Latest news with #immuneSystem
News.com.au
13 hours ago
- Health
- News.com.au
Expert debunks podcast bro's wild health claim about getting sick
If you've ever been irritated by the fact that just about anyone can start a podcast with little to no credentials, this is going to rub you the wrong way. When it comes to health information, it's all too easy to fall into the trap of listening to a fit-looking 'gym guy' behind a microphone, telling you what you should or shouldn't do for your wellbeing. Recently, a clip has been making the rounds on TikTok feeds of fitness and health enthusiasts. It shows a man named Brad Davidson (also known as @fitnesscoachbrad), who tells his podcast audience that if you're never getting sick, it means your immune system is suppressed, usually from stress. While he might be a pro at making a punchy hook to grab our attention (wait, if you're not getting sick, your immune system is bad?!), he's not a doctor. According to his Instagram, Fitness Coach Brad is indeed just a fitness coach named Brad. Mr Davidson says: 'I really started seeing this when working with CEOs. They just go, go, go. And they're never sick, right? They grind until they go on vacation, and as soon as the stress levels come down and the immune system gets more active – boom! It hits them like a ton of bricks. 'So the stress system is very involved. As cortisol elevates, the immune system dampens. As cortisol comes down, the immune system gets more active. And that's because it's supposed to. It's built around sleep-wake cycles.' If you're thinking his buzzwordy 'theory' sounds a bit off, you're not wrong. To set the record straight, we spoke to Dr Zac, a leading Australian GP. 'Yes, stress increases levels of cortisol – your body's main stress hormone – and short-term spikes in cortisol can temporarily suppress your immune response,' Dr Zac tells But here's the catch. 'This suppression may last hours or a few days at most, which means symptoms of illness might be delayed, not prevented,' he continues. 'So if you suddenly feel unwell once you hit the beach, it may just be the timing catching up with you.' Then this is where the TikTok logic really falls apart. Mr Davidson applies this idea to long-term stress, such as that faced by his slew of CEO clients who just 'go go go' all the time – and that is a misrepresentation of the science. 'Chronic stress – the kind that builds up over weeks or months – doesn't keep you 'safe' from getting sick. In fact, it does the opposite,' Dr Zac explains. 'Prolonged high cortisol levels actually lead to a weakened immune system, leaving you more prone to infections and rebound inflammation.' So basically, the idea that 'you never get sick because your immune system is suppressed' is completely backwards. 'If you rarely get sick, it's not because your immune system is broken,' Dr Zac says, 'it's probably because it's functioning well and is properly regulated.' As we suspected. 'The video gets it wrong as it fails to distinguish between short-term stress responses and long-term stress exposure, making the overall claim misleading.' Studies back this up, like this one that looked at the effects of stress on immune function and showed that long-term stress suppresses and dysregulates immune responses. Another study also proved that acute stress can temporarily strengthen immunity, but in contrast, chronic stress inhibits immune functions. And this study went a step further and showed that chronic stress not only suppresses immune function, but increases a person's susceptibility to cancer. So, long story short: take the podcast bro's 'health advice' with a very big grain of salt. And by that, we mean – do your own research or speak to a professional.
