After being hit by a disease during the winter, the BBC journalist James Gallagher is looking for ways to strengthen his immune system.
It is a cold morning at the height of London winter in the United Kingdom.
I feel as if I had left my mental healthcare next to my hot clothes in the changing rooms as I walk towards the edge of a tank in bath shorts.
A dish with bright colors informs me that the water temperature today is 3.9 ° C, while one of the visitors tells me that this is not swimming in cold water – it is “ice swimming”.
But how did I stop here?
Well, I was fascinated by the idea of improving or strengthening the immune system.
My body was the living personification of an relentless stream of colds and gastrointestinal infections.
Our immune system already does a fantastic job when fighting viruses and other unpleasant things.
If I had collected all the air that I exhaled for a minute, it would contain from 100 to 10,000 bacteria, 25,000 viruses and a single mushroom, according to the immunologist John Treonging of the Imperial College of London in the United Kingdom.
“We always breathe these things, there is a rotating mass of pathogens [organismos que causam doenças] In the air, “says the teacher.
But there are many foods, supplements and activities that are remembered by their alleged properties of “strengthening immunity”.
But can we really improve the body defense system?
Can you swim in cold water avoid the disease?
The search for these responses is what led me to this swimming session in London winter.
Entering the dam, I see that cold water looks like the fire on my skin.
All that my brain may think is to go to the ground without the need for lifeguard.
But studies show that the drainage of adrenaline from contact with cold water floods the blood flow with the cells that fight infections.
White blood cells – which can produce antibodies or attach infected fabrics – leave their tanks and start a patrol since they suspect that there may be some infections.
So this means I’m more protected now?
“Within a few hours [depois do banho gelado]Everything dates back to normal “, replies the immunologist Eleanor Riley of the University of Edinburgh, in Scotland.
“There is no evidence that people who swim in cold water have less colds or infections,” says the expert.
Regular exercises make the younger immune system
There is no tests on cold water, but regular exercises could solve this problem.
On average, adults take two to three colds per year and children between five and eight years of age, says Dr. Margaret McCartney, an expert in medicine based on tests at St. Andrews University in Scotland.
“People who do moderate exercises tend to report less viral infections,” observes.
There are no final clinical studies, but all the data we have “points in the direction that [o exercício] Okay, but it’s not a miraculous healing “, according to McCartney.
Studies conducted in the laboratory suggest that regular physical activity can slow down the aging of the immune system.
The defenses of the body have been decreasing since the age of 20, but the research with 80 -year cyclists indicates that they still have the immune system of much younger people.
“I know that the studies have not been done with sufficient quality, but I will pedal a lot,” the expert jokes.
And the vitamins?
The first thing that comes to mind here is vitamin C, devouring a mountain of oranges or in the form of effervescent pills and pads.
McCartney explains that the deficiency in this compound can damage the immune system, but for the vast majority of people, there is little to be gained from excess or integration.
The same goes for multivitamine supplements. According to the researcher, they only serve to produce a “expensive urine”.
However, the tests around vitamin D are much discussed.
Vitamin D levels decrease in winter as it is produced when our skin is exposed to sunlight.
“The rehearsals [sobre a suplementação] They indicate possible benefits for people with respiratory diseases who have very low levels of vitamin D, “says McCartney.
The teacher believes that the evidence is “insufficient” for a more general recommendation for everyone on the supplementation of vitamin D.
And while thinking about what to put in the shopping cart of supermarkets, there is still no consensus between scientists if even prebiotics and probiotics, which alter the good bacteria in the intestine, benefit from immunity.
“I think this is a really important study area, but we lack data on real life that allows you to recommend this consumption,” says McCartney.
He adds that Echinacea, Turmeric and Ginger’s supplements also do not strengthen the immune system.
Do you keep an eye on the clock?
The abilities of the immune system are not fixed during the day.
“Our immune system is more effective early in the morning, in the period in which we wake up and remains very effective during the first part of the day. More for the afternoon, [a atividade dele] He begins to decrease, “says Riley.
That’s why colds usually seem worse in the morning. This is because symptoms are the result of an immune system that works at full speed.
The decline of this activity begins “around four or five in the afternoon”.
So you can have better protection if you are vaccinated or exposed to someone with symptoms (such as courses and sneezing) in the morning.
While the immune system works within a 24 -hour cycle, having “a normal daily rhythm” instead of a mix of nights and long hours of sleep during the weekend “, it could also help strengthen” the defenses of the body, teaches Riley.
Less damage to immunity
While we plan to strengthen the immune system, we must also remember that there are things that really increase the vulnerability to infections.
One of the biggest of these is smoking, because this habit directly damages the lungs, making them a less effective barrier against viruses.
“If you imagine your lungs like a sieve, smoking will make holes there, then more pathogenic agents can pass,” says Tregoning.
Smoking also increases inflammation throughout the body.
This inflammatory state acts as a thermostat for the immune system and is a normal part of how the body reacts.
However, “not controlled inflammation hurts”, since it hinders the immune system and may not respond correctly.
Obesity is another factor that can increase the susceptibility to the infections and the severity of these diseases by increasing inflammation in the body.
“These factors can be difficult to reverse or interrupt, but they are probably the most modifiable,” says McCartney.
Freed from stress (if possible)
Being constantly stressed increases cortisol hormone levels in the body.
Cortisol, in turn, weakens the immune system, which can make the body more prone to infections.
Tregoning says that this could be the explanation of why being in nature, walking, spending time with friends – and even swimming in cold water – can have a beneficial effect.
“[Nessas situações] You are less stressed, with less cortisol, so the immune system is more suitable for the role you try to play, “he says.
“There is absolutely no doubt that being happy, being in a positive mental state, has a very, very important effect on the functions of our body,” adds Riley.
A little salted water in the nose?
You probably saw in pharmacies spray the products in the nostrils at the first sign of colds.
An article Posted in the academic magazine The Lancet He showed that they really work.
In the study, thousands of people used a spray based on salt water (saline solution) or gel.
Volunteers could use them up to six times a day, every time they thought they had symptoms.
The people who followed life only without nasal spray spent an average of eight days of illness during the study.
But this amount dropped to six days among those who used sprays.
So the immune system can be really strengthened?
If you already do all the usual things to take care of health – do not smoke, eat in a healthy way, train regularly … – So your immune system is already in the “best possible condition” to respond to an infection, Vley currency.
“But can you do something more here? There is simply no real tests that this is possible,” continues the expert.
“But there is one thing that improves immunity against specific infections: being vaccinated.”
Perhaps, instead of spending money in the final trend to strengthen immunity, the teacher suggests thinking about ways to prevent infections.
The Inside Health program of BBC Radio 4 is produced by Hannah Robins. You can listen to English episodes in the app Sounds of the BBC.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
