Study Review- Metabolic Health and Immunity
Health is very complex and avoiding sickness requires work in several different areas. Studies have explored the relationship of metabolic health and immunity fairly extensively.
It is very well known that metabolic syndrome and obesity result in a much higher risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It has also been found recently that decreased metabolic health can lead to more infections from pathogens, like those causing cold and flu symptoms.
Metabolic syndrome is characterized by having a mix of central adiposity (fat accumulation in the stomach area), high blood sugar, high blood triglycerides, high blood pressure, and low HDL cholesterol levels.
When someone does not take care of their metabolic health and develops those factors there is a negative impact on chronic disease progression, immunity from infections, and vaccine efficacy (how well the vaccine works to protect you). So not only are they at a high risk for chronic disease (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, etc), they are also not protected as much from vaccines and are at risk for infections with higher severity of symptoms.
How does this happen?
Poor metabolic health causes immune cells to disfunction and not work or form properly. Chronic inflammation in the body is very common with metabolic syndrome and obesity and puts the immune system to work daily, which destroys immune cells and puts the person at higher risk of disease and infection. Oxidative stress has a similar impact as chronic inflammation by taxing the immune system, it also makes inflammation worse, having a two-fold impact on immunity. Eating highly processed foods and added sugars often means someone is not eating as many whole foods, fruits, and vegetables which leads to nutrient deficiencies. When the body has nutrient deficiencies the immune cells can not be produced properly.
What to do to improve metabolic health?
Support healthy blood sugar levels (whether you have diabetes or not, this is important). Do this by eating whole grains, fruits, and vegetables as the majority of your meals and snacks! Aim to decrease refined carbohydrates, highly processed foods, and added sugars.
Vitamin D- make sure you are getting plenty of vitamin D from things like fatty fish (sardines, halibut, mackerel) and liver and getting out in the sun whenever you can. If you are thinking about supplementing Vitamin D in the darker winter months, talk to a dietitian or doctor first!
Sleep- immune cells are produced while you are sleeping so be sure you are getting at least 7 hours of sleep every night.
Decrease Stress- try breathing exercises, meditation, and movement to help decrease your stress levels. Stress adds to the burden on the immune system.
Exercise- working out helps to boost your immune cells, even just a light walk for 30 minutes a day. Aim to get up and move around every 45 minutes as well, even if it is just a 2 minute stretch break!
References-
Written by Meghan Hawley, Ellen Byron and Associates
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