Health Line
7 days ago
- Health
- Health Line
Tips for Avoiding Dangerous Allergic Reactions
The best way to prevent an allergic reaction is to know your triggers and avoid them whenever possible. It's also important to carry epinephrine and know what to do if you have a reaction. The job of your immune system is to protect you from outside invaders like viruses and bacteria. But your immune system sometimes produces antibodies in response to substances that are not harmful at all, such as certain foods or medications. This immune system response to a usually harmless irritant or allergen is called an allergic reaction. Most allergies are not severe — they're just annoying. Common symptoms include itchy or watery eyes, sneezing, and a runny nose. Avoiding allergic reactions The only sure way to prevent a severe allergic reaction is to completely avoid your triggers. This may sound like a nearly impossible task, but there are several ways to reduce your risk. The steps you can take to protect yourself depend on the type of allergy you have. The most common severe allergies are those to: insect bites and stings foods medications Avoiding insect bites and stings When you're allergic to insect venom, outdoor activities can become stressful. Here are some tips to help prevent bites and stings: Avoid wearing fragrant perfumes, deodorants, and lotions. Always wear shoes when walking outdoors. Avoid drinking soda from a can since insects can become trapped inside. Avoid wearing bright, patterned clothing. Cover food when eating outside. Avoiding medication reactions Always tell your doctor and pharmacist about any drug allergies you have. If you have a penicillin allergy, they might tell you to avoid taking similar antibiotics, such as amoxicillin (Moxatag). If the drug is necessary — such as a contrast dye for a CT scan — your doctor might prescribe a corticosteroid or antihistamines before administering the drug. Certain types of drugs are more likely to cause severe allergic reactions, including: Avoiding food reactions Avoiding food allergens can be difficult if you don't prepare everything you eat yourself. When at a restaurant, ask detailed questions about the ingredients in the food, and don't be afraid to ask for substitutions. When buying packaged food, read labels carefully. Most packaged foods now have warnings on the label if they contain common allergens. When eating at a friend's house, be sure to tell them about any food allergies ahead of time. Common food allergies Many common food allergens can cause severe reactions in certain people. Some of them are used as ingredients in a wide variety of foods. Examples include: milk eggs soy wheat Other foods can be dangerous because of the risk of cross contamination, which occurs when foods come into contact with an allergen before you consume them. Potential sources of cross contamination include: fish shellfish peanuts tree nuts Anaphylaxis Anaphylaxis is a life threatening allergic reaction that can occur immediately after you're exposed to an allergen. It affects your whole body. Various tissues throughout your body release histamines and other chemicals, causing dangerous symptoms such as: narrowed airways and difficulty breathing a sudden drop in blood pressure shock swelling of your face or tongue vomiting or diarrhea chest pain heart palpitations slurred speech loss of consciousness Risk factors Though anaphylaxis is hard to predict, certain risk factors can increase your risk of a severe allergic reaction, including: a history of anaphylaxis a history of allergies or asthma a family history of severe allergic reactions If you've had a severe reaction at least once, you're more likely to experience anaphylaxis in the future. Other ways to stay safe Avoiding any known triggers is the best way to prevent severe allergic reactions, but they may sometimes occur despite your best efforts. Here are some ways to help yourself in the event of a severe allergic reaction: Make sure friends and family know about your allergies and know what to do in an emergency. Wear a medical ID bracelet that lists your allergies. Never participate in outdoor activities alone if you have a severe insect allergy. Carry an epinephrine auto-injector or a bee sting kit at all times. Put 911 on speed dial and keep your phone with you. Takeaway Knowing your allergy triggers and avoiding them as much as possible is the best way to reduce your risk of a severe allergic reaction. However, depending on your allergy type, you might not always be able to avoid allergen exposure. It's important that you know how to use epinephrine and carry it with you at all times. You also need to tell people about your allergies and ensure that your loved ones and others you spend time with know how to help you if you have a reaction.
