Immune System and Inflammation: what the experts say

The Big Picture

Across these episodes, the immune system emerges as something shaped heavily by daily habits rather than only by medicine or luck. Dr. Roger Seheult, speaking on Huberman Lab, argues that enhancing immunity comes down to the same things that prevent illness of any kind. He organizes them with the NEWSTART mnemonic, coined by Dr. Neil Nedley: Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sunlight, Temperance, Air, Rest and Trust [1]. Andrew Huberman, in two solo episodes, frames immunity as three layers of defense: physical barriers, the fast but general innate system, and the precise, memory-forming adaptive system [2][3]. He also stresses that the nervous system and immune system communicate in ways that can be deliberately used [3]. He notes that a decade or two ago this idea "would have been laughed out of academic conferences," but it is now backed by dozens if not hundreds of peer-reviewed studies [3].

Inflammation runs through every conversation as a double-edged force. Seheult describes exercise as having a J-shaped relationship with inflammation [1]. He frames COVID-19 as "a disease of timing," where the goal is to support the innate interferon response early and calm inflammation late [4]. On The Mel Robbins Podcast, Dr. Sara Szal addresses autoimmunity, which affects women in about 80% of cases according to the episode title [6]. She describes it as a "war" that small, consistent changes can quiet, letting the body heal [6].

Where the Experts Agree

Moderate exercise beats both extremes. Seheult says doing no exercise raises inflammation, mild to moderate exercise lowers it, and very intense training can leave elite athletes more vulnerable to illness [1]. He repeats this "moderate rather than extreme" advice on The School of Greatness [5]. Huberman likewise recommends exercising at the right intensity and duration "and not too much" [2].
Sleep is foundational. Seheult recommends seven to eight hours, saying it improves vaccine antibody responses and how often people get sick [1]. Huberman lists sleeping enough among his core tools [2] and adds a specific variation, sleeping with the feet elevated [3].
Heat exposure has a role. Seheult links sauna and cold plunges to effects on the innate immune system and interferon [1]. He also describes an old practice of heating the body and then cooling it, drawing on 1918 sanitarium records, a Nobel Prize and modern lab data on fever and interferon [4]. Huberman also recommends the sauna [2] and heat exposure [3].
Breathing and the airways matter. Huberman emphasizes nasal breathing and a nasal microbiome [2][3], plus a specific breathing protocol [3]. Szal recommends slow breathing to create a sense of safety [6]. Seheult's "Air" pillar covers avoiding pollutants and breathing beneficial compounds such as phytoncides released by trees [1].
Stress and the mind influence immunity. Seheult's "Trust" pillar centers on faith and community to relieve stress [1]. Huberman points to mindset and dopamine [3]. Szal advises identifying and addressing stress and trauma and using body-based practices [6].
Diet and the gut are levers. Seheult urges eating food as natural as possible and avoiding processed foods [1]. Huberman highlights the gut microbiome and fermented foods [2][3]. Szal suggests a three-week elimination of gluten, dairy, sugar and alcohol [6].
Some supplements recur. Vitamin D, zinc and N-acetylcysteine appear in both Huberman's remedy grading [2] and Seheult's toolkit [4].

Where They Differ

The experts largely agree on fundamentals, but their emphases differ.

Seheult puts sunlight at the center. It is the pillar he is "most passionate about" [1]. He notes that roughly 52% of the sun's energy is infrared versus about 38% visible light [1]. He makes a particular case for vitamin D for people with darker skin, at higher latitudes, or in winter [4]. Huberman's passages do not foreground sunlight, focusing instead on the nervous system, breathing and the microbiome [2][3].
Huberman is more selective about remedies. He explicitly "grades" popular remedies, from vitamin C and echinacea to vitamin D, zinc and NAC [2], and debunks myths about cold weather and contagiousness [2]. Seheult offers a supplement toolkit that includes quercetin and zinc "within limits." He openly flags which studies are observational, small pilots or still pending [4].
Szal's scope is different. Her focus is chronic autoimmune disease rather than infection [6]. Her emphasis on testing, elimination diets and trauma is more personalized than the general prevention advice of the other two.
Timing versus boosting. Seheult's framework of supporting immunity early and calming inflammation late [4] adds nuance to Huberman's "boost immune function" framing [3]. Seheult's view implies that more immune activity is not always better.

Practical Takeaways

Aim for seven to eight hours of sleep, which Seheult links to better vaccine responses and fewer illnesses [1]. Huberman also suggests trying sleep with the feet elevated [3].
Exercise regularly at mild to moderate intensity and avoid chronic extreme training [1][2][5]. After long fasted workouts, Huberman advises eating carbohydrates [2].
Breathe through your nose and be mindful of touching your eyes and face [2]. Use slow breathing to calm the stress response [6].
Eat minimally processed food and include fermented foods for the gut microbiome [1][3]. If autoimmunity is a concern, Szal suggests considering a three-week elimination of gluten, dairy, sugar and alcohol [6].
Use heat, such as sauna or a heating-then-cooling routine, as a low-cost tool for innate immunity [1][2][4].
Get sunlight and pay attention to vitamin D, especially if you have darker skin, live at higher latitudes, or it's winter [1][4]. Keep zinc within limits [4].
Spend time in nature for its air and resilience benefits, and invest in community and faith to relieve stress [1][5].
Use these habits alongside medical care, not instead of it, as Szal stresses [6]. Stay skeptical and curious about the evidence, as Seheult urges [5].