Vitamin D, Exercise Boost NK Cells, Plus New Obesity & Viral Load Study

A fascinating new study found correlations with NK Cell activity, vitamin D status and exercise habits. Since NK cells are a vitally important first-line defense against pathogens, these findings have timely, real-world implications. Support your Vitamin D levels this Fall and Winter with Essential Fatty Nutrients by MYOXCIENCE Nutrition: http://bit.ly/vitamin-d-k-2-blend Save with code: Podcast Grab the blood work cheat-sheet: https://bit.ly/3dyy4zM Link to Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3E4VU1Z Time Stamps: 0:00 Intro 01:15 Your adaptive immune system provides immunologic memory. 01:40 Natural killer cells are part of your innate immune system, which has no memory and provides an all or nothing response. 01:50 Increased expression of innate immune system activation is found with obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension, and other chronic inflammatory diseases. 02:55 Overweight individuals tend to have a higher viral load. 03:10 Natural killer cells deal with pathogens, bacteria, and viruses and cytokines released by natural killer cells, help to signal your adaptive immune system. 04:00 Natural killer cells are important in preventing cancer. 04:15 Vitamin D and exercise are major determinants of natural killer cell activity. 04:40 Age, gender, vitamin D and exercise are associated with immune function determined by natural killer cell activity. 04:45 Age was a determining factor for low natural killer cell activity in men, but not women. 05:10 Sufficient levels of vitamin D reduced risk of low natural killer cell activity in men. 05:30 Exercise reduced risk of low natural killer cells in women and in both men and women over the age of 60. 05:45 A natural killer cell assay is not commercially available here in the US. 07:30 Decreased natural killer cell function in immunologically normal elderly is associated with increased risk for severe infections and mortality in general. 07:40 Natural killer cells may play a critical role in the early immune response. 08:20 An exhausted innate immune system can become depleted with a severe infection. 10:20 Medium to high intensity exercise decreased the risk for very low natural killer cell activity in women. 11:50 The vitamin D level sweet spot appears to be between 40 and 60 nanograms/ml. 13:25 Low natural killer cell activity in women did not seem be impacted by age as much as with men. 13:55 The size of your thymus gland and the amount of T cells that you produce decline (immunosenescence) as you age. Natural killer cells may compensate for this. 14:40 Over-exercise is associated with greater odds of low natural killer cell activity. 15:30 Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency were associated with increased susceptibility to COVID-19 17:00 Immune system assays are expensive. You can triangulate looking at things like white blood cell count, C-reactive protein. 20:45 Each 1 unit increase in BMI, reflected a 12% increase in the risk for severe COVID-19.