Immunity Resilience & Virus Susceptibility

Immunity Resilience & Virus Susceptibility

In the past couple of years, we have all learned more about our immunity than we probably ever have before. But what many may still not know, is the role our DNA can play in our immunity resilience and our virus susceptibility.

It’s necessary to understand how our health and DNA can work together to ensure our immune system is in the best possible working order to keep us safe. First, we’ll take a look at our immune function and how we can improve it.  

Immune Function

How well one’s immune functions is more than how well we take care of ourselves. On a genetic level, we all share variants that can link us to a good immune response. The TNF gene, for example, is one of significance. Its primary role is the regulation of our immune cells.

Those looking to build up immune response often turn to exercise. While this is a good thing, we must remember to be careful and take it easy at first. Excessive training, or overdoing it too fast, too soon, can increase the expression of our TNF alpha.

This means that we can weaken our immune system rather than strengthen it. Counterproductive to what we are trying to achieve. Instead, ease into it with walking or other light exercises to build up over time.

Another way that we can hurt our immune system is by having chronic stress. It can cause long-term effects from shutting down our immune system to causing pro-inflammatory production. While short-term stress can be beneficial and motivating, we must not mistake the two for the same.

Chronic stress is enduring stress that can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, damage to muscle tissue, and can damage our mental health. For those who suffer from high blood pressure, check out these great tips on how to naturally lower your blood pressure.

Chronic stress can also increase the production of the IL-6 gene. Just as we can weaken our immune system when we increase the expression of our TNF alpha gene, the same can be said of the IL-6.

Vitamins, including but not limited to vitamin C, are important to help maintain good general health and to help fight infections. Sadly, the majority of us are likely deficient in Vitamin D, which can also hurt our immune function. But there are many other reasons to love the sunshine vitamin; you can read more about it here.  

Inflammatory Infection Response

When we are injured, we need inflammation to promote tissue repair. Here’s the tricky part. Chronic inflammation can lead to heart disease, arthritis, and all sorts of other health problems. This can also mean that your body may start damaging healthy cells and organs.

After a while, we may find we have irreparably damaged tissues, internal scarring, and are now on our way to developing severe diseases, such as cancer. While it can be hard to tell if we have chronic inflammation on the inside, outside clues include red or swollen joints, heat, and pain. 

Ensuring that inflammatory infection response is working efficiently will help fight off any unwanted inflammatory responses. Recall that unwanted inflammatory responses are the result of infections or chronic diseases.

But there are steps we can take that will help in building up our inflammatory response. These include eating a well-balanced diet that includes fruits and vegetables and limiting alcohol and sugary drinks. Healthy fats, such as olive oil, have anti-inflammatory properties and help fight off harmful bacteria and viruses.

Reducing our excess body fat through exercise can help our immune cells regenerate regularly. It’s also important to avoid polluted areas, as they can lead to disease, such as respiratory disease. And lastly, be sure to get a good night’s sleep.

But is all of this enough to ensure that we are not vulnerable to the viruses that are out in the world? Viruses such as COVID-19? Unfortunately, no. We have to take into account our genes and the specifics of each virus. We also have to recognize a couple of other factors we will discuss below.

Virus Susceptibility

Although studies are still ongoing when it comes to our virus susceptibility, there are a few factors that may influence how vulnerable we are. They include the host genes, that is, our genes, the environment we live in, and the interactions we have.

Let’s first look at our DNA and how that may lead us to be more susceptible. Our genes can make us more vulnerable to developing a lot of ailments, from heart disease to COVID-19. According to a paper released by nature.com, a region on chromosome 3 can drastically alter the intensity of the disease, and lead to an increased risk of respiratory failure and even death.

When we are hit with a virus, such as COVID, it’s largely due to ACE2, a protein that enters our cells. The genes that are in the chromosome 3 region, including SLC6A20, produce a protein that interacts with this COVID protein, ACE2.

These genes also interact with the genes for chemokine receptors, which relate directly to inflammation. What makes COVID-19 more deadly to some is the inflammation that happens within the body. If this inflammation is increased due to a prominent gene found in some people, it could explain why are hit harder with this type of virus and other ailments. 

Now, let’s take a look at environmental factors. According to the following study, exposure to indoor air pollution, to name one example, makes us more vulnerable. We have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and we are more at risk of dying from a virus such as the coronavirus.

If we want to stay healthy, we need to limit our contact with hazardous agents that are found in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we consume through the soil in which it grows. And while changes in our environment can make a difference, ultimately, it may, unfortunately, come down to our daily interactions. This is why we need to make our health our top priority.

Final Thoughts

There are many ways we can build up our immunity resilience. Leading a healthy lifestyle is the simplest and most effective way. Because while genetics do play a role, they are only one piece of the puzzle. Knowing where you need to focus your energy can directly impact the role your genes play in your susceptibility to viruses and other ailments.

This is where epigenetics can make a difference. Epigenetic testing allows us to see what sorts of ailments we are more vulnerable to and how we can make changes to limit our weaknesses. To learn more about epigenetics and the health benefits of epigenetic testing, you can read about it here.