HEALTH SABOTEUR

HOW you might be lowering your immunity. This week: Too much time online PEOPLE who sit online for more than six hours a day are more prone to catching colds and flu, according to a study from Swansea University.

Those who let their computer time disrupt normal life, preferring it to spending time with friends or family — or those who feel a sense of withdrawal when they can’t get online — are particularly at risk.

The theory is the stress of being offline triggers a reaction that causes the release of hormones such as cortisol, which lowers immune function.

‘People who tend to overuse the internet in this way also tend to have unhealthy lifestyles in other ways, too, such as relying on caffeine or rarely exercising and this might also impact upon immunity,’ says psychologist Professor Phil Reed, who wrote the study.