A Healthy Immune System

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well –Psalm 139:14.

We live in a world full of bacteria and viruses. It is estimated that there are 100 trillion bacteria in the average human body. This is a huge number and one that I can’t wrap my mind around. Normally, these bacteria aren’t toxic until they get out of balance or get to a place where they are not intended to be. God has made us in such a way that our bodies have immune capabilities that are amazing.

Antibody-making cells and T cells float around our blood streams like sentinels, waiting for foreign cells or toxins to appear. A simple activity, like brushing your teeth or getting a scratch on your arm, can release bacteria into your blood stream. If it wasn’t for our God-given immune systems, those bacteria could attach to different tissues and cause serious infections.

It is important that we understand some about our immune system and think about ways in which we can help it function better.

In the Beginning

After He finished, …God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good… –Genesis 1:31. This doesn’t just mean that it looked beautiful, although it did. It also means at that point in time all of Creation was working together. There were no pathogenic bacteria and no harmful viruses. Adam and Eve were created perfectly and did not require antibiotics or probiotics to fight off infections.

Before the Fall, there was no need for an immune system the way we need it today. Most likely, the immune system of that era probably served more like a disposal system, getting rid of cells that needed to be cleaned up.

After the Fall, everything was different. Bacteria and viruses began to be “pathogenic” or disease-causing.

Components of Our Immune Systems

When people think of the immune system, they mostly think of cells that make antibodies. These are a very important part of our bodies’ defenses, but there are also many others.

a. Skin…

Our first line of defense against many infections is our skin. Having our body covered with an intact coating of skin with healthy bacteria on its surface can prevent unhealthy organisms from getting into the tissue underneath the skin and even into the blood stream.

I have seen plenty of severe infections that followed incidents during which the skin was broken. Anything from stepping on a nail to a dog bite can lead to infection.

b. Lymphatic System…

When we think about our circulation, the first thing that comes to mind is the blood system with veins, arteries, and the heart. There is another system, called the lymphatic system, that is charged with carrying infection-fighting blood cells throughout the body and getting rid of toxic materials.

There are little filtration areas along this system called lymph nodes that swell up when dealing with infections. Often when someone has an upper respiratory infection, they will notice that the lymph glands in their neck swell up. This is a sign that the immune system is doing what it is supposed to.

c. Bone Marrow/Spleen…

The bone marrow makes infection-fighting cells. Many of these cells are stored in the spleen which acts as a huge filter for the blood. When the body detects any type of infection, these infection-fighting cells are released into the blood stream and into the lymphatic system to fight off the bacteria or virus which is causing that infection.

Thus, people who are missing their spleen have an increased risk for certain types of infection.

d. Immune Cells…

The “soldiers” of our immune system are: white blood cells, B cells (which make antibodies), and T cells. These are the cells that respond to any invasion of our body.

e. Complement System…

This is a system that many people do not know as much about. This system includes the liver, which makes small proteins that help immune cells perform better and causes antibodies to be more effective. These proteins are floating around in an inactive state until there is a sign of infection, then certain enzymes activate them to be ready to help with an infection-fighting response.

Things that Damage our Immune Systems

There are a number of things that weaken our immune systems and make them less able to respond to infections. In fact, all of these things contribute to stunting our bodies’ defenses.

1. A poor diet
2. Bad sleep patterns
3. Certain medications (particularly steroids)
4. Poorly controlled diabetes (or any other debilitating illness)

Additionally, high levels of anxiety release stress hormones into the body that can lead to poor immunity.

Attempting to eliminate these things is a start, but we should also make certain to replace them with a healthy lifestyle. Many of the things that make our immune systems stronger are obvious, but that doesn’t mean we are always good at doing these things. We may have developed unhealthy habits or perhaps we were never taught certain healthy lifestyle choices.

Eat the Right Foods

There is no one specific food or juice we can consume that will push us towards a healthy ideal. Rather we need to have a mixture of healthy foods which we eat and unhealthy ones which we limit.

The first thing I think about when it comes to “the right foods,” is antioxidants. Antioxidants are chemicals that bind up damaging molecules in our bodies called “free radicals.” Too many free radicals can lead to all sorts of diseases, including diabetes and cancer. Of course, other parts of our bodies, such as our immune system, don’t function as well in this situation either.

Foods that are high in added nitrates, like cured meats, tend to greatly increase these free radicals and should be avoided.

Eating lots of fruits and vegetables really helps to naturally increase our vitamin levels (particularly Vitamin C). Eating healthy fats (those high in omega-3 fatty acids) and avoiding unhealthy ones (those high in saturated fat) probably also positively impact our ability to fight infection.

Get Adequate (Good) Sleep

Studies have looked at the risk of catching the common cold and found that people who slept less were more likely to catch colds. The cutoff point seemed to be around six hours for adults (it is probably more for teens and children).¹

This makes sense since our bodies heal the most when we are sleeping. If you are waking up feeling unrested, it is important to figure out why. Things like simply not sleeping long enough, poor sleep hygiene (such as going to sleep thinking about worries, or working right up until bedtime), and sleep apnea can all cause sleep that is not restorative to our bodies.

God made our bodies with a need to rest, and He made a day for that purpose. If nothing else, this is the message of the Sabbath Day (see Exodus 20:8-11).