Health Line
7 days ago
- Health
- Health Line
Cold and Flu Home Remedies
There is no cure for a cold or the flu, but a bowl of chicken soup or a cup of hot ginger tea with honey can help manage the symptoms. Some home remedies, such as vitamin C, may slightly reduce the length of time you are sick. Body aches, fever, chills, and nasal congestion can make you feel miserable. While home remedies can't cure a cold or the flu, they can help relieve symptoms — such as body aches, fever, chills, nasal congestion — during your recovery. But, if symptoms don't improve or you have trouble breathing, rapid heartbeat, faintness, or any severe symptoms, it's best to seek medical help. Here, find out what cold and flu remedies you can try at home. 1. Chicken soup There is no scientific proof that chicken soup can cure a cold or flu or speed up recovery, but its ingredients contain nutrients that support your immune system. It's also a comforting food that provides hydration and may help you feel better overall. There is also some evidence that the nutrients in chicken soup may slow the movement of neutrophils in your body. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that helps protect your body from infection. When they're moving slowly, they stay more concentrated in the areas of your body that most need them. This may contribute to healing. Try this recipe for chicken soup. You'll need chicken, carrots, celery, and an onion. Alternatively, consider bone broth, which may also have health benefits. If you're using canned soup, opt for low sodium soup varieties. 4. Garlic Garlic contains the compound allicin, which has antimicrobial and possibly antiviral properties. Adding garlic to your diet might reduce the severity of cold symptoms. According to some research, it might even help you avoid getting sick in the first place. More research is needed into the potential cold-fighting benefits of garlic, but adding more garlic to your diet probably won't hurt. Can you eat raw garlic? 5. Echinacea Native Americans have long used the herb and root of the echinacea plant for medicinal purposes. Its active ingredients include flavonoids, chemicals that have many therapeutic effects on the body. For example, flavonoids can boost your immune system and reduce inflammation. Evidence indicates echinacea may help prevent a cold but is unlikely to shorten it. One 2020 study suggests that taking echinacea may help treat common cold symptoms in children. 6. Vitamin C Vitamin C is an antioxidant that plays many important roles in your body, including supporting the immune system. Good dietary sources of vitamin C include: citrus fruits red peppers green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli Adding fresh lemon juice to hot tea with honey may reduce phlegm when you're sick. Drinking hot or cold lemonade may also help. Vitamin C in the diet or as supplements is unlikely to prevent a cold, but some evidence suggests it may improve symptoms and may slightly shorten the time a cold lasts. Can vitamin C prevent or cure a cold? 7. Probiotics Probiotics are 'friendly' bacteria and yeast that are present in your body, some foods, and supplements. They can help keep your gut and immune system healthy and may reduce your chance of getting sick with an upper respiratory infection, as well as how long the infection lasts. However, more studies are needed. Probiotic yogurt may benefit your immune system as well as providing protein and calcium. Look for products that list live bacteria on the label. 8. Salt water gargle Gargling with salt water may help prevent upper respiratory infections. It may also decrease the severity of cold symptoms, for instance, by easing sore throat pain and nasal congestion. A saltwater gargle can reduce and loosen mucus, which contains bacteria and allergens. To try this remedy at home: Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in a full glass of water. Swish it around your mouth and throat. Spit it out. What other uses are there for a saltwater gargle? 9. Saline nasal irrigation Using a saline spray or a neti pot may help relieve nasal congestion with a cold, and it might help with some symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection. However, be sure to use only distilled, sterile, or previously boiled and cooled water and to wash a neti pot thoroughly between uses. Not doing so could introduce microbes that could lead to potentially serious infections. 10. Topical ointments Ointments containing camphor, eucalyptus oil, and menthol, such as VapoRub, may reduce a nighttime cough. One or two dabs before bed can help open air passages and help improve: congestion sleep coughing Use it up to 3 times in every 24 hours. VapoRub is not suitable for children under 2 years, and ask your doctor before using it on older children. 11. Essential oils Some essential oils can help manage the symptoms of a cold, flu, and other respiratory conditions. This is due to their microbial, pain-relieving, or anti-inflammatory properties. Examples include: eucalyptus peppermint (menthol) Frankincense thyme tea tree Use a diffuser or add a few drops of essential oil to a warm bath. How can essential oils help when you have the flu? While research suggests there are health benefits, the FDA doesn't monitor or regulate the purity or quality of essential oils. It's important to talk with a healthcare professional before you begin using essential oils and be sure to research the quality of a brand's products. Always do a patch test before trying a new essential oil. 12. Humidity Increased humidity may help reduce dryness and inflammation in the nose and throat. A humidifier in your bedroom or elsewhere in your home may help you feel more comfortable. Adding a few drops of eucalyptus oil might also help relieve congestion. For the same effect without a humidifier, take a long shower or linger in a steamy bathroom. Remember, the water used in humidifiers needs to be changed daily to stop mold and other fungi from growing. Also, when it comes to children, it is safer to use a cool-mist humidifier. 13. Elderberry Some studies suggest that elderberry supplements may help relieve the symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections and flu. However, more research is needed. 14. Warm baths Sometimes, you can reduce a child's fever by giving them a warm — but not hot — sponge bath. Warm baths may also help reduce cold and flu symptoms in adults. Can you treat a cold with a detox bath? 15. Boost your immune system Boosting your immune system probably won't help if you already have the flu, but it can protect you from other bouts and more severe symptoms in the long term. Tips include: getting at least 7 hours of sleep at night following a varied and nutritious diet getting regular exercise follow guidelines for flu vaccinations Optum Perks is owned by RVO Health. By clicking on this link, we may receive a commission. Learn more.
