Immune Boosting through stress reduction
I have been thinking about ways to help bring thoughts and ideas together for people during this time and thought I would write a bit.
First and foremost, we need to stay calm during this crisis. We are being bombarded with not only the effects of the virus but also the economic response of what this might do to us. We are all facing an unknown where we are cut off from our loved ones and human connection through touch. We aren’t sure how we are going to keep our businesses going. We don’t know how to juggle taking care of the kids, our work and homeschooling. We don’t know how to keep all of our loved ones healthy and safe. We aren’t sure what to believe because we are being fed different stories everyday on the news. It is important to understand all of these implications without being totally overwhelmed. It is a cataclysmic process honestly and I can see the panic starting to rise in those around me. I feel it welling up in me. Ready to take me in its grasp. And so I am using this time to slow down. That is what the world needs for us to do. To take the time to reflect on what is going to be different when this pandemic is over and how we can be part of this shift. We have the opportunity to reinvent ourselves if we take the risk.
So let me tell you what I have been doing to tap into the innate intelligence of my body. I am trying to walk outside barefoot for at least 5 minutes a day preferably in the dirt. I am extending my sleep to 8 hours a day. I am staying as hydrated as possible. I am doing a easy breathing meditation. I am eating whole foods with good fiber, my anti-inflammatory supplements and beneficial phytonutrients. Limiting blue lights at night to support natural production of melatonin. I am laughing with my daughter as much as possible.
Here’s a quick review on how stress works on your body and the HPA axis(Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Function):
The HPA axis is the center that helps us deal with internal or external stressors(internal like food allergies and external like work/economics) . The HPA axis is designed to handle short term stress. Once activated, an immediate release of the catecholamines epinephrine and norepinephrine occurs. Next, cortisol spikes to control metabolic processes necessary to keep the individual moving away from the threat. Cortisol depresses the immune system and raises blood sugar which is an adaptive mechanism called fight or flight. This is an immediate reaction to a threat and is actually advantageous to escape an immediately dangerous situation and supports an immediate life saving reaction in the short term. The maladaptation occurs when the cortisol does not turn off after a short period of time but becomes something that is ongoing. In a normal situation, the stress resolves and hormone levels downregulate back to normal. Long term cortisol release does not allow the downregulation response.
The HPA axis begins to show signs of dysfunction and can set up a host of health conditions including chronic inflammation, disrupted circadian cycles, migraines, obesity, belly fat, thyroid dysfunction, digestive complaints and increases in mental health concerns. Dysfunction of the HPA axis can also lead to decreased immunity.
Cortisol plays an important role in the development of immunity by influencing the release of cytokines. During an initial viral challenge, cytokines mediate the innate and adaptive immune response via pro-inflammatory cytokines and the activation of immune cells like macrophages. In addition to contributing to the development and progression of immune cells, the HPA axis exerts a negative feedback mechanism to suppress immune cell overproduction which can contribute to tissue damage.
Adaptogenic herbs help modulate the stress response. This class of herbs not only works to boost the HPA axis, but many also have immune-boosting properties. Astragalus can reduce inflammation and increase the Th1 response during viral exposure. Licorice root, an herb with a long history of use to support HPA axis health, has been shown to inhibit SARS-coronavirus in vitro. Melatonin is secreted by the pineal gland which regulates the circadian rhythm. Melatonin has recently gained huge traction as a possible agent in COVID-19 with a recent published article 3/23. Melatonin has an anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and immune enhancing features and may be protective against viral induced acute lung Injury and has been shown to be helpful in respiratory syncytial virus models.
A simple breathing technique:
Nadi Shodhana (Anulom Vilom) pranayama is a simple alternate breathing technique in Yoga. Pranayama means the extension of the prana(breath or life force). Prana means life force and ayama means restraining or control. THe breathing technique is designed for good health and a calm mind.
Here is how to do it: Sit with an erect spine on the floor (if possible, a chair otherwise) in cross legged posture that is comfortable to you. Now place your left hand on the knees in chin muda- with the palms facing upwards and thumb and index finger touching each other. Now place the right hand thumb on the right nostril and breathe in from the left nostril. Hold the breath for a few seconds and then close the left nostril and breathe out from the right nostril. Now inhale from the right nostril, hold, and exhale from the left. Continue for five minutes and up to one hour
Yoga and pranayama help with both anxiety and depression. They can downregulate the HPA axis that trigger as a response to a physical or psychological demand.
Mindfulness meditation, a common treatment for those with HPA axis dysfunction, has also been shown to modulate immune function of inflammatory cytokines, Tcells, and Bcells.
References:
1. Sengupta, Pallav. Health Impacts of Yoga and Pranayama: A state of the art review. Int J Prev Med. 2012 Jul;3(7): 444-458
2. Block KI, Mead MN. Immune System Effects of Echinacea, Ginseng, and Astragalus: A Review. Integrative Cancer Therapies. 2003;2(3):247-267. doi:10.1177/1534735403256419
3. Hoever G, Baltina L, Michaelis M, et al. Antiviral Activity of Glycyrrhizic Acid Derivatives against SARS−Coronavirus. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 2005;48(4):1256-1259. doi:10.1021/jm0493008
4. Thibodeaux N, Rossano MJ. Meditation and Immune Function: The Impact of Stress Management on the Immune System. OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine. 2018;3(4):1-1. doi:10.21926/obm.icm.1804032
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31634750
6. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0004867417701996
7. Silverman MN, Pearce BD, Biron CA, Miller AH. Immune Modulation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis during Viral Infection. Viral Immunology. 2005;18(1):41-78. doi:10.1089/vim.2005.18.41
8. Zhang R, Wang X, Ni L, et al. COVID 19: Melatonin as a potential adjuvant treatment, Life Sci. 2020;: 117583
