THE DOCTOR IS IN
OP-ED BY DR. ADIL MANZOOR
Do you ever just get home after a long day at work and want to throw yourself on your bed and just “log off”? Or do you work too hard in the gym and feel your muscles burning afterward? Or maybe you lost a loved one to COVID and now can’t find any motivation or willpower to go about your day? And, of course, the ever-too-common anxious state you experience when your favorite sports team is down with seconds to go on the clock?
One of these things has likely happened to you at one point or the other throughout life. Heck, you may have even experienced them all! Those are just instances of life’s stressors. Everyone experiences stress in some way or the other, and that’s by no means a bad thing. In fact, stress is good for motivating and allowing you to focus. It may even enhance your performance in certain cases. However, too much stress isn’t good or healthy, as you will find out soon.
When you are stressed acutely, also known as short-term stress, your body releases the hormone cortisol to help manage stress levels. Cortisol raises blood glucose levels as well as increases the brain’s ability to use glucose. The heart also starts to beat faster, preparing your body for fight and flight.
Naturally, the body would be able to combat the stressor and return the system to a homeostatic state. However, if the stress persists and becomes chronic, the body’s cortisol levels stay high for long periods. This may cause several health conditions to arise, including hypertension, Type-2 diabetes, arthritis, psoriasis, sleep disorders, fibromyalgia, etc.
Aside from these conditions, stress can take a toll on the body’s immune system. One of the reasons for this is the effect of stress on inflammation. While in minimal amounts, cortisol can limit inflammation. If the cortisol levels remain elevated for long, it can lead to chronic inflammation in the body, which wreaks havoc on the immune system and body cells.
As we age, the body’s immune system starts to decline in a condition known as immunosenescence. The easiest way to explain this is the ratio of naïve T-cells and differentiated T-cells in the body.
The body must have adequate amounts of naïve T-cells to allow the immune system continuously respond to antigens. Simply put, naïve T-cells are T-cells (a type of lymphocyte) that have been released by the thymus but haven’t been activated. On the other hand, differentiated T-cells have matured and gotten activated by an antigen.
With age, the ratio of naïve to differentiated T-cells reduces, and immune function consequently decreases. Aside from being ineffective at combating new antigens, differentiated T-cells can worsen chronic inflammation in the body.
As I mentioned, this happens naturally with age, but a study has revealed that stress can accelerate the aging of the immune system. Specifically, the stress implicated here is social stress, which is a type of stress that results from a person’s social interactions. Some of the sources of social stress are work problems, job loss, relationship problems, loss of a loved one, discrimination, poor grades, trauma, financial strain, etc.
The study then accounted for certain factors to observe the influence on immune aging. From the results, diet and exercise are crucial in offsetting the accelerated immune aging linked with stress.
There are many facets to maintaining a proper diet. Some pointers I will recommend are reducing added sugars and overly salty foods, staying away from highly refined or processed foods, and avoiding raw or undercooked foods. On the other hand, you should incorporate more fruits into your diet, as well as foods like garlic, ginger, turmeric, and poultry.
As is the trend today, many people just want to use supplements to correct their poor diet. That will not do you any significant good, as supplements are only meant to complement a proper diet.
Additionally, avoid a sedentary lifestyle. The CDC recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise. You don’t necessarily have to go to a gym, as other activities like running, jogging, and swimming, will suffice if done regularly.
Also, you don’t have to go all 150 minutes once. Instead, you could do five 30-minute sessions weekly or three one-hour sessions. Just find what works for you.
Finally, getting vaccinated against cytomegalovirus (CMV) can reduce the stress-induced acceleration of immune aging. This is because the virus, although typically dormant in the body, can flare up in the presence of high stress.
This article was written by Dr. Adil Manzoor DO, a Board Certified Internist & Board Eligible Pediatrician, who works as a Hospitalist, and Emergency Room Physician. He is also the current President of Garden State Street Medicine, a non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to provide free preventive and acute urgent care services for the homeless. He is also the co-founder of his own unique medical practice Mobile Medicine NJ.
References
- https://www.technologynetworks.com/immunology/news/stress-may-accelerate-aging-of-the-immune-system-362597
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/07/18/stress-aging-immunity-connection/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/immunosenescence
- https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/foods-that-boost-the-immune-system
- https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/index.htm
