Scientific basis for improving immunity

The current consensus in the global immunology and nutrition circles is that there is no special method that can "quickly increase" immunity. The core of all clinically proven and effective immunity enhancement programs is to maintain the homeostasis of the immune system and optimize the proliferation and response efficiency of immune cells through four controllable factors: nutritional intake, work and rest rhythm, exercise intensity, and psychological state. There are obvious individual differences in the effects.

In the past two years, I teamed up with colleagues from the nutrition department of a community hospital to conduct a six-month follow-up on herd immunity for the elderly, tracking 120 elderly people aged 60 to 75. The final data was quite interesting, and it just happened to clarify several controversial points that are currently hotly debated on the Internet.

For example, what everyone is most concerned about now: Can taking supplements such as vitamins and protein powder improve immunity? The two groups have been arguing for many years. The nutritionists say it is "useful" if your daily dietary intake is insufficient, while the kinesiology community says it is "useless" if you eat normally and supplement it. Our follow-up data just confirms both sides: Uncle Li, who lives alone in Building 3, eats boiled noodles with pickles, and his protein and vitamin intake does not even reach half of the recommended amount. We gave him multivitamins + whey protein powder for three months. In half a year, the number of colds dropped from the previous four to one, and the level of immunoglobulin G in his body increased by 22%. Aunt Zhang, who lives in the same community, has a very regular diet. She eats one pound of vegetables and half a pound of eggs and milk every day. She also took vitamin C supplements for three months. Compared with the control group who did not take supplements, her influenza infection rate and immune indicators were almost the same. To put it bluntly, supplements are something to "check for leaks and fill in the gaps." If you have a sufficient diet, no matter how much you eat, it will not make your immune cells extra strong. Excessive supplementation may also increase the burden on your liver and kidneys.

It’s quite interesting to say that during our follow-up, we found that the effect that is much more obvious than supplements is actually everyone’s sleeping habits. Immunology research at Stanford University in 2021 has confirmed that for people who sleep less than 5 hours a day for 7 consecutive days, the activity of natural killer cells in the body - the "immune special police" responsible for killing viruses and mutated cells - will directly decrease by 30%, which is equivalent to directly cutting the combat effectiveness of the immune system by one-third. There is a ready-made example around me. My friend Xiao Zhou, who is an e-commerce operator, usually goes to the gym every day and is as strong as an ox. Last year, he stayed through Double 11 for 8 days in a row, sleeping only 3 or 4 hours a day. He just caught up with the flu wave and had pneumonia and was hospitalized for a week. He said that he collapsed after being blown by the cold wind for two minutes that day, which was impossible before.

Oh, by the way, when it comes to exercise, this is also a controversial issue. Some people say that "exercise is the best immunity booster", while others say that "exercise will reduce immunity." In fact, both statements are correct, it depends on the intensity. There is a "window theory" in exercise physiology, that is, after more than 90 minutes of high-intensity exercise, the body will have a "low immune period" for about 72 hours. The immune cells are in a state of exhaustion, and viruses and bacteria can easily sneak in. Last time our company organized a half marathon, several young men who usually pumped iron every day caught colds within two days of running, and they fell into this trap. The optimal intensity currently recognized by academic circles is 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, such as brisk walking, jogging, and cycling, with just a little sweating. At this intensity, it can promote the circulation of immune cells and improve response efficiency. Those aunties who regularly danced square dances three times a week in our follow-up did have about 40% less chance of catching a cold than those who sit at home every day.

Many people don't take emotions seriously, but this is actually the most "metaphysical" variable in our follow-up but with the largest data discrepancy. A study published in "The Lancet Psychiatry" in 2022 found that people who have been in a state of anxiety and stress for a long time have pro-inflammatory factor levels in their bodies that are 27% higher than ordinary people. This is equivalent to constantly sending false alarms to the immune system, causing immune cells to "work overtime" when nothing is wrong. Over time, they will naturally be consumed quickly, and they will not have the energy to work when they encounter a virus. I once met a girl who was in her senior year of high school. She was usually in good health. She had colds and fevers repeatedly three months before the college entrance examination. Her immune indicators were all normal. She was just too stressed and cried every day. Later, she traveled for half a month after the college entrance examination. She didn’t take any medicine and she never had any problems again.

I also tried it when I was working on a project two years ago. I stayed up for more than half a month. I took 3 vitamin C pills a day and ate oranges every day to avoid catching a cold, but I still suffered from fever for 3 days. Later, I postponed some of my work and made sure to get 7 hours of sleep every day, take a half-hour walk downstairs, eat normally, and didn’t take any supplements. I haven’t had a cold in more than half a year.

To put it bluntly, the higher the immunity, the better. If it is too high, it will attack your own normal cells and cause autoimmune diseases such as lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid. The key is "stability". Those products that claim to boost your immunity in 7 days and cure all diseases basically charge an IQ tax. If such a thing existed, organ transplant doctors would have been worried to death - after all, the biggest fear after a transplant is rejection due to too strong immunity. If you really don’t know how to adjust, just sleep 7 hours a day, eat a pound of vegetables and half a pound of eggs and milk, and go out for a half-hour walk three or four days a week. It is more reliable than any expensive supplement.