Consider Probiotics

In the 1800s, men like Joseph Lister and Louis Pasteur pushed forward the germ theory of disease. They believed that bacteria (at that time they didn’t yet know about viruses) were the causes behind many diseases. This led to Joseph Lister pioneering the sterilization of surgical instruments.

In the years since, we have concluded that not all bacteria are “pathogenic” or disease-causing. Many of the bacteria on our skin and in our digestive tract are good bacteria. These good bacteria aid with digestion and protect us from the pathogenic (or bad) bacteria moving in to cause us problems.

Probiotics are found in yogurt and kefir, plus many other foods. Probiotics can also be taken as supplements via capsules or drops.

One study gave 326 children probiotics or a placebo during the cold season. The children who were receiving the probiotics had significantly fewer respiratory illnesses and fevers during those six months.²

People who include these foods in their diet and take some probiotic supplements tend to be healthier and have stronger immune systems.

Cut Down on Sugar Intake

We know that obesity and uncontrolled diabetes increase the risk of infections, both minor and severe. It seems that when there is too much sugar floating around in the blood stream, it gives bad bacteria the nutrients they need to grow quickly, and it causes immune systems to not function as well.

When white blood cells are surrounded by lots of sugar, they are less able to perform “phagocytosis” (the process of swallowing) and they are less able to prevent the invasion of bad bacteria or viruses.³

We may have difficulty cutting all sugar out of our diet, but limiting it seems to make a big difference with regard to how well our bodies can fight off infection.

Exercise Regularly

It probably goes without saying but waiting until you feel like you have a cold coming on and then rushing out to run three miles is probably not going to be helpful. In fact, it could make you feel a lot worse as you deal with a body that is unused to exercise, which is also dealing with an infection.

The key here is moderation. Extreme high levels of activity, like that of performance athletes preparing for a big race or event, seem to increase the risk of infections. However, moderate levels of exercising 30 minutes per day for five days a week is good advice to follow so we can condition our bodies so we will have healthy hearts as well as other healthy systems to protect us from those unseen outside invaders.

Cut Down on Stress

“Dear God…
Grant me the [grace] to accept the things I cannot change,
[the] courage to change the things [that] I can,
and [the] wisdom to know the difference.”

Chronic elevation of stress hormones is harmful for our bodies. Stress hormones increase blood pressure and pulse rate. They push up blood sugars and tend to increase inflammatory responses in our bodies.⁴

Basically, stress hormones do all of the necessary things within your body to prepare you if the situation should arise that you would need to run away from serious danger, such as a charging grizzly bear. However, this high of a level of stress hormones isn’t particularly helpful when it comes to dealing with a child’s health problem, or the family’s financial difficulty.

Every one of us has dealt with worry at one time or another. Yet, living in a chronic state of worry is not healthy, nor is it a place where God wants to see His people living. From a Christian standpoint, our goal must be to give these concerns to God. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you –I Peter 5:7. We don’t need to live with anxiety and all of the negative changes it can inflict on our physical health.

Spend Time Outdoors

When people think of sunlight, they mainly seem to think about Vitamin D.

It is true that Vitamin D is produced when our skin is exposed to sunlight, but sun exposure actually does much more. For example, sunlight seems to get our immune cells functioning in top condition to fight infections. Basically, T cells move much faster and more effectively when they have exposure to sunlight.⁵ Also, sun exposure increases nitric oxide levels in our bodies. This helps dilate blood vessels, lower blood pressure, and is a heart healthy chemical.

As with all the things I have mentioned, moderation is the key. Overexposure in the hot sun can cause sun stroke, and too much ultraviolet light is damaging to our skin cells, which can lead to burns and even skin cancers.

Targeted Supplements

Supplements can be helpful to fill in the gaps in our diet or places where our bodies are simply not absorbing as much of something as they should.

Vitamin D is one that jumps to my mind as we know that low Vitamin D levels increase the risk of severe infections. Our bodies don’t really know where the Vitamin D comes from. While it is probably best to get this from a combination of food and sun exposure, including supplements of Vitamin D may be helpful for older people or for anyone who has trouble achieving this.⁶

Zinc has been shown (short term) to reduce duration of colds. I would caution here that it isn’t really meant to be taken every day, but more should be taken at the first symptom of an upper respiratory infection coming on. This isn’t a miracle supplement and in studies it only reduced cold symptom duration by about one day.⁷

Vitamin C is another thing that many take when they feel colds coming on. Studies seem to indicate that it is well tolerated and effective.⁸ It is probably best to get most of your Vitamin C from your diet and only to introduce extra Vitamin C when you feel infection symptoms coming on.

There are many other supplements that people take; these are just three of the more common ones.

God made our bodies with multiple different systems. These systems heal injuries, maintain our body, and protect it from a world damaged by the introduction of sin at the Fall of man, in the Garden of Eden. We are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made. These systems work without our even thinking about them.

It is important that we are conscious of ways in which we can help, and not impede, these wonderfully designed cells and structures that prevent damaging organisms from entering our bodies and causing infection. It isn’t that healthy living or being a child of God will prevent us from ever getting sick, but rather that making a conscious decision to follow the right path will improve our body’s function. I believe that if we are healthy, it will make it easier for us to fulfil our mission—to reach the world around us with the Gospel message.