Medscape
09-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Study Reveals Malaria Parasite's Secrets
Malaria parasites can hide in people's bodies for years or even decades without causing symptoms by shutting down the genes that make them visible to the immune system, a new report found. This discovery explains how people can remain infected years after developing malaria and spread the disease through mosquitos that bite them, said Kirk W. Deitsch, PhD, professor with the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York City, and co-author of a study published in Nature Microbiology . 'What's probably happening in a place like Africa, where there's a lot of malaria transmission, is that people we thought didn't have malaria actually had these invisible parasites at really low levels in their system,' Deitsch told Medscape Medical News . The implications for elimination campaigns are significant. Currently, 'when we try to do a malaria elimination campaign, [we] treat the kids, the ones who are sick,' he said. The study suggests 'that we need to treat all asymptomatic people, the adults, because they're carrying these cryptic parasites that nobody knew about before.' Sticky Proteins and Spleen Avoidance The researchers sought to better understand how malaria persists in the body. 'There were these weird cases where a person who grew up in, let's say, Africa, had malaria several times, were no longer infected, and moved to the States. They lived in the States for a decade, maybe 12 or 13 years, and then they give blood for a transfusion, and the recipient of the transfusion gets really bad malaria,' Deitsch said. 'So clearly, those parasites have been hiding in this person for more than a decade, and nobody knew why. How are they hiding? Where are they?' Study authors focused on the var gene, which expresses an adhesive surface protein on the infected red blood cells in malaria. The protein is 'sticky,' allowing infected cells to attach to blood vessel walls and avoid being filtered out by the spleen, Deitsch said. But the parasite pays a price because the immune system can detect the sticky protein. Previous methods of analyzing the genetics of malaria looked at millions of parasites together. 'If you want to know which gene is being turned on in that population, you take all those parasites, you extract all the RNA from the population, and you look at which gene is turned on,' Deitsch explained. For the new study, researchers analyzed the malaria parasite at the single-cell level. 'We isolated single parasites and then looked at which gene is being expressed by just that individual parasite,' he said. 'We found there was always a group of parasites that had turned off the entire [ var ] gene family and were expressing no genes at all.' As a result, the red blood cells didn't produce the surface proteins, allowing them to be 'invisible' and evade the immune system. Like a Criminal The parasites don't turn invisible right away, Deitsch said. Instead, they constantly switch to different sticky proteins, like a criminal changing disguises, as the immune system swings into action. 'As soon as your antibody titer begins to rise, they just switch to a different adhesive protein.' 'The parasite only has so many copies of this adhesive protein that they can put out to the surface over their lifetime. So they run out of genes after about a year and a half or so.' Scientists used to think this meant the infection would be cleared. 'Everybody always assumed that once the parasite runs out of these genes, that the infection is over. You clear the infection, and then you're okay.' Deitsch used the metaphor of a criminal who has a closet full of 50-60 disguises. 'When you get to the last one, then you've run out, and the cops have figured out all your previous disguises. At the back of the closet, there's an invisibility cloak. They can put that on, and then the cops can't see you at all.' These invisible parasites exist at very low levels. 'Those parasites don't go to very high levels because your spleen is continuously filtering them,' Deitsch explained. 'But what they're able to do is maintain this low level of infection for a long time.' The only sign of continued infection may be a slightly enlarged spleen 'because the spleen is continuously clearing a lot of these invisible parasites by filtration,' Deitsch noted. Changes in Malaria Prevention Strategy? The findings suggest that anti-malaria efforts should treat entire populations with anti-malaria drugs, even healthy people, Deitsch said. And drugs could be developed to make the hidden parasites become visible to the immune system. However, neither strategy is simple, he said. What's next? 