Author: Riley Pearce
Director of Social Media
Getting a cold is one of the most frustrating illnesses to get because there is no cure for it. You can take cold & sinus medicine to relieve symptoms, or for those brave souls, drop some oregano oil under your tongue. But as it stands, nothing can quickly cure the cold.
New research is suggesting that there is an unlikely way to boost your immunity and decrease your chances of getting a cold. All you have to do is get a tattoo.
Yep, that’s right, a tattoo.
Turns out the more you have the better as every additional tattoo has the potential to strengthen the immune system and make it less likely that you will catch the common cold.
This interesting study from the University of Alabama used the adaptations the body makes after repeated exercise as its model for adaptation and improvement. The idea is that after you exercise, although the first time is difficult, the body begins to adapt after regular exercise and gets stronger because of it. The body physically becomes more resilient to fatigue and soreness the more you exercise.
The researchers looked at 29 individuals before and after their tattoos. Saliva samples of Immunoglobulin A and cortisol were taken at both times. Immunoglobulin A is an important protein that acts as a first line of defense against common infections and viruses like the common cold.
They observed that directly after the tattoo, the immunoglobulin A was slightly lowered because of the stress of the tattoo as it was sent to fight off infection at the site of the tattoo.
Similarly to how our bodies are higher in cortisol directly after exercise and are weaker post-exercise due to the use of resources for energy and muscle contractions, after tattoos our bodies have higher levels of cortisol and lower levels of useful resources.
Then the body adapts. When we exercise our body adapts post-exercise so that we are ready with ample resources and strength to complete the next workout. For the tattoo study, they believe that this lowering of Immunoglobulin A directly after the tattoo will force the body to adapt by producing more immunoglobulin A as a response to that stress.
The more immunoglobulin A we have, the better we are at fighting off colds. Get it?
Although this study is certainly quirky, it presents a good point. Challenging the body on a regular basis can make us stronger in so many ways. Pushing through a painful tattoo may seem unreasonable at times, but when you push through, you gain some (potentially) very cool body art, and a stronger immune system.
If tattooing isn’t for you, there are many other ways to keep the immune system strong, and you out of the doctor’s office. Avoiding smoking is a great way to keep the body working in tip-top shape. As we’ve mentioned before, exercise is an excellent activity that helps the whole body and it’s many integrated systems work well. Ensuring your diet includes fruits and vegetables so you are getting a full profile of vitamins and minerals can help support a healthy immune system. Last, but certainly not least, make sure you are getting enough rest and are managing stress. Lack of sleep doesn’t allow the body to recover, heal, or get stronger. Similarly, if you are constantly stressed and are not taking any steps to manage that stress, then your body will be too busy responding to that, to be able to adequately respond to incoming viruses and infections.
