Cycle Syncing Your Immunity For Better Health All Month Long
You may already be in the practice of cycle syncing food and fitness, but did you know that your immune system is also cyclical?
As a woman, your body is expertly designed for reproduction and this mission comes second only to survival. From your body’s perspective, when all is safe and secure, the priority is creating and sustaining life—even when you’re not pregnant or trying to become pregnant.
This means that your body and metabolism operate at a very high level of efficiency to maximize your reproductive potential and this efficiency comes with fluctuations in your immune response.
Sex Hormones & Immune Response
When hormones are low in the first half of the cycle, the female body exhibits a robust immune response from natural killer cells. As estrogen rises in the absence of progesterone, immune function remains elevated. This makes us more resilient to stress and less likely to get sick.
After ovulation, the immune system is temporarily down-regulated to allow safe passage of foreign bodies like sperm. This improves the chances of fertilization. Unfortunately, this short-lived lowering of the guards also makes women more vulnerable to illness when paired with the rise in progesterone that follows.
In the luteal phase, any viral villains who made it through have an opportunity to take hold when progesterone continues to suppress the immune response. This happens to prevent immune cells from attacking a potentially fertilized egg. This also means that you’re more susceptible to infection and less resilient to stress after ovulation.
If pregnancy does not occur, a drop in hormones in the premenstrual phase signals the immune system to come back online. This leads to a rise in systemic inflammation in the days leading up to and during the onset of your period. What’s worse is when the body is inflamed, more prostaglandins are produced which amplifies PMS and intensifies period cramps. [1,2] This is one of the primary causes of painful periods.
The bottom line?
Your immune system is well-resourced in the follicular phase.
You're more susceptible to catching a bug right after ovulation.
You’re more likely to get run down or sick in the luteal phase.
Your body will fight back in the premenstrual and bleed phases.
Cyclical Self-Care
Here are a few ways I love to bolster immune defenses in the luteal phase, especially during cold & flu season. Conveniently, most of these will also improve PMS and painful periods!
Zinc has been shown to improve immune function by promoting the breakdown of bad bacteria/viruses and activating infection-fighting cells. Add zinc-rich foods like pumpkin and sesame seeds, shellfish, and legumes or take a zinc supplement.
Be generous with fresh garlic while cooking and sip lemon water with honey as a preventative for cold and flu.
There’s nothing more soothing than sipping bone broth. Loaded with minerals and amino acids, this warming ritual may reduce inflammation and improve immune function.
Enjoy immune-boosting herbs like ginger/mint, and healing mushrooms like chaga/reishi during the ovulatory and luteal phases. I get all of these in the Get Well tincture from elix. Most virus-fighting sprays/tinctures are hard to stomach, but this one tastes great. Get 15% off your first purchase with code BYTHEMOON!
References
Bertone-Johnson, E. R., Ronnenberg, A. G., Houghton, S. C., Nobles, C., Zagarins, S. E., Takashima-Uebelhoer, B. B., Faraj, J. L., & Whitcomb, B. W. (2014). Association of inflammation markers with menstrual symptom severity and premenstrual syndrome in young women. Human reproduction (Oxford, England), 29(9), 1987–1994. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deu170
Gold, E. B., Wells, C., & Rasor, M. O. (2016). The Association of Inflammation with Premenstrual Symptoms. Journal of women's health (2002), 25(9), 865–874. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2015.5529
