Your Hormones and Coronavirus

Beyond Sleep: Melatonin for Immune Function

Your immune system is an incredibly complex system that we are still learning about every single day. Recent discoveries have shown that your immune system is intricately connected to several other systems that you might not believe. 

Your stress, hormones, and diet are all directly and indirectly tied to your immune system’s function. They can be the difference between getting an infection, like the coronavirus, or fighting it off.

This article shows how controlling your cortisol, insulin, and melatonin levels can give you power over your immune system.  

Cortisol: Stress Explained

Stress is much more than a bad day of work or an argument with a loved one. On the biological level, stress boils down to cortisol.

Cortisol is primarily regarded as THE stress hormone. (1) But what does this mean?

Cortisol is part of the fight-or-flight response that prepares your body for danger. So whether you’re running from a lion or living in fear you might contract the coronavirus, high cortisol levels are surging through your veins.

This hormone increases the conversion of fat, protein, and glycogen into sugar to provide energy for your muscles to run. (1) Cortisol also works by downregulating processes that are unnecessary when running for your life when a lion is coming. That means the immune system takes a back seat because that lion is more likely to kill you today than the virus you inhaled.

Chronic high cortisol also contributes to insulin resistance (we’ll get into this and how to reverse insulin resistance below).

Look for these high cortisol symptoms if you’re a chronic worrier: (2)

• weight gain

• acne

• thinning skin

• easy bruising

• flushed face

• slowed healing

• muscle weakness

• severe fatigue

• irritability

• difficulty concentrating

• high blood pressure

• headache

Cortisol Solutions: Phosphatidylserine for the Save

There are several things you can do to lower your stress and thus lower your cortisol. Few things are more powerful than phosphatidylserine (PS).

PS is something called a phospholipid. It has tremendous benefits for brain health and stress.

Where cortisol comes from: Cortisol is released when the brain identifies a stressor (i.e. a lion or fear of the coronavirus). The hypothalamus, a specific portion of the brain, signals the pituitary gland with a messenger signal called corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) aka corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). The pituitary then tells the adrenal glands to make cortisol by sending adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). (3)

How PS works: PS works by blocking ACTH from getting to the adrenal glands. (3) As a result, we don’t have an over release of cortisol.

Taking PS during times of chronic mental and emotional stress can help to improve the immune system by blocking the negative effects of cortisol. Studies have been looked at the benefits of phosphatidylserine in athletes following stressful exercise. Authors concluded: (4)

“The effective dosages in sport studies range from 300 to 800 mg PS per day for short-term application (10-15 days). The effective dosage for mental stress, which is closely related to physical stress, is 300 mg PS per day for 30 days. However, long-term studies on cognitive functions have found significant physiological effects using daily dosages as low as 100 mg PS per day.”

Insulin Resistance and Immunity

If you’re like most people, when you hear “insulin,” you immediately think of blood sugar or diabetes. Insulin is so much more than that though. At its core, insulin is a powerful growth factor that can enhance the immune system! (5)

You might be wondering then if high levels of insulin are good. And well, that all depends.

People with diabetes and chronically high blood sugar often develop something called insulin resistance. The best way to determine if you have insulin resistance is through a blood test. We check three key markers of blood sugar with our Thyroid Plus testing package.

Common insulin resistance symptoms include: (6) (7)

• Waistline >40in or >35in for men & women respectively

• High blood pressure

• Fasting glucose >100mg/dL

• High triglycerides

• Low HDL cholesterol

Being insulin resistant not only means you have a difficult time metabolizing sugar, but you’ll also have a weakened immune system. (8, 9) This is part of the reason why diabetics are at a greater risk of contracting infections like COVID-19.

Insulin Resistance Causes

Dietary causes of insulin resistance: This is the most common cause of insulin resistance. Eating too many carbohydrates can cause a glucose spike. Every once in a while your body can usually handle these spikes. However, when you spike your blood glucose meal after meal, day after day, for long stretches of time, eventually your cells stop responding properly to insulin.

Insulin related to toxins: Things like mold and household cleaning supplies can negatively impact your body’s metabolism.

Symptoms of a glucose spike: If you’ve ever experienced the following symptoms, you’ve probably felt the effects of your glucose spiking: (10)

• Increased thirst

• Headaches

• Frequent Urination

• Fatigue

How to avoid blood glucose spikes: Cleaning up your diet to prevent these glucose spikes doesn’t have to be complicated. Here is a list of things you can do it reduce those blood glucose spikes:

• Avoid processed carbohydrates

• Replace sugar-sweetened beverages with flavored seltzer

• Drink plenty of water

• Increase your protein intake

• Supplement with fiber

• Mix up a nutrient-packed smoothie with fruits & veggies

• Avoid toxins

• Walk!

Check here for more about how to get started with a metabolic detox to reverse insulin resistance.

Insulin Resistance: Walk Your Way to Better Health

Without a doubt, the best thing you can do to reverse insulin resistance is walk!

