Jeff Bland (Part 2): The Science of Immune Aging—and How to Reverse It

Mark Hyman

Jun 4, 2025

Episode description

Dr. Jeff Bland has been a guiding force in my life—and in the world of Functional Medicine. For decades, his work has helped shift medicine away from naming and blaming disease, toward truly understanding and addressing its root causes. In this episode of The Dr. Hyman Show, Jeff and I continue our conversation about how to turn the tide on chronic disease—starting with the immune system.

We discuss:

• How aging quietly weakens your immune system—and why you don’t have to accept it

• How phytochemicals act as gene regulators—not just antioxidants

• Why your diet might be accelerating immune dysfunction (and how to fix it)

• Why Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat may be the most powerful food you’re not eating (yet)

• What it means to rejuvenate your immune system—and how to start doing it today

This conversation is personal for both of us—and a powerful reminder that when we care for the body, it has an incredible capacity to heal.

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Mindsip insights from this episode:

Reframe autoimmune disease as a sign of a strong immune response

Autoimmune disease in women may not be a sign of a weak immune system, but a highly adept one that's over-responding to environmental threats.

#autoimmunity

Differentiate between friendly and angry fat for better health understanding

There are two types of obesity: 'friendly fat' which is metabolically healthy, and 'angry fat' which is driven by an inflamed immune system and produces inflammatory markers.

#metabolism

#obesity

Calculate Immune Inflammatory Index to assess inflammation

The Immune Inflammatory Index, a simple calculation using values from a standard blood count, can reveal your body's inflammatory state.

#blood-test

#inflammation

Measure immune age to predict longevity

The single best predictor of your year of death is the biological age of your immune system, which can be measured through epigenetic testing.

#immune-system

#longevity

Reverse immune aging with Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat in 90 days

A pilot study showed that consuming Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat polyphenols daily for 90 days reduced the rate of immune cell aging by 47%.

#aging

#immune-system

Utilize simple tests to assess immune health

You can infer your immune health using readily available tests like a Complete Blood Count (CBC), hs-CRP, and Secretory IgA, which correlate well with complex epigenetic testing.