Does Stress Impact Your Immune System?

Have you ever known someone who was diagnosed with cancer after a period of intense stress?

A new study explores why this can happen—down to the immune system level.

Researchers analyzed immune and tumor markers in 121 women with breast cancer, along with stress levels in four areas:

✔ Daily stress

✔ Racial discrimination

✔ Social isolation

✔ Poverty conditions

The results?

Stress messed up the immune system in ways that dramatically favored cancer cells.

Also—these effects were more pronounced in black women than in white women.

I am not sharing this to spread fear. Stress is unavoidable.

But it’s also a reminder that how we respond to stress matters.

Science-backed tools like breathwork, movement, and connecting with friends can help buffer the effects of stress on the body.

❤️ Your health matters.

Take a moment today to do something that helps you feel calm and supported—even if it’s just one deep breath.

🍄‍🟫 Mushrooms for Stress Relief!? 🍄‍🟫

🍄‍🟫 Did you know some mushrooms help your body handle stress? 🍄‍🟫

Adaptogenic mushrooms like Reishi, Shiitake, Maitake, and Cordyceps support stress resilience, immune function, and energy ✨

(and no, these are not the types that make you hallucinate)

Some ways to use adaptogenic mushrooms:

🥘 Fresh or Dried: add to soups, stir-fries, or creative new recipes!

💊 Powders or Capsules: take as a supplement or mix into smoothies.

☕️ Tea of Coffee: brew as a tea or try mushroom-infused coffee for balanced energy.

Have you tried any of these mushrooms?

Which is your favorite? Let me know in the comments 👇

New Way to Understand the Gut Microbiome 🦠

New research on the gut microbiome 🦠

If you’re interested in a root-cause approach to health, we’re inevitably going to have to talk about the gut microbiome!

Now researchers at Rutgers University have given us a new way to talk about this.

They call it the “Core Microbiome”—the crucial group of microbes that play a role in digestion, immune function, and even mental health.

Using advanced A.I., the researchers determined that the Core Microbiome consists of:

1️⃣ The Foundation Guild

Helpful bacteria that break down dietary fibers to produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and keep harmful bacteria in check.

2️⃣ The Pathobiont Guild

Needed in small amounts to “educate” the immune system, these microbes can drive disease if they become dominant.

This doesn’t change our root-cause approach to care, where gut health is always part of the conversation, but it does give us a new and creative way to describe it!

What do you think?

Does it help to think of the “Core Microbiome” as two guilds working together? 😊

REFERENCE:
Wu G, Xu T, Zhao N, et al. A core microbiome signature as an indicator of health. Cell. Published online October 7, 2024. [link]

Overnight Remedy for Congestion 🧦

🧦Ever heard of wet sock therapy?

This is an old-school, naturopathic remedy for stimulating circulation, easing congestion, and even improving sleep.

Here’s how it works and how to do it at home:

1️⃣ Gather the Goods: You’ll need one pair of thin cotton socks, one pair of thick wool socks, a towel, and a bowl of ice water.

2️⃣ Chill Cotton Socks: Soak the cotton socks in ice water.

3️⃣ Warm Your Feet: Soak your feet in a tub of the hottest water you can handle for 5-10 minutes.

4️⃣ Wring the Socks: Squeeze all the water out of the cotton socks until they are just damp. Wringing them out completely is a critical step!

5️⃣ Layer & Sleep: Dry your feet, put on the damp cotton socks, and layer the dry wool socks on top. Then, crawl into bed and let the socks work their magic💫

Wondering how this works?

As your body warms the cold socks, it stimulates circulation, which can relieve congestion and support your immune system. You’ll wake up with dry socks and—hopefully—a refreshed immune response.

Have you tried wet sock therapy?

Let me know your experience in the comments ⬇️

Disclaimer: While this is safe for most people, please check with a medical professional to be sure—especially if you have poor circulation or nerve damage.

#elementsnatmed #naturalmedicine #wetsocktherapy #immunehack

🤧 Supplements I Keep On Hand Just In Case

3 Supplements to Consider for 🤧Temporary Immune Support

What is “temporary” support?

This means supplements that may reduce the duration or severity of sickness when taken during the first several days of feeling unwell. Here’s what the latest research shows:

1️⃣ Elderberry

Studies show that elderberry probably does not prevent the common cold or flu, but it may shorten the duration or reduce the severity. Elderberry can be taken as a liquid juice concentrate or in capsules. (PMID 33827515)

2️⃣ Vitamin C

There has been a lot of controversy around vitamin C, but a 2023 meta-analysis found that compared to placebo, vitamin C reduced the severity of the common cold by 15%. It may not shorten the duration of mild colds, but it may shorten severe colds. These stats are based on people who took at least 1 gram of vitamin C per day and who were healthy at baseline. (PMID 38082300)

3️⃣ Zinc

A 2024 comprehensive review of 34 studies on zinc in relation to the common cold found all kinds of mixed results but in the end, it concluded that zinc supplements may not prevent colds but may reduce the duration of ongoing colds. Zinc can be taken as pills or lozenges. (PMID 38719213)

Our immune systems are beautifully complex, so we can never expect a single nutrient or herb to be an overnight success.

Still, I like to keep these supplements on hand for a boost of support when I start to feel off.

Do you have a favorite immune-support supplement? Let me know in the comments ⤵️

Check out @Darbyfarms for your elderberry needs! 💜

REFERENCE:

emilä H, Chalker E. Vitamin C reduces the severity of common colds: a meta-analysis. BMC Public Health. 2023;23(1):2468. Published 2023 Dec 11.[link]

Nault D, Machingo TA, Shipper AG, et al. Zinc for prevention and treatment of the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2024;5(5):CD014914. [link]

Wieland LS, Piechotta V, Feinberg T, et al. Elderberry for prevention and treatment of viral respiratory illnesses: a systematic review. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2021;21(1):112. [link]