How to Enhance Your Immune System | Dr. Roger Seheult

Andrew Huberman

Feb 24, 2025

Episode description

My guest is Dr. Roger Seheult, M.D., 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 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.

Read the full episode show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/3B2olpP

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*Dr. Roger Seheult*
Med Cram: https://www.medcram.com
Academic profile: https://llu.edu/academics/faculty/seheult-roger/education
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-seheult-514147b8

*Timestamps*
00:00:00 Dr. Roger Seheult
00:02:16 Avoiding Sickness, Immune System, Tool: Pillars of Health, NEWSTART
00:08:03 Sponsors: Joovv & Eight Sleep
00:10:46 Sunlight, Mitochondria, Tool: Infrared Light & Melatonin
00:19:09 Melatonin Antioxidant, Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)/Free Radicals
00:26:38 Infrared Light, Green Spaces, Health & Mortality
00:31:35 Infrared Light, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Disease
00:38:46 Sunlight & Cancer Risk?, Tools: UV Light, Clothing & Sunlight Exposure
00:41:01 Sponsors: AG1 & LMNT
00:43:32 Sunlight, Incidence of Influenza
00:48:41 Tools: Sunlight Exposure Duration, Winter Months
00:55:18 Infrared Lamps?, Winter Sunlight Exposure; Obesity & Metabolic Dysfunction
00:59:48 Cloudy Days; Sunlight, Primitive Therapy, Hospitals
01:11:33 Sponsor: Function
01:13:21 Artificial Lights, Hospitals & Light Therapy?, ICU Psychosis
01:22:16 Sleep & Darkness, Tools: Eye Mask, Bathroom Navigation; Meals & Light
01:28:27 Influenza, Flu Shots, Swiss Cheese Model; Flu Shot Risks?
01:38:13 Masks?, Flu; Handwashing
01:42:16 Sponsor: Our Place
01:43:57 Water, Sodium; Innate Immune System, Fever & Hydrotherapy
01:53:46 Fever, Heat Hydrotherapy, Interferon & Immune System
01:58:25 Cold Hydrotherapy, Vasoconstriction & White Blood Cells
02:09:56 N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC), Glutathione, White Clots, Flu
02:19:28 Tool: NAC Dose & Regimen; Mucous, Flu Symptoms
02:25:25 Zinc Supplementation, Copper; Exogenous Interferon
02:28:40 Eucalyptus Oil, Inhalation
02:32:22 Air, Smoking, Vaping, Nicotine Gum
02:36:49 Fresh Air, Forest Bathing, Tool: Go Outdoors
02:40:09 Nature vs Inside Environments, Dark Days/Bright Nights Problem
02:52:38 Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Intermittent Fasting, Sunlight
03:00:43 Smell Loss Recovery
03:05:04 Mold Toxicity, Lungs, Germ vs Terrain Theory, Immunocompromised
03:11:46 Trust, Spirituality, Community, Faith; Forgiveness
03:19:46 Hospital Admission, Tool: Asking Questions
03:25:42 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow & Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

#HubermanLab #Science #Health #ImmuneSystem

Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

Episode description

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Utilize red light therapy to lower glucose levels

In a clinical study, exposing subjects' backs to red light after a glucose challenge significantly lowered their peak blood sugar levels, suggesting improved mitochondrial efficiency.

#glucose

#red-light

Leverage infrared light to boost mitochondrial melatonin production

Mitochondria produce their own melatonin in response to infrared light from the sun, which acts as a powerful on-site antioxidant to protect them from damage.

#infrared

#mitochondria

Raise core body temperature to boost interferon production

Raising your core body temperature to 39°C (102.2°F) can cause a tenfold increase in the secretion of interferon, a key antiviral molecule in your innate immune system.

#body-temperature

#immune-system

Prioritize sunlight exposure over smoking for better longevity

A 20-year study of 30,000 women found that avid sun-seeking smokers had the same mortality rate as non-smoking women who actively avoided the sun.

#longevity

#sunlight

Utilize cold exposure to boost immune cell circulation

A cold shower or plunge causes vasoconstriction that mechanically knocks white blood cells off the walls of your blood vessels and into circulation, a process called demargination.

#cold-therapy

#immune-system

Take 600mg of NAC twice daily to reduce flu symptoms

Taking 600mg of NAC twice daily during flu season was shown in a study to dramatically reduce the severity of flu symptoms, though not the rate of infection itself.

#study

#supplement

Plant trees to reduce inflammation markers in communities

A study in Louisville, Kentucky found that planting 8,000 trees in a neighborhood reduced residents' inflammation marker (hs-CRP) by 13% over a few years.

#environment

#inflammation

Address mitochondrial dysfunction to combat long Covid effects

Research indicates that long Covid is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, specifically a down-regulation in the body's ability to metabolize fatty acids for energy.

#metabolism

#mitochondria

Ask informed questions to secure better hospital care

To ensure you or a loved one receives the best possible hospital care, ask intelligent and specific questions about the condition to show you are informed and engaged.

#healthcare

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