Stress May Be Affecting Your Immune Age, According To A New Study — Here's What That Means

The study, conducted by the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), displays the far-reaching effects that stress can have on the body. While we already knew that anxious feelings may manifest in your gut, we now know this can extend to other health concerns as well.

In the study of 5,744 adults over 50, researchers explored the degrees of stress that participants were exposed to throughout their lives, specifically taking into account:

Using a questionnaire to tally up "stress scores," the study found that those participants with higher scores also had older "immune profiles," particularly informed by T-cell (T lymphocyte) results.

The study is also limited in that reporting on stressful life events for participants ended in 2012, missing some pretty major events that occurred after that time, which may have further informed the results. The type of stress is also limited to five categories, and the authors agree that adding "job stress" and other categories into later studies may be beneficial.

Building an arsenal of handy stress-busting habits and tools can help you to stay healthy even as you age, and from supplements to breathing exercises there's no shortage of options for keeping your immunity in check as well. Here are some of our go-to immune-supporting tips:

In this cutting-edge formula: Quercetin phytosome and beta-glucans lead the targeted immune support, while vitamins C and D and the mineral zinc deliver foundational immunity essentials; taking this supplement daily (especially when combined with a balanced lifestyle and stress-managing tools) can help support your body's natural defenses.* 

When you're stressed it's likely that your breathing patterns are going to fall out of whack, making it easier to become even more stressed. Try following the 4-7-8 breathing technique to get things back in check. It's as simple as inhaling for four seconds, holding for seven seconds, and exhaling for eight seconds.

If you're living off the mantra "Sleep is for the weak," you may be setting yourself up for failure, as getting plenty of rest is essential for modulating stress levels, immune function, and staying healthy. "The No. 1 lifestyle habit I recommend is getting sufficient deep, restorative sleep," Ella Davar, R.D., CDN, previously told mbg. Yes, getting your eight hours really is that important. 

Exercise plays a vital function in a healthy lifestyle, helping to both ease stress and improve immunity. Gentle and restorative exercises such as yoga, Pilates, and walking are all great options, and a 2019 review in the Journal of Sport and Health Science reveals that exercise really can improve our immune response1.

Integrating immune-boosting hacks and stress-soothing tactics into some of your busier days is a great way to age gracefully—and who doesn't want that?