'We're going to continue working on the molecular mechanisms that mediate this process [and explore] how the parasites control their chromosomes and their genes to go into this silent, invisible state and then switch back out into a different state,' Deitsch said. Researchers are also studying basic questions about how parasites coordinate their disguise changes. 'There are literally trillions of parasites in the circulation of a sick individual, and they seem to coordinate switching their disguise,' Deitsch said. 'They all know to go to the same next disguise.' Outside Experts Weigh In Karine Le Roch, PhD, MS, director of the Center for Infectious Disease and Vector Research, University of California, Riverside, who was not involved with the paper, told Medscape Medical News that it's 'a rigorous, innovative, and impactful study that advances a long-standing question in malaria biology.' The report 'addresses a major paradox in malaria biology and offers a compelling explanation for asymptomatic chronic infections, which have long been poorly understood,' she said. Anna Bachmann, PhD, a research group leader at the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg, Germany, also praised the study. Bachmann, who didn't work on the paper, said it suggests 'that P falciparum may possess even more sophisticated strategies to maintain long-term infections than previously understood.' She added that the findings have implications regarding whether migrants need more extensive screening and treatment for acute and chronic infections. 'Many parasitic infections in refugees from sub-Saharan Africa have been found to be clinically almost silent, leading to the recommendation that screening practices need to be improved, particularly with respect to parasitic infections,' she said. 'This is primarily to improve the health of migrants, but it could also become relevant in the context of a potential reintroduction of malaria in nonendemic regions as currently being observed in parts of the United States and southern Europe.' The National Institutes of Health supported Deitsch and another author via grants. Deitsch is a Stavros S. Niarchos Scholar and recipient of a William Randolph Hearst Endowed Faculty Fellowship Grant, and the William Randolph Hearst Foundation supported his institution. Another author received support from the Swiss National Science Foundation. The other authors had no disclosures.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New study reveals the cellular network behind food tolerance and allergies
Weizmann scientists uncover why our immune system lets us eat without harm, how it tolerates food—and why it sometimes fails. If you are allergic to peanuts, milk products, or strawberries, you usually blame your immune system for this unfortunate reaction. But when people enjoy a varied diet without any troublesome reaction, they generally don't realize that this is thanks to their immune system. Our ability to ingest chicken, meat, or tomatoes, for example – which constitute material foreign to the body and could have been a hostile invader – is due to the immune mechanism known as oral tolerance. Though this tolerance is vital for our survival, how it works had remained puzzling despite years of research. Now, a new study entitled 'A coordinated cellular network regulates tolerance to food,' published in the prestigious journal Nature by Dr. Ranit Kedmi and her team at the Department of Systems Immunology at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, has resolved a long-standing paradox surrounding oral tolerance and revealed the cellular network that is responsible. Their findings could help researchers understand this network's malfunctions that underlie food allergies, sensitivities, and disorders such as celiac disease (a bad reaction to gluten in foods containing wheat, spelt, barley, and rye). Tolerance to food begins to develop in the womb as the fetus's immune system is exposed to substances derived from food consumed by the mother. It continues to mature while she nurses the baby and as the child begins to eat solid food, as well as through interactions with beneficial gut bacteria that produce their own potential allergens that the immune system must learn to ignore. For years, tolerance to food was thought to be orchestrated by immune cells called dendritic cells (DC). They were discovered by Prof. Ralph Steinman, a Canadian-born Jewish physician and medical researcher at Rockefeller University in New York City. For his research on the leading causes of the immune