How to prevent winter respiratory diseases
Foot bath and half-body bath are effective in increasing blood circulation and body temperature… Helps promote vitamin D synthesis and immunity, such as ‘30 minutes of sunlight a day’
Professor Cho Jae-yeol of the Department of Convergence Biotechnology at Sungkyunkwan University is explaining immune management methods to prevent respiratory infectious diseases in winter.
With the winter cold wave in full swing, preparations for respiratory diseases were also put on high alert. In addition to COVID-19, which has already become endemic (endemic), flu (influenza) continues to spread unusually throughout the year. In addition, health management measures are needed to prevent various pathogens and viral infections, including mycoplasma pneumonia, which is spreading mainly in children under the age of 12. We heard from immunity expert Cho Jae-yeol, a professor in the Department of Convergence Biotechnology at Sungkyunkwan University, for information that can be helpful in managing our daily immunity against the simultaneous epidemic of respiratory infectious diseases.
– Isn’t there a risk that infection with the influenza virus could lead to pneumonia and sepsis?
“When infected with a virus, macrophages in the airway mucosa, which are the body’s first line of defense, are depleted. You must be careful because secondary infection can easily occur and the virus can spread into the lungs and progress to pneumonia. “If the flu is not taken seriously and pneumonia progresses to sepsis, the risk of complications and death may increase.”
– How should pneumonia be treated?
“Pneumonia is a major cause of death among the elderly with weakened immunity. Bacterial pneumonia is treated by selecting an appropriate antibiotic once the causative microorganism is identified. However, for viral pneumonia such as the flu, antiviral drugs are effective in the early stages of symptom onset, but as time passes, the effectiveness of antiviral drugs becomes less clear. In particular, respiratory viruses are so diverse, including influenza, MERS, and COVID-19, that fundamental prevention or treatment is bound to be difficult. Therefore, it is important to manage your immunity on a daily basis.”
– How can you tell if the body’s immunity is weakened?
“Immunity is a system that provides appropriate defense against harmful substances such as bacteria or viruses that invade from the outside. When your immune system is weakened, the first thing you feel is fatigue, and you can feel fatigue and lethargy even if your activity level is no different from usual. “As fatigue accumulates and immunity decreases, inflammatory diseases in the oral cavity, such as tongue rash, may appear, or the dormant virus may become activated and cause shingles.”
– What should I do to maintain my immunity in winter?
“The flu vaccine requires about two weeks for antibodies to develop after vaccination, so if you have not yet been vaccinated, please get vaccinated as soon as possible. Taking a foot bath or half-body bath, which helps boost immunity, is effective in improving blood circulation and discharging waste products, and can increase body temperature. Additionally, doing moderate-intensity exercise, such as running in place or climbing stairs, for about 30 minutes a day will improve blood circulation and help strengthen immunity. Taking a light walk for 30 minutes every day while being exposed to sunlight also helps synthesize vitamin D and improve immunity. “Eating foods that are good for immunity, such as ginseng and red ginseng, is also helpful.”
– How does red ginseng specifically help the immune system?
“Red ginseng helps both the innate and acquired immune systems. Red ginseng binds to receptors on macrophages responsible for innate immunity and sends an active signal into the cells. Activated macrophages produce substances that can remove infiltrating viruses, bacteria, and cancer cells, and secrete cytokines, which are immunomodulators, to protect our bodies from infection by external viruses. It also activates dendritic cells, which act as a bridge between the innate and acquired immune systems, and increases the activity of natural killer cells (NK cells), which are powerful immune cells. “The acquired immune function is mediated by T cells present in the thymus gland, and red ginseng activates this immune function and helps effectively prevent the invasion of harmful bacteria and viruses.”
– Is red ginseng related to respiratory health?
“There are about 20 types of health functional food ingredients recognized by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety as being able to help with immune function, including red ginseng, ginseng, and Sanghwang mushroom extracts. In particular, research results showing that red ginseng has an immune-related effect against various viruses such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and pneumococcus are continuously being published. Researchers at Sungkyunkwan University’s College of Pharmacy conducted an experiment in which 100 mg/kg of red ginseng and saline solution were administered daily to pneumococcus-infected laboratory mice and observed for 15 days. As a result, only 50% of the group of mice fed only saline solution survived, while only 50% of the mice fed only saline solution survived. The group of mice that were fed survived 100%. In addition, Professor Sangmoo Kang’s team at Georgia State University in the United States found that red ginseng increases cell survival during RSV infection, limits viral replication, and exhibits an antiviral effect that regulates the secretion of many immune cells and cytokines that metastasize to the lungs. did.”
– Is it okay to consume red ginseng along with vaccination?
“There are various research results showing that the efficacy of the vaccine is enhanced when red ginseng is consumed after vaccination. Professor Lee Dong-kwon’s team at Sungkyunkwan University’s College of Pharmacy conducted an experiment in which laboratory mice were administered red ginseng for 15 days while being administered a pneumonia vaccine, and then 7 days later were infected with a pneumococcal strain. As a result, compared to when only the pneumonia vaccine was administered, the antibody production rate increased by about 25% when the vaccine was administered after red ginseng was administered. The survival rate was 30% when only the vaccine was administered, while when both red ginseng and the vaccine were administered, the survival rate increased to 80%. Pneumococci produce reactive oxygen species, and red ginseng inhibits this, preventing cell death and reducing inflammation, thereby enhancing the efficacy of the vaccine. In addition, red ginseng has been shown to promote the phagocytosis of macrophages and to inhibit pneumococcus colony formation.”
2023-12-15 13:00:00
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