Studies have shown that exercise increases the populations of beneficial bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract by 40%. Exercising outside can also further increase your exposure to diverse ecosystems and other types of beneficial bacteria.
This is important because these bacteria, which include Lactobacilllus, Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia, contribute to our immune health by:
- Helping to maintain the lining of our gut (by effectively eating it), which encourages our cells to produce more, which both strengthens it and improves our immunity.
- Preventing harmful bacteria from colonizing in the large intestines, avoiding dysbiosis and disease
- Aiding the body in the efficient breakdown of food and absorption of nutrients - needed for a healthy immune system and overall health
Try to incorporate a brisk 30-minute walk at least 5 days a week into your routine to increase these levels of friendly bacteria - extra points for walking outside, where our immune systems are exposed to more diverse types of bacteria.
Extra points for having a dog and getting outside for walks with your pooch.
Some studies have found that owners of pets such as dogs and cats, have increased numbers of beneficial bacteria and decreased numbers of pathogenic bacteria in their gut.
Poor sleep can increase your susceptibility to certain types of illness, with studies showing that those who chronically get less than seven hours of sleep a night are three times more likely to develop the common cold compared to those who get 8 or more hours.
During sleep, your immune system releases specific proteins called cytokines, some of which help promote sleep.
The production of certain cytokines needs to be increased when you have an infection, inflammation, or when you’re under stress in order to help you fight this. Sleep deprivation may decrease production of these protective cytokines.
In addition, infection-fighting antibodies and cells are reduced during periods when you don't get enough sleep.
Xuxa Milrose,
Registered and Accredited Nutritional Therapist (mBANT, rCNHC, mANP)
Instagram @feedhappynutrition
TikTok @feedhappynutrition
REFERENCES
https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-023-17229-8
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5748737/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7356429/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11054101/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7352291/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9368618/
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/414701
Prather, A. A., Janicki-Deverts, D., Hall, M. H., & Cohen, S. (2015). Behaviorally Assessed Sleep and Susceptibility to the Common Cold. Sleep, 38(9), 1353–1359.
Besedovsky L, Lange T, Born J. Sleep and immune function. Pflugers Arch. 2012;463(1):121–37
