How to Enhance Your Immune System | Dr. Roger Seheult

My guest is Dr. Roger Seheult, MD, a board-certified physician in internal medicine, pulmonary diseases, critical care, and sleep medicine at Loma Linda University. We discuss the powerful benefits of light therapy, including infrared light, red light, and sunlight, for improving mitochondrial function in all the body’s organs. We also explore ways to reduce the risk of influenza, colds, and other illnesses that affect the lungs, sinuses, and gut.

Topics include the flu shot, whether handwashing truly prevents illness transmission, and treatments for long COVID and mold toxicity. We review the efficacy of N-acetylcysteine (NAC), the power of hydrotherapy for combating infections, and strategies for improving sleep and overall health. Additionally, we discuss air quality. This episode provides actionable, science-based tools for preventing and treating infectious illnesses.

Articles

• Melatonin and the Optics of the Human Body (Melatonin Research)
• The Green Heart Project: Objectives, Design, and Methods (medRxiv [Preprint])
• Weeklong improved colour contrasts sensitivity after single 670 nm exposures associated with enhanced mitochondrial function (Scientific Reports)
• Light stimulation of mitochondria reduces blood glucose levels (Journal of Biophotonics)
• Associations of Outdoor Temperature, Bright Sunlight, and Cardiometabolic Traits in Two European Population-Based Cohorts (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism)
• Avoidance of sun exposure as a risk factor for major causes of death: a competing risk analysis of the Melanoma in Southern Sweden cohort (Journal of Internal Medicine)
• Higher ultraviolet light exposure is associated with lower mortality: An analysis of data from the UK biobank cohort study (Health & Place)
• Sunlight and Protection Against Influenza (HKS Faculty Research Working Paper Series)
• Autumn COVID-19 surge dates in Europe correlated to latitudes, not to temperature-humidity, pointing to vitamin D as contributing factor (Scientific Reports)
• Cardiopulmonary and hematological effects of infrared LED photobiomodulation in the treatment of SARS-COV2(Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology)
• Effects of Near-Infrared Light on Well-Being and Health in Human Subjects with Mild Sleep-Related Complaints: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study (Biology)
• Induction of gamma-interferon activity by elevated temperatures in human B-lymphoblastoid cell lines (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
• Early Treatment with Pegylated Interferon Lambda for Covid-19 (New England Journal of Medicine)
• Sunlight: Time for a Rethink? (Journal of Investigative Dermatology)
• The Value of Sanitarium Treatment in Respiratory Diseases (Life and Health)
• Body temperature variation controls pre-mRNA processing and transcription of antiviral genes and SARS-CoV-2 replication (Nucleic Acids Research)
• Why Blood Type Seems to Be Linked With COVID-19 Risk (JAMA)
• Attenuation of influenza-like symptomatology and improvement of cell-mediated immunity with long-term N-acetylcysteine treatment (European Respiratory Journal)
• Essential Oil from Eucalyptus globulus (Labill.) Activates Complement Receptor-Mediated Phagocytosis and Stimulates Podosome Formation in Human Monocyte-Derived Macrophages (Molecules)
• Effect of forest bathing trips on human immune function (Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine)
• Effect of phytoncide from trees on human natural killer cell function (International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology)
• Brighter nights and darker days predict higher mortality risk: A prospective analysis of personal light exposure in >88,000 individuals (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America)
• Light exposure during sleep impairs cardiometabolic function (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America)
• Core mitochondrial genes are down-regulated during SARS-CoV-2 infection of rodent and human hosts (Science Translational Medicine)
• Protective effect of COVID-19 vaccination against long COVID syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis(Vaccine)
• Epistolary Healing: Exploring the Therapeutic Benefits of Letter Writing in Medical Practice (International Journal of Formal Methods and Research)
• Forgiveness by God, Forgiveness of Others, and Psychological Well-Being in Late Life (Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion)

Other Resources

• The HEAL Study (Green Heart Louisville)
• UV Index Apps (EPA)
• UV Index Search (EPA)
• Nobel prize for light therapy as treatment for lupus (Nobel Prize)
• Nobel prize for therapeutic value of malaria-induced fever (Nobel Prize)
• The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality (EPA)
• CBC Results Explained Clearly (MedCram)
• ECG Watch: How it Works (MedCram)
• Heart Failure Explained Clearly (MedCram)

Huberman Lab Episodes Mentioned

• Dr. Teo Soleymani: How to Improve & Protect Your Skin Health & Appearance
• Dr. Samer Hattar: Timing Light, Food, & Exercise for Better Sleep, Energy & Mood
• Dr. Ellen Langer: Using Your Mind to Control Your Physical Health & Longevity

People Mentioned

• Neil Nedley: internal medicine physician, president of Weimar Institute
• Robert Fosbury: astronomer, European Southern Observatory
• Wilhelm Röntgen: German physicist, known for discovering x-rays, Nobel laurate
• Glen Jeffery: professor of neuroscience, University College London
• Florence Nightingale: English nurse and social reformer
• Ellen G White: American author
• Amy Honmyhr: holistic health practitioner
• Charles Czeisler: professor of sleep medicine, Harvard Medical School
• Emmanuel Mignot: professor of sleep medicine, Stanford University
• Takashi Amano: Japanese aquarist and designer