As a review, in Part 1 we had a very general understanding of the immune system and some factors that play a role in its function. In Part 2 we are diving into the foods and nutrients that strengthen and boost our immune systems.
Supplements
I want to begin with discussing supplements. There are lots of supplements out there, all making claims concerning immunity and your immune system, but they have no scientific evidence to back them up …. Supplements are only useful if you have a deficiency in a nutrient. They are also useful if the needed variety of food types with fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh protein sources are not available to an individual.
Your body absorbs and uses vitamins and nutrients better when they come from foods you eat rather than from a supplement. The natural, un-processed version is always the best.
There have been some study results concerning supplements that may strengthen your body’s general immune response:
· Vit C- 1000-2000mg per day reduced duration of colds by 8%.
· Vit D- under guidance from your physician to counter known deficiencies which affect the immune system; it is also recommended to take 10-micrograms in Autumn and Winter due to decreased exposure to sunshine.
· Zinc- in one study, a dosage > 75mg per day beginning on first day of a cold reduced duration of cold by 33%. However, the recommended dosage by the National Institutes of Health is an upper limit of 40 mg for adults and 4 mg for infants.
· Elderberry- in one study, it was found to reduce symptoms of upper respiratory infection.
· Echinacea- showed to recover from cold more quickly.
· Garlic- reduced the incidence of the common cold by 30%.
Eating habits that boost the immune system.
Eating well means emphasizing plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk products. It also means limiting saturated fats, cholesterol, salt and added sugars. Eating well provides multiple nutrients that are needed to support optimal immune system function.
The necessary micronutrients for immune system balance are:
· Vit B6- found in chicken, salmon, tuna, bananas, green vegetables, potatoes with the skin
· Vit C- found in citrus fruit, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, melons, bell peppers (red more than green)
· Vit E- found in almonds, sunflower and safflower oils, sunflower seeds, peanut butter, spinach
· Zinc- found in oysters, red meat, poultry, beans, dairy products, wheat germ, nuts, tofu
· Magnesium- found in whole wheat products, nuts, seeds
Other beneficial nutrients that can boost immune function and provide relief:
· Beta carotenes- found in plant foods like sweet potatoes, spinach, carrots, mangoes, broccoli, tomatoes
· Vit D- found in fatty fish, eggs, milk and 100% juices fortified with D
· Vit A- for short term use and mostly with those with a deficiency, supplementing is beneficial especially with respiratory infections
· Selenium- found in Brazil nuts, is particularly helpful with certain strains of the flu
· Protein- found in milk, yogurt, eggs, beef, chicken, seafood, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils
· Honey- preferably raw, useful with coughs and sore throats and is a good demulcent (relieves minor pain and inflammation in the mucus membranes)
Some guidelines to eating well:
· Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables- the micronutrients they provide are needed by the immune system, and the fiber they give you helps the gut’s microbiome produce important compounds needed by the immune system. Basically, try to eat the rainbow- the more colors you have on your plate with fruits and vegetables to better variety of nutrients you are getting.
· Avoid inflammatory foods- they can contribute to chronic inflammation in your body. Sugar can trigger inflammation so try to make sure that added sugar is only 10% of your daily calories to reduce your risk.
· Keep a healthy gut- your gut contains good bacteria and bad bacteria. Infection happens when we have more bad than good bacteria. Probiotics can restore the balance needed in our bacteria to function well with a healthy immune system and with controlling inflammation. You can take probiotic supplements (look for 30 billion or more colony forming units) or you can consume then naturally in foods such as:
o Yogurt
o Kefir (thick, creamy and drinkable yogurt)
o Buttermilk
o Lassi (a drink from a yogurt or buttermilk)
o Leban (a liquid or semi-solid food from curdled milk)
o Sourdough bread
o Cottage cheese
o Kombucha (fermented, lightly sweetened black or green tea)
o Kvass (traditional Slavic and Baltic fermented beverage from rye bread)
o Tempeh (Indonesian dish form fermented soybeans)
o Fermented pickles
o Fermented sauerkraut
o Kimichi (traditional Korean banchan of salted and fermented vegetables)
o Natto (fermented soybeans)
o Miso soup (Japanese soup made from dashi stock and miso paste)
· Eat more healthy fats- they boost your body’s immune response by decreasing inflammation.
· Try colostrum- the “first milk’ from nursing mammals is high in protective antibodies and in anti-inflammatory properties. It is available in powder form and can be mixed into smoothies and juices.
· Incorporate bone broth- it assists the gut and helps with the health of individual immune cells.
Here is a simplified list of the foods that boost the immune system:
· Citrus fruits- grapefruit, oranges, clementines, tangerines, lemons, limes
· Berries- specifically blueberries and strawberries
· Red bell pepper
· Broccoli
· Garlic
· Ginger
· Spinach, Kale, Collard Greens
· Yogurt with ‘live and active cultures’, Greek yogurt
· Almonds
· Sunflower seeds
· Turmeric
· Green tea
· Papaya
· Kiwi
· Poultry- chicken and turkey
· Shellfish- oysters, crab, lobster, mussels
· Oily fish- salmon, tuna, pilchard are helpful with decreasing the risk of RA
· Olive Oil
· Oregano Oil
· Shitake and Maitake mushrooms, also Reishi mushroom in capsule form
· Sweet potatoes
· Dark Chocolate
· Manuka Honey- from New Zealand and Australia. It has substances that speed up the immune response.
Now that you have a lot of information to digest, excuse the pun 😉, join me in 2 weeks to learn about other lifestyle changes you are able to make to strengthen and improve your immune system health!
References:
Related Post Links:
Naturally Boosting your Immune System Part 3
Next Time:
Stay tuned for my next blog in 2 weeks for a continuation of this topic in Part 3: 13 Lifestyle Changes for a Healthy Immune System!
Author: Jen Hassaj | 2-7-2024
Comments