Stress, Inflammation, and Your Immune System

stress and immunity

We know that bacteria, viruses, parasites, and other harmful organisms can attack our immune system, resulting in infections and diseases. Although these factors are microscopic, they are somewhat tangible: they can be seen. But what about things we can’t see, like stress and internal chronic inflammation? What can they do to your immunity?

Meet the menace

“Chronic stress weakens your immune system,” notes board-certified clinical nutritionist and metabolic and integrative medicine expert James B. LaValle, R.Ph, CCN. Not only that, it also “creates more sick days at work, you gain weight, and it disrupts your sleep.” Stress is clearly a menace to be reckoned with, but there’s more.

Stress is also a significant factor in the development of inflammation, a condition that is integral in countless numbers of infections and diseases as well as depression. In fact, researchers have explained that “accumulating evidence suggested that excessive inflammation plays critical roles in the pathophysiology of the stress-related diseases.” The list of stress-related conditions is notable and ranges from autoimmune disorders to obesity, dementia, heart disease, hypertension, sleep disorders, ulcers and other digestive issues, chronic pain, and more.

Read about 7 foods that fight chronic inflammation

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Stress and inflammation

Inflammation plays an important role in repairing and regenerating your tissues, and this involves an inflammatory signaling process. When you are experiencing chronic stress, such as working late, eating junk food, not getting enough sleep, suffering with constant pain, or worrying about finances, your body is caught in a cycle of inflammatory signaling. Dr. LaValle calls this “metaflammation,” or metabolic inflammation, a state of being that leads to inflam-aging, which is when inflammation is damaging your tissues and speeds up the aging process.

Dr. LaValle explains that “inflammation is the production of compounds, mostly by your immune system, that end up promoting this response of trying to repair something, but it gets stuck.” The result is tissue damage, rising stress and anxiety, and situations such as high blood pressure, elevated blood glucose, and rapid heart rate.

Taming the menace

You can tame stress and inflammation and help bring your immune function back to a state of stability and health by practicing certain lifestyle habits. Here are several you are encouraged to adopt into your routine.

Box breathing. This simple yet effective breathing technique has been shown to calm the mind, reduce stress, and improve focus. Practice the following routine several times a day for several minutes for best results.

  • Inhale through your nose to a count of four.
  • Hold your breath for a count of four.
  • Release your breath through your mouth to the count of four.
  • Count to four before inhaling again and repeating the cycle.

Sleep. Adequate, restful sleep for 7 to 8 hours every night is one of the most overlooked ways to support immune health and reduce inflammation. While unmanaged or uncontrolled stress is often a cause of sleeplessness, the Sleep Foundation reports that getting enough sleep also provides stress relief, regulates blood sugar, improves mental function and mood, restores immune function, and promotes a healthy heart.

Read about aged garlic extract, AGE for a healthier you

Aged garlic extract. Numerous studies have demonstrated that aged garlic extract has a positive impact on immune function. For example, one study indicated that individuals who took AGE supplements showed improved immune cell function and that “the immune system functions well with AGE supplementation, perhaps with less accompanying inflammation.” In a more recent clinical trial, obese individuals who took AGE for six weeks showed improvements in immune function. The authors concluded that use of aged garlic extract consistently might help prevent “development of chronic diseases associated with low-grade inflammation” in this population.

Plant sterols and sterolins. Plant sterols and sterolins are compounds in plants that when combined in clinically specific ratio of 100:1 are structurally similar to cholesterol and have an ability to help balance immune function by providing it with nutrients necessary for this goal. These factors help boost an underactive immune response or moderate an overactive one.

GABA. Gamma-aminobutyric acid is an amino acid that works in the brain as an inhibitory neurotransmitter, which means it can block or inhibit brain signals. When the amino acid attaches to a receptor in the brain, it promotes calm and can help with stress, anxiety, feelings of fear, and sleep issues. In one cross-over, placebo-controlled study, adults exposed to mental stress and who took 100 mg GABA showed alleviated response to stress based on brain wave analysis.

B vitamins. Although all of the B vitamins are involved at some level with stress, mood, and energy, three in particular are important when it comes to stress and immune function. Vitamin B1 is important for regulation of blood glucose levels. Spikes and declines in blood glucose can result in anxiety and brain fog. Vitamin B6 regulates levels of serotonin and norepinephrine, both of which have an impact on mood, mental stability, and how you cope with stress. Vitamin B12 supports and promotes a healthy nervous system, which also have an effect on levels of the stress hormone, cortisol.

Bottom line

Stress and inflammation are a menace to healthy immune system functioning. You can adopt a wide variety of helpful habits that support and promote optimal immunity, including the use of specific supplements such as aged garlic extract, plant sterols, certain B vitamins, and GABA. These ingredients are available as a combined supplement that works synergistically to promote immune function.

[Editor's Note: Wakunaga of America has a full line of aged garlic extract products to address a number of health concerns as well as plant sterols and sterolins called Moducare.]

Sources
Bouic PJ, Lamprecht JH. Plant sterols and sterolins: a review of their immune-modulating properties. Alternative Medicine Review 1999 Jun; 4(3):170-7.
Liu YZ et al. Inflammation: The common pathway of stress-related diseases. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2017 Jun 20; 11:316.
Maydych V. The interplay between stress, inflammation, and emotional attention: Relevance for depression. Frontiers in Neuroscience 2019 Apr 24; 13:384.
Percival SS. Aged garlic extract modifies human immunity. Journal of Nutrition 2016 Feb; 146(2):433S-436S.
Summer J. Eight health benefits of sleep. The Sleep Foundation 2022 Apr 15
What is box breathing? WebMD 2021 Apr 8
Xu C et al. Aged garlic extract supplementation modifies inflammation and immunity of adults with obesity: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN 2018 Apr; 24:148-55.
Yoto A et al. (2012). Oral intake of gamma-aminobutyric acid affects mood and activities of central nervous system during stressed condition induced by mental tasks. Amino Acids 2012; 43:1331-37
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Lisa Roth Collins, RHN
Lisa Roth Collins is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist (RHN) and is the Marketing Manager at NaturallySavvy.com. She is passionate about health and wellness and tries her best to make healthier choices every day for herself and her family. Her journey to natural health was driven by her own struggles with digestive discomfort, depression, and anxiety. Lisa returned to school in 2014 to study nutrition at the Canadian School for Natural Nutrition. She threw herself into her studies so she could learn as much as she could to help herself feel better and thrive. Upon completing the program and being certified as an RHN, Lisa began her work at Naturally Savvy where she has been able to help so many people learn to make healthier choices for themselves. Through her work, she has connected with so many incredible people in the industry whether other authors, influencers, or brands. Plus, she is affectionately known as "Techie Spice" because of her ability to wrap her head around technology. Every day she gets up with a renewed sense of energy and ready to make a difference. You can read all of Lisa's content here. In her spare time, Lisa loves to try new recipes, make delicious and nourishing meals, and she is an avid reader. For more information about Lisa, check out her profile on here.