We’ve all felt that knot in your stomach before a big meeting, the racing thoughts that keep you up at night or the tension that settles in your shoulders after a long, demanding day. Stress is a part of life, and in short bursts, it can even help us perform under pressure. But when stress becomes a constant presence, it can do more than just disrupt your mood or sleep; it may also impact your immune system’s ability to function at its best.
Research suggests that prolonged stress could influence everything from how your body responds to threats to how quickly you recover. Understanding the connection between stress and immune health is essential in today's fast-paced world.
How Chronic Stress May Impact Your Immune System and What You Can Do About It
Stress might start in the mind, but its effects are felt throughout the entire body. Whether you're racing between meetings, juggling family responsibilities or navigating a challenging season of life, prolonged stress can take a toll on your physical health. One area where this becomes especially important? Your immune system.
Here’s what you need to know about how everyday stress may influence immune function and what natural approaches may help promote balance from the inside out.
What Happens to Your Body Under Stress?
When you’re under pressure, your body produces a surge of hormones like cortisol and adrenaline to help you cope. This response, often called the "fight or flight" response, is designed to be temporary. But in today’s nonstop world, many people experience this heightened state for extended periods of time.
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Cortisol and immune signaling: Elevated cortisol levels over time may interfere with the body’s ability to send and receive important immune signals.
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Sleep and repair cycles: Chronic stress often affects sleep quality, which can impact your body’s natural restoration and defense processes.
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Gut-immune connection: Stress may also influence digestive health, which is closely tied to immune response due to the presence of immune cells in the gut.
Signs Your Immune System May Be Affected by Stress
While everyone responds to stress differently, here are a few signs that your body might be feeling the effects:
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Feeling run down more often than usual
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Difficulty sleeping or staying asleep
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Mood fluctuations, irritability or lack of focus
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Changes in digestion or appetite
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Fatigue that doesn’t improve with rest
If these symptoms persist, evaluating your stress levels and supporting your body with lifestyle habits that promote immune function may be helpful (after visiting your healthcare practitioner to rule out any underlying issues).
How to Support a Balanced Immune Response
The good news? There are everyday ways to help your body adapt to stress and promote immune system health.
1. Get Regular Exercise
Physical activity encourages circulation and supports immune health, but overdoing it can have the opposite effect. Find a form of movement you enjoy and aim for consistency, not intensity.
2. Prioritize Restorative Sleep
Deep, restful sleep helps your body repair and recharge. Create a calming bedtime routine, reduce screen time in the evenings and keep a consistent sleep schedule. (For more sleep tips, go here.)
3. Practice Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques
Yoga, meditation, deep breathing or even a short walk in nature can help shift your nervous system into a calmer state, supporting both emotional and immune balance.
4. Focus on Immune-Supporting Nutrients
A well-balanced diet plays a major role in immune health. Nutrients such as:
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Vitamin C supports cellular immune function and antioxidant activity*
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Vitamin D promotes a normal immune response*
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Zinc helps support immune system integrity*
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Magnesium promotes proper function of the nervous system, which interacts closely with immune pathways*
While whole foods are the foundation, high-quality nutritional supplements can help fill in the gaps. You can browse the full NaturesPlus product lineup here.
Take a Deeper Dive
Want to better understand the science behind stress and immune health? Our blog, “How Stress Affects Your Immune System,” breaks down the body’s stress response in more detail. It’s a helpful read for anyone looking to support their health during busy or overwhelming times.
Support Your Health the Natural Way with NaturesPlus
At NaturesPlus, we believe in helping you thrive with nutritional support that works in harmony with your body. For over 50 years, we’ve delivered trusted, high-quality supplements crafted with your wellness goals in mind. From energy and mood to immune function and beyond, our formulas are designed to help you feel your best every day.*
Looking for more ways to support your immune system through life’s ups and downs? Explore our complete line of supplements, whole food blends and wellness resources!
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER
The information in this blog is provided for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for consultation with a doctor or qualified healthcare professional. Consultation with a doctor or qualified healthcare practitioner is strongly advised before starting any regimen of supplementation, a change in diet or any exercise routine. Individuals who engage in supplementation to promote health, address conditions or support any structure or function of the body assume all risks. Women who are pregnant, especially, should seek the advice of a medical doctor before taking any dietary supplement and before starting any change in diet or lifestyle. Descriptions of herbs, vitamins, nutrients or any ingredients are not recommendations to take our products or those of any other company. We are not doctors or primary-source science researchers. Instead, we defer to the findings of scientific experts who conduct studies, as well as those who compile and publish scientific literature on the potential health benefits of nutrients, herbs, spices, vitamins or minerals. We cannot guarantee that any individual will experience any of the health benefits associated with the nutrients described. Natural Organics will not be held liable for any injuries, damages, hindrances or negative effects resulting from any reliance on the information presented, nor will Natural Organics be held accountable for any inaccuracy, miscalculation or error in the scientific literature upon which the information provided is based.
