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Stress Shrinks the Thymus

estrogen immune stress thymus toxins

You’ve heard that stress affects our immune system, but how exactly?

In his book, “The Stress of Life,” Hans Selye observed that increased cortisol (stress) caused a rapid shrinking (involution) and disintegration (atrophy) of the thymus, as well as the spleen, the lymph nodes, and all other lymphatic structures in the thymicolymphaticus system.

The thymus is where T cells, critical to the adaptive immune system, go to a specialized “school.” There, T cells are taught how to respond to specific pathogens and how to understand the very important difference between your own cells and an invader’s cells. Once they’ve matured (graduated), T cells migrate to other lymphatic tissues and organs where they’re called upon when needed.

Just think about losing such a critical part of your immune system!

Selye also noticed that increased cortisol led to complete disappearance of eosinophil cells - white blood cells key for allergic reactions, asthma and parasites - in the blood. Additionally, he noted that stress caused impaired resistance against germs and toxins, a decrease in the number of lymphocytes, ulcers, and enlarged adrenal cortices.

Without the regulation of the thymus, B calls are more likely to produce auto-antibodies. This is HUGE (hello autoimmunity)! Our body is smart, but stress is stress. There is no difference between emotional, physical, nutritional, chemical, exercise, etc stress. Many things have been directly shown to shrink the thymus gland, including hypothyroidism, hypoglycemia, PUFAs, high estrogen, toxins, radiation, etc.

So how can you reduce stress so that it doesn’t literally destroy your immune system?

It’s more straightforward than you think:
-NOURISH yourself
-Be KIND to your body
-REMOVE toxins, including people
-SLEEP well
-Get in touch with NATURE
-Do things that make you HAPPY
-Learn to LET GO

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This is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare professional before pursuing any changes to your personal healthcare regime.

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References

Abou-Rabia, N. Kendall, M.D. (1994). Involution of the rat thymus in experimentally induced hypothyroidism. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7954684.

Chen, C.L. Huang, W.L. Tsai, J.C. Meng, Y.S. (2020). Mitochondria dynamics and pathogenesis. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340854855_Mitochondria_dynamics_and_pathogenesis?_sg=T7VsvoTG-HBMRkqdRpuOmjqPnJUKkjAL4sYkesog69_6g0OvMOf8mzhFi1rRw5vADxkdAgY9JA-VYEs.

Cozza, E.N. Gomez-Sanchez, C. Foecking, M. (1990). The binding of cortisol to adrenal mitochondria. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/20831503_The_binding_of_cortisol_to_adrenal_mitochondria.

Functional Performance Systems. (2012). Hypothyroidism Causes Shrinking of the Thymus Gland. Retrieved from: https://www.functionalps.com/blog/2012/12/12/hypothyroidism-causes-atrophy-of-the-thymus-gland/.

Haidut. (2020). Glucose is anabolic for thymus, opposes catabolic effects of cortisol. Retrieved from: http://haidut.me/?p=839.

Itoh, S. Hirota, R. (1976). Atrophy of adrenal gland and thymus following cortisol treatment in newborn rats. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1031675.

Peat, R. (2006). Immunodeficiency, dioxins, stress, and the hormones. Retrieved from: http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/immunodeficiency.shtml.

Savino, W. (2006). The Thymus Is a Common Target Organ in Infectious Diseases. Retrieved from: https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.0020062.

Selye, Hans. (1978). The Stress of Life. McGraw Hill: Global.

Young, D.A. (1968). Glucocorticoid Action on Rat Thymus Cell. Retrieved from: https://www.jbc.org/content/244/8/2210.full.pdf.

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Remember: this post is for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you and your personal situation. It shall not be construed as medical advice. The information and education provided here is not intended or implied to supplement or replace professional medical treatment, advice, and/or diagnosis. Always check with your own physician or medical professional before trying or implementing any information read here. While the owner of this website tries to keep the information up to date, there may be things that are out-of-date and out of their control.