles that can lead to overactivity, and some, unfortunately, suffer from both.
Chronic poor food choices, toxin exposures, an imbalance in gut bacteria, stress, or repetitive use, causes the immune system to remain activated. Most chronic diseases are linked to excessive, persistent inflammation and intolerant immune systems. A good example of this is autoimmune diseases, where the combination of a genetically heightened immune system plus environmental and lifestyle factors contribute to the immune systems inability to differentiate self from non-self.
Inflammation can be dampened by avoiding exposure to triggers and helping restore balance back to the immune system. Lifestyle modifications and diet changes are two of the main influencing factors that can either ramp up the immune system or return it to a state of inertia.
Diet choices, stress management, movement, quality of our sleep, and relationships with and social connection to others can greatly affect our immune system.
Our diet and gastrointestinal (GI) health are of utmost importance because 70% of the immune cells in our body are housed in our gut lining. This is why in functional medicine we focus so heavily on gut health and restoration.
Our microbiome is the major immune player in the GI tract. It is made up of many integral parts working together synergistically creating its own ecosystem. The microbiome consists of 100 trillion microorganisms and thousands of different species that coexist together. It is so biodiverse that no two people have the same microbiome, which is why in FM we understand the importance of personalized care.
Our microbiome is influenced by many factors and changes throughout our lives.
For a healthy microbiome, we want richness and diversity in the number of organisms and the different species that are present. There is a certain balance here that can affect our overall health and wellness. The day to day activity of these gut microbes plays a key role in immunoregulation.
As stated by Martin Blaser, MD the author of Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics is Fueling Our Modern Plagues, “It is reasonable to propose that the composition of the microbiome and its activities are involved in most, if not all, of the biological processes that constitute human health and disease.”
Research has shown that a healthy microbiome balances our immune system, and our immune system balances our microbiome, they work synergistically with one another. When our microbiome is imbalanced or disrupted this is known as dysbiosis. Think of it as too many bad organisms, not enough good organisms, good organisms that are growing in the wrong place, or all of the above.
Causes of dysbiosis are lifestyle habits, genetics, early colonization of microbes (birth via cesarian section vs vaginally delivered; bottle-fed vs breast-fed), medical practices such as antibiotic use or surgeries, overall hygiene level, and toxin exposures, to name a few.
The problem is dysbiosis can lead to both immunosuppression and immune activation, it can also cause unwanted inflammation, and it can lead to intestinal permeability or “Leaky Gut”. Our gut lining acts as a physiological barrier between our immune system and our microbiome. We need this barrier for these systems to work synergistically and to remain healthy overall. When our gut barrier is breached, it can lead to a whole host of diseases such as autoimmune diseases, allergies, obesity, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
The food we put into our bodies affects how our bodies function and can greatly affect the permeability of our gut lining. If we are eating foods that our body doesn’t get along with due to food allergies, sensitivities, or intolerances, we can end up with unwanted or uncomfortable symptoms and increased inflammation. The most well-known example of this is a gluten allergy or sensitivity. People with Celiac disease are allergic to gluten and when they eat foods that contain gluten they can react with different symptoms, such as diarrhea, bloating, stomach cramping which are localized to the gut, but widespread inflammation can occur causing joint pain, headaches/migraines, rashes, etc.
Each person is unique in the different foods they can and cannot tolerate. It is important to know which foods your body reacts negatively to so you can avoid exposure to these irritants. The two ways we assess for food allergies, sensitivities, and intolerances are through food allergy testing and with the elimination diet. Once we know which foods a person should avoid we can then focus heavily on the foods that nourish them and that they can enjoy.
There are foods that can help heal our immune system. Foods like edible mushrooms, which are very nutritious and have gut-healing potential. Other foods like oysters or grass-beef, which are rich in zinc, are incredibly immune-supportive. Onions and apple skins contain quercetin, which is a potent antioxidant and can help fight free-radicals that can lead to tissue damage.
Another major lifestyle factor that affects our immune function and overall health is stress. Stress is anything that you perceive as a threat such as an illness, accident, injury, or surgery, but also from smaller daily events such as traffic or work. There also hidden threats such as unknown infections, imbalances, and food triggers that also affect our overall level of health. Increased and unmanaged stress can lead to issues like sleep disruption, weight gain, and can cause decreased immune function and increased inflammation in the body.
The good news is that our bodies are naturally able to protect you from acute stressors.
When our body recognizes a stressor it goes into fight, flight, or freeze mode causing adrenaline and cortisol to increase, at the same time digestion stops, and our heart rates and blood pressures increased to allow your body to react and protect itself. Once the threat is gone it goes back to normal functioning.
In today’s world, we are unfortunately chronically exposed to stress. While our bodies innately know how to manage acute stress, it is not great at dealing with chronic stress. Our bodies cannot sustain the chronic stress reaction pattern described above and we end up depleted of energy and feel exhausted or “wired and tired”. Without adequate energy in our cells, our immune system cannot function properly and we become ill.
Daily activities that can help us manage chronic stress include going outside in nature and enjoying the beauty around you. Breathing exercises and meditation have been proven to lower the heart rate and cortisol response bringing the body back to a normal calm state. Scheduling regular sleep routines can help the body rest and rebalance and restore our energy levels.
Next week we will be talking more about the connection between the gut and the immune system, focusing on “Leaky Gut”, the microbiome, and foods that can benefit the immune system.