Stay Healthy this Winter

By Léo Azambuja

The best estimate from the Centers for Disease Control for a vaccine against COVID-19 to be widely available is mid-2021. As the winter approaches, we should make sure our bodies will have the best chance to fight off the deadly virus in case we get infected with it.

The latest issue of the AARP Bulletin, a monthly publication, highlighted a finding that most health experts already suspected: our immune systems are in trouble.

A special report in the publication says the immune systems of those living today are not necessarily weaker than those who lived generations ago, but they are more “dysregulated,” a medical word for a biological process that is not functioning as it should.

In layman’s terms, our immune systems can’t tell the difference between the bad guys and the good guys, and often ends up attacking itself. This causes inflammation, autoimmune diseases and food allergies.

According to the AARP article, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association last April found that 34 percent of those hospitalized with COVID-19 had diabetes, 42 percent were obese and 57 percent had high blood pressure. All three of these conditions share a common denominator: a chronic inflammation that causes our immune systems to constantly produce white blood cells, keeping our natural defenses overworked and restless.

Several studies have shown an exponential increase in autoimmune diseases among Americans, according to AAPR. One study estimated the increase somewhere between 3.7 and 7.1 percent a year. Another study found that between 1991 and 2012, an early marker for autoimmune diseases increased by 45 percent among Americans. AARP estimates there are 24 million Americans living with some sort of autoimmune disease.

Regarding food allergies, AARP said a study by Northwestern University found as many as 10 percent of Americans have food allergies. In the bigger scope of things, this increase in food allergies can be blamed on our changing environment. After all, our bodies are dealing with thousands of chemicals that weren’t in our environment 50 years ago, and some of them even 20 years ago, according to Aristo Vodjani, clinical immunologist and adjunct professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine at Loma Linda University.

The older we get, the more susceptible we are to COVID-19. About 80 percent of fatalities associated with the disease are from people ages 65 and older. The good news is that aging and genetics actually play a small adverse role in our immune systems.

Only about 10 percent of the decline in our immune systems is caused by aging, according to AARP. And a study on twins years ago, found that 58 percent of our immune systems is completely determined by factors that are not associated with genetics.

If you haven’t guessed yet, the answer is, aha, lifestyle!

While lifestyle may not be a silver bullet against COVID-19, it is an army that will have lots of ammunition to fight off the virus. This lifestyle includes consistent, moderate exercising, and a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and lean meats. Avoid processed foods, food preservatives, smoking, alcohol abuse, fried foods and added sugars. Also, reduce stress levels.

Those are simple practices but they take commitment. The best way to avoid the virus is prevention, and that includes all that we have heard in the last several months — social distancing, disinfection and wearing masks. But if we ever come face to face with the virus, we’ll have a better chance to survive if we make these lifestyles changes. And even if we never come in contact with the virus, your body will thank you for giving it more energy to go about the day. I bet your soul will be happier too.