system's attacks, he was posthumously awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. When announcing the prize, the Nobel committee was unaware that Steinman had died from pancreatic cancer three days earlier. In infection, DCs chop up microbes and present their bits and pieces to other cells, triggering an assault by the immune system. The prevailing view of oral tolerance was that, after checking out digested food, DCs could instead decide to keep that attack at bay, instructing the immune cells to stand down and suppress any action. Yet, strangely, when researchers eliminated the suspected subset of DCs in animal models, oral tolerance still developed. Kedmi thought that the answer must be sought in a type of cell she had discovered during her postdoctoral studies: ROR-gamma-t cells, whose exact lineage is still unknown. This hunch proved true. In their new study, Kedmi's team, led by doctoral student Anna Rudnitsky, showed that ROR-gamma-t, rather than conventional dendritic cells, set off the tolerance mechanism. When Rudnitsky eliminated the ability of these particular cells to introduce food particles to the immune system in mice, the animals rapidly developed food allergies. 'Apparently, there is much more division of labor in the immune system than previously appreciated,' Kedmi told The Jerusalem Post in an interview. 'We want to understand food sensitivities in general. The reason why babies are exposed to peanut products like Bamba as a positive experience early in their lives is that it causes oral tolerance. If they are exposed to infection, which is a negative experience, it could be harmful.' She added, 'It's not that dendritic cells always decide whether or not to attack foreign substances. Instead, completely different players – specific, rare cells – are dedicated to launching a mechanism that makes sure we can consume food safely.' They next aimed to fully decipher the oral tolerance mechanism. By selectively manipulating genes and eliminating different cell types in mice and then using advanced genetic tools and microscopy to monitor cellular responses to food, the researchers identified a coordinated network of four cell types crucial for preventing immune reactions to food. This network is initiated by ROR-gamma-t cells, and their signals are relayed through two other cell types to ultimately suppress the fourth, the immune system's militant CD8 cells, which normally have the job of killing infected cells or triggering inflammation against perceived threats. These discoveries, particularly of the last link in the network, raised further intriguing questions for Kedmi. What would happen if the immune system encountered microbial proteins that are similar to food ingredients? How could it effectively fight microbial infection after suppressing the CD8 response to these ingredients? And, if oral tolerance suppresses this immune response, why haven't microbes evolved to disguise themselves as food to evade CD8's killing power? To address these questions, the researchers tested whether mice could develop immunity to a microbe that expresses a protein already identified by the mouse immune system as food. They revealed a remarkable reaction: Faced with a threat, the mice's immune systems temporarily suspended the tolerance program, deploying CD8 cells to combat the infection. Only after the infection cleared did the cellular network enable the tolerance program to resume. Using the analogy of two peaceful neighboring countries, Kedmi said that 'if an aggressor suddenly fires across the border, that person will be swiftly neutralized by the other side's forces, peace accords notwithstanding. The immune system operates on a similar principle. In the face of infection, it prioritizes fighting the disease-causing microbe, temporarily setting aside tolerance mechanisms.' Thus, the team has discovered a sophisticated, dynamic cellular network that allows the immune system to prevent inflammatory responses to food while simultaneously staying on guard against infection. This discovery opens promising new avenues for research into malfunctions in the oral tolerance mechanism that lead to allergies and diseases. It may explain how the final stage of the tolerance mechanism, the suppression of the CD8 cells, fails in celiac disease, causing the CD8s to mistakenly attack the intestinal lining in response to gluten. A detailed understanding of the specific points of failure within the oral tolerance network in all types of food allergies and sensitivities could pave the way for improved treatments, the study stated. Sign up for the Health & Wellness newsletter >>