A groundbreaking study published in 2002 has been referenced by over 10,000 other articles on this very topic. The Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group concluded that walking was more effective than the diabetic drug metformin in reducing diabetes and insulin resistance. (11)

To get the benefits of walking, you don’t need to dedicate a lot of time or energy. Walking 150 minutes a week was all it took. This comes out to be a 5-10 minute walk after each meal. So before you go relax on the couch after dinner, take a few laps around the house first.

Melatonin Modulates Macrophages (and Other Immune Cells)

Melatonin is a hormone that helps to regulate the circadian rhythm. (12) It’s the first thing people will tell you to take if you’re having trouble sleeping. Like nearly every other hormone, melatonin has more than one job.

Over the last decade or so, scientists have found that melatonin plays an intricate role in the immune system. (13, 14) Melatonin is so involved in the immune system that macrophages (immune cells) make their own melatonin and have receptors for it on their surfaces.

Low melatonin levels have been shown to negatively impact the immune system. Low melatonin causes people to have smaller or impaired immune systems. (13, 14) Older individuals appear to be the most at risk for lower levels of melatonin. (15)

You’ve probably heard that the elderly, or even the middle-aged, are getting the sickest with COVID-19, while kids are spared. One theory is based on the fact that kids have much higher levels of melatonin than seniors.

In the case of coronaviruses, melatonin inhibits a certain inflammatory marker that leads to low oxygen and acute respiratory distress. (16)

Symptoms of low melatonin: Problems sleeping in itself may not be the best way to gauge your melatonin levels. Low melatonin symptoms may be difficult to pinpoint. However, melatonin deficiency has been associated with: (17)

• Mood disturbances

• Sleep difficulties

• Severe pain

• Diabetes

• Cancer

Melatonin: Less Is More?

Most studies that look at melatonin supplementation only look at sleep and sleep-related outcomes. This makes it very difficult to discern the right dose. This is all the more reason to get your melatonin levels tested to see where you stand!

With respect to older individuals (>55 years old), studies show melatonin doses may range wildly. Research has looked at doses as low as 0.1mg to as high as 50mg/kg. (15) Keep in mind that melatonin is a hormone, and throwing off hormone balance in either direction can have significant side effects.

The lowest dose that gives you benefit is always the best approach. When it comes to melatonin, less is more and more is not better. (15) This often means 3-6mg of melatonin a night is sufficient.

Our Sleep Maintenance formula contains 1.5 mg of melatonin per capsule plus herbs and micronutrients that reduce stress and support sleep. It is very gentle. I usually take 2 per night and sometimes I also take phosphatidylserine or CBD for some extra effect! 

Testing Your Hormones and Immunity

Not only do insulin, melatonin and cortisol levels affect your immune function, but thyroid hormone levels and even reproductive hormone levels do too.

Our two testing offerings that best address this are our Thyroid Plus testing package (covering all thyroid hormones, insulin and more) and our DUTCH hormone test, which includes melatonin, cortisol, testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, and detoxification markers.

Our DUTCH hormone test includes:

• At-home test kit

• In-depth written report from the lab

• Multiple markers of hormone status

• Multiple markers of detoxification and nutrient status

• Private 30-minute consultation with our team

• Personalized recovery plan

Hormone and Immunity Takeaways

Boosting your immune system is not always as straightforward as taking immune supplements. Sometimes you have to get to the root of your problem. Many times things like cortisol, insulin resistance, and melatonin levels can go overlooked.

Cortisol/stress: The mental/emotional stress of worrying literally robs your immune system. Cortisol negatively impacts you by suppressing signaling molecules that allow your immune system to function properly. To help boost your immune system, consider reducing your stress and decreasing cortisol by using PS.

Insulin/blood sugar: Your insulin controls more than just blood sugar. When your cells stop responding to insulin it also causes your immune system to suffer. Preventing spikes in your blood sugar can help to reverse insulin resistance. Something as simple as a short walk after eating is enough to get your immune system humming.

Melatonin/sleep: Melatonin can supercharge your immune system. Immune cells like macrophages need melatonin to work properly. When your circadian rhythm is off or your stress is high, this can cause low melatonin and your immune system suffers. Consider supplementing with melatonin to rebuild your failing immune system.

Community + Immunity Program: Coming Soon!

This has likely been the most challenging time for our country you've seen in your lifetime. You have legitimate concerns about your heath, finances, safety and community. You want to be with people, but want to stay safe. You want to lend a hand, but want to save money. We have a solution!

Stay tuned for our new "Community + Immunity" program which combines:

1. Cost savings

2. Community donations

3. Small group health support

4. Immune-boosting supplements

Into a sweet lil' option for you. This program will open up on 6/15 so keep a look out!

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Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP, is trained in functional health coaching and has worked with thousands of women over her career since 2004. She is the founder of Women’s Wellness Collaborative llc and HormoneDetoxShop.com.

Check out her easy 5-Day DIY Detox Guide here!

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