How does the heat affect your immunity?

Environmental temperature changes are undeniable. With recent heat waves sweeping the nation, knowing how the heat affects our health is important. Recent preliminary research has been released shedding light on how the heat affects immunity. How Does the heat affect your immunity

New research reveals how the heat affects the immune system

We know that excessive heat exposure can lead to dangerous health conditions like dehydration and heat stroke. But this recent study indicates that there may be more at play than that.

Researchers in Louisville, Kentucky led by Daniel W. Riggs, tested the effects of heat on immune health. Over the span of 2 years, 624 patients were tested for the effects of heat on their immune health.

Participants ranged in age from 20-70 years old. Most of the participants were white (non-Hispanic) women. Blood samples were taken outdoors and tested.

The results of this test showed an increase in:

Monocytes (circulating and classical)
Eosinophils
Natural Killer T-Cells
TNF-alpha
IL-5
MIP-1α

There was a reduction in non-classical monocytes and B-cells.

These results show a significant change in what immune cells were affected by heat. The most interesting part of this experiment was that the average temperature throughout the study was 76 degrees F. This isn’t an incredibly high temperature but results were still shown that the immune system was affected.

As a result of these changes, the body will not respond as well when exposed to infectious agents. The body will naturally increase temperature (fever) to fight off infections. However, when the temperature is already high from environmental heat, it will not have the same response putting it at a potentially higher risk for worse infections.

While this information is interesting, there were some limitations to the study itself (which is normal for preliminary studies).

Blood tests were the only tests run, which limits the amount of information we get.
It was not indicated what participants were doing prior to the blood draws. (were they already outside, were they in the air conditioning, were they exercising or sitting down, etc.)
The blood tests were only done at one point in time. Doing multiple draws over a set period of time may give insight into how long it takes for these changes to occur.

This wasn’t the first study to see the effects of heat on health. Let’s look at some of the other information we have on hand about how heat affects our health.

How heat exposure affects gut health

Gut and immune health are notably intertwined. The gut microbiome has control over some immune cell release and if the gut is in distress can cause inflammation and disease progression.

Excessive heat exposure causes the blood to flow to the skin rather than stay in the gut to help with digestion. This can slow down food digestion. In addition, studies have shown that heat increases can negatively affect the tight junctions in the intestinal barrier. This leads to intestinal permeability (leaky gut) and the translocation of bacteria. This is a known precursor to the immune response and can contribute to stress.

Another study has shown that heat waves can cause more symptoms in those who are already experiencing gastrointestinal issues. People with IBD and IG are at a higher risk of worsened symptoms when the weather gets hotter.

How heat exposure affects heart health

When heat waves hit, there is always an increase in hospitalizations and deaths due to cardiovascular events. Originally thought to be linked to dehydration or the effects of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, we can now include a link to the immune changes seen in this study.

Based on this research, we see a higher rate of circulating monocytes. Monocytes are extremely helpful for an immune reaction if there is something to fight off. However, in reference to heightened heat levels, there isn’t a virus or bacteria to fight.

In this instance, heightened levels of monocytes build up plaque in the arteries. Long term, this can lead to atherosclerosis and other related cardiovascular events. This is a result of long-term inflammation which we now see can be affected by hot weather.

This puts people who already have cardiovascular conditions at higher risk during heat waves for more than just dehydration and heat exhaustion.

How to protect yourself in the heat

So with all of this information, you might be wondering, “What can I do to stay safe in the heat?” Well, don’t you worry! We’ve got you covered.

First and foremost, take precautions if you are in a high-risk group. High-risk people for heat-related problems include:

Children (especially those 2 and under because their bodies are still trying to figure out temperature regulation)
Elderly
Immunocompromised — especially those with heart, autoimmune, or gastrointestinal conditions or those with cancer

Some ways you can protect yourself from the heat include:

Find shaded areas to be in if you are outside
Use UV protective clothing and/or sunscreen (learn more about sunscreen and how to reduce cancer potential here)
Stay hydrated and make sure to replenish lost electrolytes. Remember that the body sweats to cool itself down, but as you sweat you lose important nutrients that can lead to dehydration.
Use cooling vests or ice packs to help reduce body temperature
Take breaks if you are doing outdoor activities that expend energy — this includes playing sports, exercising, and doing manual labor
Eat foods that have high water content — fruits and vegetables are great for this
Wear lightweight clothing and clothes that are also light in color, also try to avoid wearing too many layers
Eat healthfully. One of the best ways to support your immune system and all of your other systems is by eating healthfully. Foods full of nutrients, probiotics, probiotics, fiber, protein, minerals, and vitamins help to support your body and the cells that need to protect you. This also supports the gut microbiome which helps to protect your tight junctions and your immune system.
Go inside when you need to escape the heat. Whether you need to go home or to a local business to cool down, listen to your body when it says, “I need a break from this weather!” Your body and immune system will be thankful that you did.
Do your outdoor activities in the morning or evening when the heat isn’t quite so bad. Usually, the hottest parts of the day are between 12-4.

Remember, this main study was preliminary so there is a lot of room to learn more. But we want to share new information to keep you aware of what is being learned about the human body as it comes out. We will always update our articles to include new information if it contradicts something we shared in the past.

If you want to learn more about health, check out some of our other articles on our blog. Try out some of our gut-friendly recipes while you’re there. And (if doctor approved) keep up with taking Atrantil to keep your gut and body healthy!

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