The Huberman Lab Podcast discusses neuroscience: how our brain and its connections with the organs of our body control our perceptions, our behaviors, and our health. We also discuss existing and emerging tools for measuring and changing how our nervous system works. Dr. Andrew Huberman is a tenured Professor of Neurobiology and Ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. His laboratory studies neural regeneration, neuroplasticity, and brain states such as stress, focus, fear, and optimal performance. For more than 20 years, Dr. Huberman has consistently published original research findings and review articles in top-level peer-reviewed journals, including Nature, Science, Cell, Neuron, and Current Biology. He is a regular member of several National Institutes of Health review panels and a Fellow of the McKnight Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trusts. Dr. Huberman regularly consults for technology development companies, professional athletic organizations, and various units of U.S. and Canadian Special Operations.
Using Your Nervous System to Enhance Your Immune System | Episode 44
This episode teaches you a lot about the immune system, immune-brain interactions and offers 12 potential tools for enhancing immune system function. I discuss how our immune system works and science-supported tools we can use to enhance our immune system.
I discuss the innate and adaptive immune systems and our various microbiomes-- not just in our gut but also in our nose, eyes and mouth and how to keep them healthy. And I review how specific patterns of breathing and foods maintain a healthy mucosal barrier that is crucial for fighting infections. I discuss how certain neurochemicals called catecholamines enhance our immune system function and how to use specific breathing protocols, types and timing of heat and cold exposure, and, if appropriate, supplementation to activate catecholamines. I also discuss the role and use of serotonin for the sake of accessing the specific types of sleep for recovering from illness, and I discuss how to increase glymphatic "washout" of brain debris during sleep. I also review fever, the vagus nerve and the use of atypical yet highly effective compounds for rhinitis (nasal inflammation).
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Links:
- How and Why The Immune System Makes Us Sleep - https://www.nature.com/articles/nrn2576
Timestamps:
- 00:00:00 The Mind & Immune System, New Findings: Acupuncture & Fascia
- 00:03:00 Sponsors: ROKA, Athletic Greens, InsideTracker
- 00:07:41 Foundational Tools & Practices for a Healthy Immune System
- 00:11:20 Immune System Basics: Skin/Mucous, Innate & Adaptive Immune System
- 00:17:08 Killer Cells, Complement Proteins (“Eat Me!” Signals), Cytokines (“Help Me!” Signals)
- 00:21:06 The Adaptive Immune System: Antibodies
- 00:28:00 Tool 1: Nasal Microbiome and “Scrubbing” Bacteria & Viruses; Nasal Breathing
- 00:30:33 Tools 2 & 3: (Not) Touching Your Eyes; Gut Microbiome & Fermented Foods
- 00:34:20 Some Interleukins Are Anti-Inflammatory
- 00:34:56 Sickness Behavior
- 00:39:08 Some People Seek Care When Sick, Others Want to be Alone
- 00:42:00 Sickness Behavior & Depression: Cytokines
- 00:43:40 Reduced Appetites When Sick: Protein, Iron, Libido
- 00:46:45 Vagus-Nerve Stimulation: Fever, Photophobia, Sleepiness
- 00:53:03 Humoral (Blood-Borne) Factors, & Choroid Change Your Brain State
- 00:55:04 Tools 4, 5: Reducing Sickness: Glymphatic Clearance, Pre-Sleep Serotonin, 5HTP
- 01:07:03 Tool 6: Hot Showers, Saunas, Baths & Cortisol, Heath-Cold Contrast
- 01:10:53 Feed a Fever & Starve a Cold (?), Adrenaline
- 01:12:36 Tool 7: Activating Your Immune System w/Cyclic-Hyperventilation, Alkalinity
- 01:29:10 Brain Chemicals & Cyclic-Hyperventilation; Catecholamines, Dopamine
- 01:32:10 Mindsets & Immune Function; Yes, You Can Worry Yourself Sick
- 01:37:00 Tool 8: Healthy Mindsets, Hope, Dopamine; Tool 9: Tyrosine; Tool 10: Cold Exposure
- 01:42:05 Once You’re Already Sick: Accelerating Recovery; Tool 11: Spirulina, Rhinitis
- 01:46:09 Histamines, Mast Cells
- 01:49:22 Tool 12: Acupuncture: Mechanism for How It Reduces Inflammation; Fascia, Rolfing
- 01:53:40 Mechanistic Science & Ancient Practices
- 01:58:00 Synthesis, Ways to Support Us (Zero-Cost), Sponsors, Supplements, Social Media