In an age where governments and corporations would rather medicate you and profit on drug sales rather than advising their clients on natural remedies (such as exercise and better diets), it’s important to remember how to boost your immune system through what you eat.
As mentioned in another post about keeping your immune system strong through sleep, hydration, nutrition, exercise, and low stress, there are ways to mitigate bacteria and pathogens with a healthy lifestyle.
What Is the Immune System?
The immune system is a complex organ system in the body comprised of white blood cells, skin, mucus and bacteria. Its central role is to seek, recruit, attack, and destroy foreign invaders, such as bacteria and viruses that enter the body.
Two Main Ways Of Immunity:
- Innate Immunity System
The first level is called the innate immune system. This system provides a quick first line of defense and acts against a wide range of pathogens. The innate immunity system refers to nonspecific defense mechanisms that come into play immediately or within hours of an antigen’s appearance in the body. These mechanisms include physical barriers such as skin, chemicals in the blood, and immune system cells that attack foreign cells in the body. The chemical properties of the antigen activate the innate immune response. - Adaptive Immune System
The second main level of immunity is called the adaptive immune system. This level refers to antigen-specific immune response. The adaptive immune response is more complicated than the innate. The antigen first must be processed and recognized. Once an antigen is identified, the adaptive immune system creates an army of immune cells specifically designed to attack that antigen. Adaptive immunity also includes a “memory” that makes future responses against a specific antigen more efficient.
How To Support Your Immune System
The immune system is a system, not a single entity.
For it to function well, it requires balance and harmony. Researchers are still exploring the effects of diet, exercise, age, psychological stress, and other factors on the immune response. A healthy lifestyle is the single best step you can take toward naturally keeping your immune system strong and healthy. Every system in your body, including the immune system, functions better when following balanced and healthy strategies such as these:
- Eating a whole food diet with plenty of animal proteins
- Exercising regularly
- Staying hydrated
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Getting enough sleep
- Reducing stress
- Drinking alcohol in moderation
- Not smoking
7 Vitamins, Minerals & Antioxidants for Your Immune System
There is evidence that various micronutrient deficiencies (think vitamins and minerals) could alter immune responses. However, the impact of these immune system changes on health is less clear.
If you suspect you have micronutrient deficiencies, eat a varied diet with ample amounts of fruit, meats, and vegetables or support yourself with a good quality multivitamin.
- Vitamin D
- Research shows that vitamin D supplementation may reduce the risk for viral infections, including respiratory tract infections, by reducing the production of pro-inflammatory compounds in the body.
Supplementation: The body produces vitamin D from cholesterol, provided there is an adequate amount of UV light from sun exposure.For moderate supplementation, a 1,000-2,000IU dose of vitamin D3 is sufficient to meet the needs of most of the population. The safe upper limit in the United States and Canada is 4,000IU/day.
- Research shows that vitamin D supplementation may reduce the risk for viral infections, including respiratory tract infections, by reducing the production of pro-inflammatory compounds in the body.
- Vitamin C
- Vitamins C and E are antioxidants that help to destroy free radicals and support the body’s natural immune response. Vitamin C Sources:
- red bell peppers
- oranges
- strawberries
- broccoli
- lemons
Supplementation: Vitamin C is often supplemented to reduce the symptoms of the common cold. Supplementing vitamin C can reduce the duration of a cold by 8-14% in any population, when it is taken as a daily preventative measure, or at the beginning of a cold. The Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of vitamin C is 100-200mg. This is easily attained through the diet, so supplementation of such low doses is usually unnecessary. Higher doses of vitamin C, up to 2,000mg, are used to support the immune system (for athletes) or reduce the duration of the common cold.
- Vitamins C and E are antioxidants that help to destroy free radicals and support the body’s natural immune response. Vitamin C Sources:
- Vitamin E
- Vitamins C and E are antioxidants that help to destroy free radicals and support the body’s natural immune response. Vitamin E Sources:
- almonds
- spinach
- avocado
- olives
Supplementation: Maintaining adequate levels of vitamin E in the body can be achieved through very low daily doses of 15mg (22.4 IU) or less. This dose of vitamin E can be acquired through the diet, making supplementation unnecessary in many cases. An older person supplementing vitamin E to improve immunity should take a 50-200mg dose.
- Vitamins C and E are antioxidants that help to destroy free radicals and support the body’s natural immune response. Vitamin E Sources:
- Beta-Carotene
- Beta-carotene is a powerful antioxidant that can reduce inflammation and boost immune function by increasing disease-fighting cells in the body.Sources:
- sweet potatoes
- carrots
- green leafy vegetables
Supplementation: Beta-carotene has no Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA.) Try to get most of your daily dose from the foods you consume. Eating more fruits and vegetables will ensure that you get enough beta-carotene and other nutrients and antioxidants.
- Beta-carotene is a powerful antioxidant that can reduce inflammation and boost immune function by increasing disease-fighting cells in the body.Sources:
- Zinc
- Zinc is a hugely important mineral that can help boost white blood cells, which defend against invaders. It can be lost via sweat, so it’s important to get this nutrient back in after a strenuous workout! Sources:
- pumpkin seeds
- sesame seeds
- beans
- lentils
Supplementation: Zinc has two standard dosages. The low dosage is 5-10mg, while the high dosage is 25-45mg. The low dose works well as a daily preventative, while the high dosage should be taken by anyone at risk for a zinc deficiency.
- Zinc is a hugely important mineral that can help boost white blood cells, which defend against invaders. It can be lost via sweat, so it’s important to get this nutrient back in after a strenuous workout! Sources:
- Allicin
- Allicin is the principal bioactive compound present in the aqueous extract of garlic. When garlic is chopped or crushed, the alliinase enzyme is activated, and allicin is produced. When cooking with garlic, it is recommended to crush or chop it and leave for 10 mins for the enzyme to be activated. The benefits of garlic to health has been proclaimed for centuries; however, only recently, it’s been proposed as a promising candidate for maintaining a healthy immune system.
- Supplementation: Most studies on garlic use a dosage range of 600-1,200mg a day, usually divided into multiple doses. The minimum effective dose for raw garlic is a single segment of a garlic bulb (called a clove), eaten with meals two or three times a day.
- Allicin is the principal bioactive compound present in the aqueous extract of garlic. When garlic is chopped or crushed, the alliinase enzyme is activated, and allicin is produced. When cooking with garlic, it is recommended to crush or chop it and leave for 10 mins for the enzyme to be activated. The benefits of garlic to health has been proclaimed for centuries; however, only recently, it’s been proposed as a promising candidate for maintaining a healthy immune system.
- Magnesium
- Magnesium plays many crucial roles in the body, such as supporting muscle and nerve function and energy production. Low magnesium levels usually don’t cause symptoms. However, chronically low levels can increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis. It has many other benefits, including for your heart, blood sugar levels, and mood.
- It’s found in a variety of foods ranging from leafy greens to nuts, seeds, and beans. It can also be found in animal protein. Some of the highest magnesium meats include anchovy, crab meat, canned tuna, trout, turkey, chicken breast, chicken, salmon, pork and shrimp. Other magnesium rich meats are beef, sausage, clams, ham, spam and raw bacon.
Supplementation: Magnesium can have a sedative effect, so it is often supplemented before bed. Magnesium oxide is better avoided since its low bioavailability. The recommended form is magnesium glycinate. Standard dose is 200-300 mg of elemental magnesium once daily.
24 Recipes That Will BOOST Your Immune System
Okay, you get it! There’s some great micronutrients that you need out there. Let’s get to the recipes?
