Lowering of immune defenses due to stress

Stress is not a good ally of the immune system, especially when it persists for several days or weeks. Here’s how to strengthen your immune defenses.

That situations of very intense or more modest stress, but prolonged for weeks or months, can damage the body on many fronts has been known for some time and confirmed by countless scientific studies that have tried to deepen the topic to identify the biological bases and develop strategies capable of preventing and counteracting the unfavorable effects of stress. Including its interference with the activity of the immune system.

The effects of stress on the immune system

Although it is a proven reality, to say that stress causes the lowering of the body’s natural defenses is a bit simplistic: the relationship between the stress response and the different components of the immune system is very complex and varied, to the point of still being largely unknown, despite decades of intense research.

What is certain is that being exposed to chronic physical and / or psychological stress, even if not particularly intense, tends to alter the number and type of white blood cells present in the blood and tissues and the quality / quantity of the defensive substances they produce (cytokines, interferons, etc.), leading to an overall impairment of the body’s ability to defend itself from external aggressions by viruses, bacteria and other pathogens.

In addition, it has been shown that acute and chronic stress alters the composition of microbial populations naturally present in the body (at the level of the intestine, skin, vaginal mucous membranes, urinary mucous membranes, mouth, etc.), to the detriment of the endogenous protective intestinal bacterial flora, promoting instead the multiplication and engraftment of pathogenic species (already present in small quantities in the microbiota itself or “intercepted” in the external environment).

In essence, this means that prolonged stress increases the risk of contracting infectious diseases, such as flu, colds and sore throats, when the viruses and bacteria responsible are more widespread (that is, in autumn-winter, when the first cold begins and there are temperature changes, and in the change of season), but also of having dry hair, brittle or falling and to encounter, at any time, alterations in the functionality of the intestine (constipation or diarrhea), Candida vaginitis and bacterial vaginosis, skin disorders (such as dermatitis) and inflammation of the mucous membranes.

Lowering of immune defenses due to stress: the causes

Although still known only in part and to be specified in detail, the lowering of immune defenses from stress seems to be primarily linked to a mechanism that calls into question the so-called “hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis”, ie the self-regulation system of cortisol production by the adrenal glands, controlled by neuroendocrine signals sent by structures present in the central nervous system (the hypothalamus and the pituitary).

Acute stress abruptly increases the production of cortisol in order to induce a state of alert at the physical and mental level that predisposes the body to react to a supposed danger, concentrating energy expenditure in support of immediately necessary functions (sight, hearing, smell, muscle activity, reflexes, etc.) and putting on stand-by those temporarily less important (hunger, thirst, digestion, sleep, etc.).

In the first 24 hours, stress does not seem to significantly affect the activity of the immune system. Subsequently, however, the increase in cortisol production has anti-inflammatory effects very similar to those of corticosteroid drugs (cortisone) taken to counteract, for example, severe or autoimmune chronic inflammatory diseases and intense pain (such as cancer pain). Among the effects of cortisone and cortisol, there is also that of modifying the composition of the populations of T lymphocytes present in the blood, inducing the decrease of the subgroup responsible for supporting the immune response directed to fight infections.

Paradoxically, prolonged stress also increases the risk of developing allergies, determined by unnecessary hyperactivity of the immune system towards harmless substances. Usually, this occurs when very strong stress is removed and cortisol production returns to baseline levels, depriving the body of the anti-inflammatory effect. In this phase, the cells of the immune system can reactivate in an abnormal way and react even to stimuli that do not constitute a real danger to the body, giving rise, especially in predisposed people, to allergic manifestations of various types (skin rashes, itching, urticaria, asthma, etc.) caused by an excessive production of IgE antibodies, which stimulate the release of histamine, the main mediator of allergic reactions.

The physical and mental symptoms of stress

Realizing that you are stressed is the first step to run for cover, eliminating as far as possible the causes and risk factors and intervening with strategies that can relieve tension and physical, mental and emotional fatigue. Unfortunately, in practice, noticing the stress experienced in first person is not so simple because often, especially in the case of chronic stress, the manifestations are very nuanced (for example a greater propensity to adopt unhealthy habits, such as sedentary lifestyle, smoking, alcohol consumption, etc. or appetite alterations and propensity to an unregulated diet). welfare.

A state of chronic stress should always be suspected when physical or mental symptoms are present for several days or weeks:

Physical symptoms	Mental symptoms
Weakness or physical fatigue	Mental fatigue
Sleep disorders (difficulty falling asleep, restless sleep and frequent awakenings during the night, unsatisfactory rest, early awakenings)	Difficulty concentrating and memory impairment
Muscle contractures and/or joint pain	Poor intellectual/work performance
Frequent attacks of headaches or low back pain	Reduced mood, up to states of depression or anxiety
Stomach disorders (gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, dyspepsia, nausea, etc.)	Irritability and nervousness
Alteration of intestinal transit (constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, worsening of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, etc.) associated with symptoms such as abdominal pain or swelling	Reduced sexual desire
Appearance of cold sores
In women, alteration of the menstrual cycle (changes in cycle duration and/or intensity of flow, worsening of PMS symptoms )

In addition, stress increases cardiovascular risk with possible increase in blood pressure and alteration of heart rhythm, or alteration of sugar metabolism with states of hyperglycemia and, relative increased risk of developing diabetes.

