Tai Chi is a very healthy form of exercise, with a large and diverse group of practitioners. It has become very popular among many people. There are numerous benefits to practicing Tai Chi, one of which is the enhancement of the body’s immune system.
Tai Chi is an ancient health-promoting exercise that has become fashionable. The advantages of practicing Tai Chi are manifold.
Modern science has shown that the degeneration of immune function is a primary cause of aging in the human body and the fundamental reason for illness. The immune system acts like a castle’s defense system; once immunity declines, the castle’s defenses are greatly weakened, losing the ability to resist viral invasions, thereby subjecting the body to disease.
Scientific practice has proven that long-term and correct practice of Tai Chi can significantly enhance the body’s immunity. Combining traditional Tai Chi with scientific nutrition to comprehensively condition the body can recover and strengthen the body’s immune function better and faster.
The improvement of the body’s immune function through Tai Chi is mainly manifested in the increased quantity and enhanced activity of immune cells in peripheral circulating blood. Foreign scientists have noted that practicing Tai Chi for 15 minutes can significantly increase immune cells. Domestic medical researchers have found that practicing Tai Chi once can increase the concentration of secretory immunoglobulin in saliva by 16mg/100, proving that Tai Chi can enhance the body’s immune function, achieving effects that drugs may not easily reach.
Dr. Michael Irwin of the University of California, Los Angeles, conducted trials among healthy adults. He studied 112 healthy individuals aged between 59 and 86 years. He divided them into two groups: one practiced Tai Chi three times a week, while the other attended health education classes. The classes included establishing good dietary habits and methods for eliminating psychological stress and tension. Both groups were then given chickenpox vaccinations. Before and after the vaccinations, participants had regular blood tests to determine their immunity to the virus. After 6 months of Tai Chi practice, the results showed that the Tai Chi group’s immunity against the virus had nearly doubled compared to the health education group. Before vaccination, the average immunity of the Tai Chi group was not significantly different from that of a younger control group, but after combining Tai Chi with vaccination, their average immunity increased by nearly 40% compared to those who did not practice Tai Chi.
Long-term practice of Tai Chi helps improve the immune function of diabetic patients and their control over blood sugar levels. Studies have found that diabetic patients who practiced Tai Chi for 12 weeks saw a significant reduction in AIC levels. Researchers also found an increase in regulatory T cells, which help maintain normal immune system function, and a decrease in potentially harmful killer T cells.
Practicing Tai Chi can improve balance and cardiopulmonary function in the human body. Researchers have found that Tai Chi can improve cardiopulmonary function, thereby enhancing immunity. Additionally, this martial art can improve glucose metabolism levels. Their conclusion is that combining diabetic medication with appropriate Tai Chi practice can improve glucose metabolism and immune function in Type II diabetic patients. This is why many diabetic patients can quickly recover health through Tai Chi rehabilitation.
It’s known that secretory immunoglobulins, which are most abundant in mucosal secretions and play a crucial role in repelling invading microbes, are a key factor in local infection resistance. Their concentration directly affects the immune function of the entire mucosal system. An increase in secretory immunoglobulins in saliva after Tai Chi exercise can help strengthen the immune function of the entire mucosal system. Swallowed saliva can also benefit the enhancement of the digestive system’s mucosal immune function. Practicing Tai Chi with the tip of the tongue lightly touching the upper palate and lightly tapping the teeth can facilitate saliva secretion. When saliva is produced, it should be swallowed immediately and not spit out, considered as “golden fluid and jade dew.” Qi Gong practitioners metaphorically refer to the tongue touching the upper palate as “building a magpie bridge,” believed to facilitate the connection between the Ren and Du meridians, acting to draw “heavenly river water” downwards to nourish the entire body.
In summary, practicing Tai Chi, by guiding qi with intention and training form with qi, can effectively strengthen the entire immune system, achieving a well-immune system and enhancing the attack on internal tumor cells. For cancer patients, enhancing one’s immunity through this form of exercise to kill tumor cells is an excellent method.
