Mind and body are not two separate entities, but represent a single unit made up of many related parts. The influence of the mind on the immune system perfectly represents the union of both parts.
A very interesting question about health is how the mind affects the immune system. The body is more than the mere sum of systems and there is a close relationship between all of them. When you become aware of this relationship, the way to understand the body in a holistic way becomes necessary, understanding that the condition of one part can affect the whole.
The immune system is one of the most important, as it is responsible for the body's defense against disease. When something goes wrong with it, both by excess and by default, problems appear. A depressed immune system increases the chance of getting sick, while a very active immune system triggers autoimmune disorders.
For that reason, maintaining balance in the immune system is a fundamental pillar for health. To achieve this, the first thing is to know how the mind affects your immune system. Next, we will try to clear any doubts about it.
Stress is more harmful than you think
The consequences of a depressed immune system are well known. Colds, tiredness, anemia and loss of appetite are the main symptoms. However, it is almost more important not so much to know the consequences, but the causes.
Stress is one of the main causes of a weak immune system. Normally, how harmful stress states are is underestimated, but the truth is that they can become a real threat to health.
In a review carried out by the Institute of Hematology and Immunology of Havana, it is stated that chronic stress is capable of reducing the levels of antibodies, the body's defenses to deal with infections. In addition, stress is also capable of reducing the number of NK cells, those that are responsible for destroying cancer cells.
Practice the optimistic attitude
Negative emotions such as stress have previously been seen to have a negative impact on the functioning of the immune system. So the next question that should be asked is, are positive emotions capable of enhancing the immune response?
In general terms, it can be stated that positive emotions promote the immune response and make the body more resistant to diseases. The mechanisms are not yet known exactly, and it is a difficult matter to study, but it has been seen that those people who face life with optimism live with better health and better quality of life.
Life is faced in many ways. Since problems are only solved if you face them, it is best to have a positive attitude and see the glass as half full.
The placebo effect can be a help
From the medical point of view, it is only conceivable that diseases can be treated with medication. However, psychology has studied how expectations and beliefs influence health status.
The placebo effect perfectly illustrates how the mind influences what we initially think we have no control over. This explains why harmless substances, such as sugar water, can have the same effects as medicines. And all this is explained based on the expectations that the person places on what he thinks cures.
Continuing with this concept and according to an article published in the Chilean Journal of Neuropsychiatry, the placebo effect exerts a specific effect depending on the system on which it acts. For example, when it acts on the immune system, it produces changes in the inflammatory response, increasing interleukins, the main cells of this system.
The mind greatly influences the immune system
The functioning of the body is not like a set of systems that each one works on its own, but all of them are related and thanks to that connection the functioning is optimal and precise.
On the other hand, this connection also implies that when a dysfunction occurs in one component, it is reflected in others. In other words, if something is not going well in the mind, the problem is transferred to other systems, such as the immune system.
This implies that one way to take care of health is by paying attention to the mental part. Eliminating stress, practicing meditation and enhancing positive emotions are just examples of what you can do to have iron health. In the end, any effort made to maintain health is the best investment that can be made.
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