Scientist tattoos strengthen our immune system

People with many tattoos are better protected from colds
There are more and more people with tattoos. Today, this type of body jewelry is better accepted by society all a few decades ago. Whether in color or only in black, tattoos are becoming increasingly popular. Alabama University scientists have now discovered that tattoos can also have a positive effect on our immune system.

Many people get tattooed because they think that tattoos look good and are a personal work of art for life. However, tattoos could have quite different effects on our body. For example, in the past there has been speculation about an increased risk of cancer due to tattoo-coloring pollutants. Researchers from Alabama University have now discovered in their research that tattoos can also have a positive health effect and strengthen our immune system. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "American Journal of Human Biology".

Tattoos protect against various infections
In the past, wearers of tattoos still faced many prejudices. Often one heard that only sailors and inmates of prisons were tattooed. Things are different nowadays. More and more people are tattooed and society now accepts tattoos much better. Only in some workplaces such body painting is undesirable. Such a tattoo not only beautifies our body, it can even help to strengthen our immune system, the researchers explain. In fact, tattoos could actually protect against various infections.

Tattoos can strengthen the immune system
Do tattoos really boost our immune system? If you get stung your first tattoo, your immune system improves only minimally. However, letting more tattoos pierce strengthens your immune system. In fact, tattoos can actually help you stop getting sick that often, say the doctors. First, a tattoo is a burden and stress for our body. It weakens our defenses and may cause us to catch cold faster. After some time, however, the body returns to its normal state, explain the researchers. If we let ourselves be stung again and again new tattoos, the organism is almost under a sort of constant stress. As a result, the body raises its inner setpoints, so to speak, which can lead to our immune system and our immune system becoming stronger, the experts explain.

Tattoos "train" the immune system
Getting a tattoo, according to the researchers is similar to building muscle in a gym. The sufferers perform their exercises, which initially causes their muscles initially hurt, explain the doctors. But if they continue to train, the pain is always lower and eventually disappear completely. In addition, the muscles grow and we are getting stronger, explain the experts. In their study, the researchers examined nearly 30 participants and asked them to answer specific questions about their tattoos and the number of their tattoos. In addition, the doctors wanted to know the period in which the tattoos were stung. In addition, the scientists took saliva samples from the participants before and after the subjects had received their tattoos.

Tattoos are initially a heavy stress for our body
When participants received their first tattoo, they had a lower level of immunoglobulin than the participants with many tattoos. This could be due to the immunosuppressive effect of cortisol. This hormone is said to reduce the stress of tattooing, explain the researchers. The decline of immunoglobulin A was decreasing, the more tattoos affected. Immunoglobulin A is our defense against some of the common infections, such as colds, the experts add. (As)