Immune balance and weight loss can go hand in hand
Posted Sep 26 2011 11:42am
It’s probably a common perception that if you are in need of significant weight loss, and you are successful in shedding those pounds in a healthy, sustainable fashion, your immune health will likely improve as well. In fact, weight loss can result in improved cardiovascular health, improved joint health, improved cognitive and emotional health, improved ocular health, improved dental health. Name your health condition…it’s probably in better shape if you’re not overweight.
But what about the converse? Can working to naturally improve immune function result in beneficial weight loss? It’s hard to say. But there may be some correlations. Take diet and exercise, for example. Both are important for immune health. Exercise can aid with production of antibodies and T-cells to fight infection. Research is also suggesting moderate exercise for immune health support. Extreme exercise can, at least temporarily, weaken immune function.
Healthy diet can influence gut microbiota–the balance of healthy bacteria in the digestive system. And sleep. Always important for immune health and stress reduction, which impacts immune health, too. Stress reduction can also impact release of “stress hormones” in the gut, which can contribute to mid-section girth and weight gain. One outlyer I’ve found, though, is the concept of colon cleansing for weight loss. The concept is that a colon cleanse will rid the intestinal tract of toxins that can inhibit healthy weight loss. Problem is, colon cleanses may also take out beneficial bacteria as well , leading to questionable health results, to say the least.
While I’ve not found any sizable clincial study showing a direct correlation between improved immune function and healthy levels of weight loss, to me, it appears to be a circular sequence. Many of the things that go into healthy weight loss…better nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress reduction…can contribute to a healthier, balanced immune system as well. And vice versa.
It’s probably a common perception that if you are in need of significant weight loss, and you are successful in shedding those pounds in a
healthy, sustainable fashion, your immune health will likely improve as well. In fact, weight loss can result in improved cardiovascular health, improved joint health, improved cognitive and emotional health, improved ocular health, improved dental health. Name your health condition…it’s probably in better shape if you’re not overweight.
But what about the converse? Can working to naturally improve immune function result in beneficial weight loss? It’s hard to say. But there may be some correlations. Take diet and exercise, for example. Both are important for immune health. Exercise can aid with production of antibodies and T-cells to fight infection. Research is also suggesting moderate exercise for immune health support. Extreme exercise can, at least temporarily, weaken immune function.
Healthy diet can influence gut microbiota–the balance of healthy bacteria in the digestive system. And sleep. Always important for immune health and stress reduction, which impacts immune health, too. Stress reduction can also impact release of “stress hormones” in the gut, which can contribute to mid-section girth and weight gain. One outlyer I’ve found, though, is the concept of colon cleansing for weight loss. The concept is that a colon cleanse will rid the intestinal tract of toxins that can inhibit healthy weight loss. Problem is, colon cleanses may also take out beneficial bacteria as well , leading to questionable health results, to say the least.
While I’ve not found any sizable clincial study showing a direct correlation between improved immune function and healthy levels of weight loss, to me, it appears to be a circular sequence. Many of the things that go into healthy weight loss…better nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress reduction…can contribute to a healthier, balanced immune system as well. And vice versa.