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Staying healthy and avoiding infections has never been more important. Social distancing can help prevent other people’s germs from getting to you, and frequent hand washing will kill them if they get to you. But what can you do to improve your body’s ability to fight off germs if you catch them despite your best efforts?
Foods That Help With Your Immune System
What you eat can have a big impact on how well your immune system works. “It’s very important that older adults eat a nutrient-dense diet,” says Kathryn L. Tucker, PhD, director of the Center for Population Health at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Immune responses decline with age, and many older adults have low-level chronic inflammation and co-morbidities, such as heart disease and diabetes, that can also interfere with the body’s defenses. And they may be less effective at absorbing many infectious vitamins and minerals.
Quarantine Cuisine: Easy Meals To Support A Healthy Immune System
Getting your immune system in fighting shape doesn’t happen overnight. “I don’t think you can suddenly change your diet today and have a happier immune system tomorrow,” says Philip C. Calder, Ph.D., professor of nutritional immunology at the University of Southampton in the UK. But boosting your diet now can pay off in the long run with fewer sick days and better overall health.
The immune system is often compared to the police. It consists of a complex network of molecules, cells, tissues and organs and patrols everywhere in the body. One part of the force, the innate immune system, is on the front lines—in the skin, saliva, gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts, and elsewhere—and acts quickly to thwart foreign invaders. The other part, the adaptive (or acquired) immune system, works all day to track down invaders that have breached the first line of defense and helps make antibodies against them.
Because the components of the immune system are so diverse, keeping it healthy means getting a range of vitamins and minerals, which often work together to perform dozens of immune-boosting functions. For example, vitamin A is important for healthy skin and cells in the gastrointestinal tract. Vitamins C and E are antioxidants that protect cells and tissues from the influx of harmful free radicals that are created when the immune system fights off an invader. B vitamins (B6, B12 and folic acid) are needed to create new immune cells and trigger an immune response. Other nutrients that nourish your immune system include copper, iron, magnesium, omega-3 fats, protein, selenium, vitamin D, and zinc.
Immunity Boosting Tips For Senior Citizens Against Covid 19
The best diet to protect your body is based on whole, minimally processed foods, mostly prepared at home. Eating too many foods high in saturated fat, sugar and salt can weaken your immune system. In addition to many nutrients and phytochemicals, plant foods also contain fiber, which nourishes the healthy bacteria in your gut. These bacteria also help with immunity, Calder says.
Fruits and vegetables provide the body with most of vitamins A and C, which are important fighters against disease-causing germs. Foods are also generally rich in antioxidants, which suppress inflammation and protect immune (and other) cell membranes from harmful oxidation. Aim for at least 2½ cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruit a day. Mix the type and color of foods to get a wide variety of nutrients. Tucker recommends eating at least one green vegetable each day, such as spinach, kale, Swiss chard, broccoli, arugula, or kale. Peppers, potatoes, sweet potatoes and carrots are also high in vitamin A and/or C. Citrus fruits are high in C, as are tomatoes, strawberries and kiwi.
Nuts and seeds are an excellent source of important vitamins and minerals, fiber, protein and healthy fats. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant and most people don’t get anywhere near the daily allowance (15 mg). Chewing a handful of sunflower seeds or almonds daily will help, Tucker says.
Defend Your Immune System With Plant Based Foods
Almonds also contain copper and magnesium, which research shows are involved in DNA repair and antibody production. Sunflower seeds contain selenium, copper, folate and zinc. (Zinc deficiency is responsible for 16 percent of lower respiratory tract infections worldwide.) Hazelnuts, pistachios, and walnuts are full of B6.
Beans and whole grains are packed with nutrients and contain fiber that helps restore healthy gut bacteria. Lentils are a good source of copper, folate and iron; garbanzo and black beans provide zinc; and cranberry beans are high in folic acid. Whole grain breads and cereals, as well as whole grains themselves (barley, bulgur, wheat berries, oats and quinoa, among others), contain B vitamins, copper, iron, magnesium and zinc.
Healthy oils like olive, flax, and canola contain omega-3 fats that help control inflammation and regulate immune cell activity. A tablespoon or two of oil-based dressings can also help your body absorb the antioxidant carotenoids (which the body converts to vitamin A) and other nutrients in greens and other vegetables.
How Diet Can Support Your Immune System
“You need animal foods to provide what plants can’t provide,” Calder says. “A good example is vitamin B12, meat is a very good source.” Some vitamins and minerals are more available in animal foods than in plant foods. For example, zinc is more easily absorbed from seafood and meat than from beans and whole grains. Sufficient protein is also a building block for immune cells.
Meat and fish. While you don’t need them on your plate at every meal (a few times a week is fine), they provide key nutrients. Lean meat and poultry contain sufficient amounts of B vitamins (especially vitamin B12, which is deficient in about 20 percent of the elderly), iron, selenium, and zinc. Molluscs are a good source of zinc, copper and selenium. Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel are important sources of omega-3 fats, as well as B vitamins, selenium and vitamin D, which can protect against upper respiratory infections and an overactive immune system.
Dairy products will add vitamin A, some B groups, zinc, magnesium and selenium to your supply. Fortified dairy products, such as milk and yogurt, can supply vitamin D that is difficult to obtain. Yogurt (preferably plain to avoid added sugar) is also teeming with probiotic bacteria that help support a healthy gut microbiome. In two studies of healthy older adults, one lasting more than 8 weeks and the other lasting more than 12 weeks, those who ate about 3 ounces of yogurt a day had fewer colds than those who drank milk.
Now Is The Time To Boost Your Immune System
Supplements for the immune system have been flying off store shelves lately. However, experts warn against their use in most cases. You run the risk of getting too many nutrients. For example, too much zinc can block copper absorption, and high levels of folic acid can mask vitamin B12 deficiency. Herbal and other remedies such as elderberry tincture and colloidal silver (silver molecules suspended in liquid) promoted on social media as ways to kill the coronavirus are unproven and potentially harmful. IP-6 (phytic acid), which is promoted as an antioxidant, can lead to calcium, iron and zinc deficiencies, and polyphenols from green tea extracts can reduce the absorption of iron, folic acid and vitamin C.
It’s best to get the nutrients you need from food so you don’t miss out on other beneficial components like phytonutrients. The exception is vitamin D. Since more than 80 percent of older Americans don’t get enough from their diet alone, Kathleen Tucker of the University of Massachusetts Lowell recommends taking supplements. The daily requirement for people aged 51 to 70 is 600 IU; more than 70 is 800 MO.
Jennifer Cook is an award-winning freelance writer who writes for Consumer Reports on health, wellness, soul and the environment. He lives in New York’s Hudson Valley on a farm built in the 1840s. An avid hiker and dancer, she is fortunate to live near wetlands and wildlife and has easy access to culture and delicious food. Suddenly the world has changed dramatically and now is the time to improve your immune system by choosing foods that are known to boost the immune system.
Foods To Help Boost Your Immune System
As COVID-19 (coronavirus) affects our world, everyone wants to know what they can do to stay healthy. Of course, the first line of defense is to wash your hands (for at least 20 seconds) throughout the day.
There are other foods that also help boost the immune system, such as almonds, spinach, green tea, wheat grass, papaya, kiwi, poultry, sunflower seeds, and shellfish. Try adding some of these immune boosters to your diet every day.
For more ideas on how to boost your immune system or any other nutrition-related questions, call our office in Austin, Texas at 512-693-7045 to learn more about how to best fuel your unique individual’s body with you are! At iLiveWell Nutrition, we have several registered and licensed nutritionists available to work with you both in person and via telemedicine sessions.
Foods That Support Your Immune System
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