Foods and Habits That Keep Your Immune System Resilient
Mark Hyman
Oct 6, 2025
Episode description
Our immune systems are under more pressure than ever—from processed diets, environmental toxins, stress, and fast-spreading infections—and the result is faster aging and greater vulnerability to disease. As we grow older, “zombie cells” spread inflammation throughout the body, weakening defenses and accelerating decline. But research shows we’re not powerless: the emerging science of immuno-rejuvenation reveals that we can retrain and rebuild our immunity. Through the right foods, lifestyle habits, and even strategic stressors, the body has hidden pathways for repair and renewal—offering clues to how we might slow aging and unlock greater resilience.
In this episode, I discuss, along with Dr. Elizabeth Boham and Dr. Roger Seheult, how we can support the immune system by using food, lifestyle, and hormetic stress to reduce illness and restore resilience while slowing aging.
Dr. Elizabeth Boham is Board Certified in Family Medicine from Albany Medical School, and she is an Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner and the Medical Director of The UltraWellness Center. Dr. Boham lectures on a variety of topics, including Women’s Health and Breast Cancer Prevention, insulin resistance, heart health, weight control and allergies. She is on the faculty for the Institute for Functional Medicine.
Dr. Roger Seheult is currently an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine, and an Assistant Clinical Professor at the School of Medicine and Allied Health at Loma Linda University. Dr. Seheult is quadruple board-certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Diseases, Critical Care Medicine, and Sleep Medicine through the American Board of Internal Medicine. His current practice is in Banning, California where he is a critical care physician, pulmonologist, and sleep physician at Beaver Medical Group. He was formerly the Director for Intensive Care Services at San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital. He lectures routinely across the country at conferences and for medical, PA, and RT societies. Dr. Seheult is also the Co-founder of MedCram, an online medical education company that helps healthcare professionals and also lay people understand medical topics clearly.
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Mindsip insights from this episode:
Avoid antibiotics to protect good bacteria and prevent infections
Taking antibiotics can get rid of the good bacteria that are your first line of defense, making it easier for the next virus or bacteria to take hold and cause another infection.
Feed gut health with polyphenols for anti-inflammatory benefits
Beyond just fiber, polyphenols are essential for a healthy gut as they feed good gut bugs, which then produce anti-inflammatory compounds called postbiotics.
Expose eyes to morning light to reset sleep cycle
Exposing your eyes to bright light in the morning, either from the sun or a 10,000 lux light box, helps advance your internal clock, making it easier to fall asleep at the right time.
Combat zombie cells to reduce inflammation and slow aging
Senescent cells, also known as 'zombie cells,' spread inflammation like a wildfire and can even turn other healthy cells into zombie cells, accelerating the aging process.
Consume phytochemicals to activate healing systems
When we eat phytochemicals, which are a plant's own defense mechanisms, it's like eating a little bit of adversity that activates our body's own healing systems.
Limit cow's milk to reduce ear infection risk in children
For some children, cow's milk is associated with an increased risk of ear infections and mucus production, which can create a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses.
Leverage good stress to activate healing and rejuvenation
The principle of hormesis suggests that a stress that doesn't kill you, like exercise or a cold plunge, tricks your body into activating its own healing, repair, and rejuvenation systems.
Choose high-quality fish oils to preserve anti-inflammatory benefits
Most fish oils are processed in a way that degrades their most anti-inflammatory components, called pro-resolving mediators, which act like brakes on the immune system.
Rejuvenate immune system with Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat
Preliminary data suggests that Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat, containing over 132 phytochemicals, can reverse biological age by rejuvenating the immune system.
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