Chronic stress (coupled with inadequate sleep) is the most common reason people get sick, Heather Moday, M.D., an allergist and immunologist, previously told mbg. “When we are run down and cortisol soars, our virus surveillance cells dip and we get sick more easily,” she explains. “Cortisol itself interferes with the ability of specific white blood cells called T-cells to proliferate and get signals from the body. In addition, cortisol also lowers an important antibody called secretory IgA, which lines the respiratory tract and gut and is our first line of defense against invading pathogens.” Instead, inflammation gets turned on and then stays on, an issue that can make you more susceptible to getting sick—or at least experiencing symptoms. Cohen explains that when you get symptoms of a sickness, like the common cold, they aren’t necessarily caused by the virus itself but rather a “side effect” of the way your body handles the inflammation associated with exposure to pathogens. And the greater the inflammatory response, the sicker you feel. To test this theory, Cohen exposed 276 healthy adults to a virus that causes the common cold. After five days, he found that the participants who were under the most stress, and thus had an impaired ability to properly regulate inflammation, were the most likely to develop symptoms. In a follow-up study, Cohen exposed 79 participants to the cold virus once again, but this time he measured the amount of inflammation that occurred after exposure. The participants who were under the most stress had greater levels of inflammation following exposure to the virus, which meant more severe symptoms. The takeaway was that your immune system’s ability—or inability—to regulate inflammation plays a major role in whether you will get sick and how severe the symptoms may be. When you’re stressed, you’re also more likely to lean toward unhealthy coping mechanisms, like overindulging in “comfort foods” that are high in sugar or refined carbs (you can learn more about the impact of those foods here), smoking, and drinking in excess—all behaviors that increase the chances of getting sick. “Stress is also hard on your digestive system, as it affects which nutrients your intestines absorb, influences how quickly food moves through your body, and can provoke you to eat more or less than you normally do,” says Eliaz. “In turn, this can cause nausea, pain, vomiting, heartburn, constipation, acid reflux, and/or diarrhea.” Here are some things you can do to support both your mental well-being and physical health:* If you’re under a lot of stress, you won’t ever be able to get rid of it completely, but you can manage and learn to better deal with it with things like yoga, meditation, regular exercise, and some targeted supplements (find our favorites for immune support here!). In addition to managing your stress, it never hurts to support your immune system on a daily basis for extra assistance. Of course, it’s always a good idea to chat with your doctor about any lingering physical symptoms to rule out any other underlying causes. She has written twelve books and has had more than 2,000 articles published across various websites. Lindsay currently works full time as a freelance health writer. She truly believes that you can transform your life through food, proper mindset and shared experiences. That’s why it’s her goal to educate others, while also being open and vulnerable to create real connections with her clients and readers.
