During the months of September and October the incidence of common colds and chest congestion spike in the school age population. This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as the “back to school plague” and is typically caused by large amounts of students and germs hanging out together. Even with sanitation and avoidance efforts, if your kids are in school they come across germs. So how do we keep their immune systems steady and strong in order to defend against the back to school threat?
ADEQUATE SLEEP: When it comes to your child’s immune system, sleep plays an important role! Skimping on adequate sleep hours will leave anyone more susceptible to a cold or flu. While you sleep your body both produces and releases cytokines, a type of protein that defends against infection and inflammation. Adequate sleep keeps your immune system in fighting shape.
ADEQUATE WATER CONSUMPTION: The importance of drinking water should not be under emphasized. Water’s benefits to the immune system are virtually endless. 65% of a school age child’s body is made up of water. The heart and brain are composed of 73% water, the lungs are 63% water, and the muscles and kidneys are composed of 79% water. Water flushes body waste and gets rid of toxins. It helps deliver oxygen to your body through the bloodstream. It allows the body’s cells to grow, reproduce, and survive. Water keeps mucosal membranes moist and helps the body regulate its temperature. Rule of thumb: You should drink ½ of your body weight in ounces of water every day. For example, a 150 lb human being should consume at least 75oz of water per day and more with strenuous exercise or on hot days.
FRUITS AND VEGGIES: Fruits and vegetables contain numerous vitamins and minerals. Not only do they help build a healthy immune system but eating a diet rich in a variety of fruits and vegetables can help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, bone loss, and kidney stones! A school aged kid should consume a minimum of 3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit per day with bonuses for variety.
EXERCISE: A minimum of 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per day will not only boost your immune system but it will keep your bones healthy and strong and help you feel healthier and more energetic. Exercise can help flush bacteria out of the lungs and airways. It can help antibodies and white blood cells (immune system warriors) circulate throughout your body to detect invaders more efficiently. Exercise also decreases the release of stress hormones that can negatively affect the immune system.
MINIMIZE SUGAR INTAKE: According to the American Heart Association, a child between the ages of 2-18 should consume fewer than 6 teaspoons of added sugar per day. 6 teaspoons is equal to about 25 grams or 100 calories. That’s not a lot of sugar. In fact, current estimates report that the average kid consumes about 19 teaspoons of added sugar per day. Sugar isn’t just sweets and soda. Main contributors of sugar intake are also found in juices (~23g in 1 cup!!!), sauces (9-12g in 1 cup canned spaghetti sauce), and bread (>1g in 1 slice). Sugar’s impact on health and the immune system is complex but you should know that excessive sugar intake severely threatens human health over time. A more immediate body response to sugar is its effect on inhibiting the action of macrophages. Macrophages are a type of white blood cell that engulfs and digests: foreign substances that threaten the body, microbes that can cause illness, cancer cells, and any other invaders that are marked with proteins that indicate they are a threat and should be destroyed. Therefore, more sugar equals less of an immune response.
CHIROPRACTIC WORKS: The health of our immune system has been increasingly linked to the function of our brain and spine. The brain and spine interact with the immune system through the use of hormones, neurotransmitters and enzymes. Hormones influence body functions like heart rate, breathing, inflammation and healing. Neurotransmitters either increase or decrease the speed of nerve transmission along a nerve pathway. Enzymes are responsible for “cleaning up” dead tissue and isolated bacteria and viruses that have entered the body. The spine protects the nerve pathways that begin in the brain and travel down the spine, out through the spinal joints, and out to the body. When proper function of these systems is depressed it can result in diminished immune system function. Regular visits to your chiropractor may help promote spine health and immune system function.
Implement the above tips to support a healthy immune system year round. To help avoid the back to school plague, these tips work best if implemented 2-4 weeks prior to the beginning of the school year.