How to prevent the lowering of immune defenses from stress

The most effective way to prevent the lowering of immune defenses from stress is to avoid or remove factors that can promote or worsen states of tension on a mental and physical level.

To recognize them it is essential, first of all, to rationally analyze one’s professional and life context (work difficulties, economic problems, misunderstandings in the family environment, loneliness, etc.), but also to consider one’s attitude towards everyday situations in the most objective way possible. Often, it is enough to change the perspective with which we observe things, take the “right distance” from events and change our way of reacting to improve the level of well-being.

Although not easy to develop, this ability to “reorient” the vision of the world and one’s reactions in a more relaxed and positive sense is essential to protect oneself from stress, regardless of what its primary causes are, since the origin of stress cannot always be eliminated and rarely in life everything goes exactly as one would like. Some reason to feel pressured, irritated, frustrated or injured will always be present or ready to manifest itself and only by “training” not to be overwhelmed can unnecessary additional discomfort be avoided.

A sure source of psychoemotional and physical stress that everyone (not only those particularly sensitive on an emotional level) can experience are, for example, acute and chronic diseases, only partially preventable. Among the first, infections by viruses and bacteria, as well as antibiotic-based therapies, are the ones that cause significant fatigue of the body and require a great deal of reaction effort.

Can probiotics, vitamins and minerals help?

To deal with situations of psychophysical stress of any origin, the first intervention concerns lifestyle. In fact, the key remedies against stress, which also help strengthen the immune system, are:

• follow a healthy and balanced diet (limiting foods rich in saturated fats and cholesterol and preferring foods rich in important nutrients for the body, for example vitamins or mineral salts such as potassium, present in bananas or dried fruit)
• practice physical activity regularly without getting too tired
• sleep at least 6-7 hours a night trying to improve sleep quality
• take relaxing herbal teas
• carve out some time to relax and meditate throughout the day
• walk in the middle of the green
• Being in the company of pleasant people
• dedicate yourself as much as possible to your favorite activities.

If stress is associated with physical and mental fatigue, it is important to take:

• foods that give energy to muscles and brain (especially, complex carbohydrates obtained from whole grains, also rich in useful vitamins and minerals)
• B vitamins, essential to optimize the metabolism of sugars for energy purposes.

In this way, it also supports the proper functioning of the cells of the immune system to which a considerable commitment is required during the fight against infections caused by viruses and bacteria.

An adequate supply of iron is also important against stress fatigue, because this element is crucial for the transport of oxygen in the blood and to ensure the necessary supply to the brain, muscles and the rest of the body and its deficiency can cause states of anemia.

The organic stress caused by an infectious disease (for example a flu or respiratory tract infections with high fever) is particularly deleterious because, by weakening both the immune system and the body in general, it exposes the risk of relapses or other infections by viruses or bacteria immediately after recovery. If antibiotics have been taken, the lowering of the immune defenses from stress is added to the unfavorable destabilization of the intestinal flora, typically determined by these drugs.

Since the alteration of the intestinal microbiota leads to a further weakening of the immune system and the possible appearance of diarrhea and gastroenteritis, it is important to try to protect the endogenous microflora through a healthy diet and the intake of prebiotics, probiotics (commonly called live lactic acid bacteria) and yogurt . In addition, given that infectious diseases and fever lead to an acceleration of metabolism and an increased production of free radicals and other oxidizing compounds, it is advisable to increase the intake of micronutrients with antioxidant function, ie that protect cells from oxidative stress, such as vitamin C (present in fruits such as oranges and kiwis), vitamin E, vitamin B2, copper, manganese, selenium and zinc.

To do this, in addition to eating fresh fruits and vegetables in abundance (at least 5 servings a day), it may be useful to take supplements containing calibrated mixes of vitamins and minerals, which allow you to recover all the micronutrients essential for full efficiency of metabolism and for strengthening the immune system, in a balanced ratio. Special formulations of these supplements can be taken, under strict supervision of the doctor, even by a pregnant woman or a child.

Other “immunostimulant” vitamins that offer benefits for the immune system are those of group B (especially B6, folic acid and vitamin B12) and vitamin D (also important for bone health). Several studies have indicated that these micronutrients, together with zinc, copper and iron, are able to increase immune defenses and resistance to infections by acting on two fronts, stimulating both the T lymphocytes present in the blood and the cellular immune response at the mucous membrane level.