We all want to optimise our health as much as possible, and we can feel a little betrayed by our bodies when we get hit with the seasonal bug. For the most part, a few days of rest and filling up on chicken broth usually sees us through, but we’ve got to wonder, are there things we can do to help us not get sick in the first place?
Sleep and appropriate exercise are key in supporting our body, but there are also foods we can eat on a regular basis to support our immune health too.
Make note, we’re saying supporting immune health here and not boosting it. Our immune system is like a radar, it’s constantly on guard for things that could cause us a problem, whether this is a pathogenic bacteria or a rogue cell (resulting in cancer). We want our immune system to work but we don’t want it over-zealous (like in the case of auto-immune conditions), or under-active (this is where cancer cells can cause issues).
Before we look at how to support its function, let’s take a look at how it works in a little more detail.
What is the immune system?
The purpose of the immune system is to defend itself and keep things like bacteria, viruses, and fungi out of the body and then destroy any if they happen to get in.
To do this, it has three lines of defence. We can think of it like our own army.
The innate immune system provides the first line of defence; broadly divided into physical/chemical barriers. The physical barriers include the skin and the lining of the digestive and respiratory tract. You can think of the body like a sausage; the skin keeps everything in, but also things out. So, keeping our skin healthy is a great way of making sure those pesky bugs don’t get inside!
Chemical barriers include tears and saliva along with gastric acid. But also, the microbiome – which is the community of microbes found in the mouth, lungs, gut and on the skin.
We then have the innate immune system – which is for want of a better phrase a row of white blood cells (and other participants) that engulf and destroy invaders.
The third defence is acquired or adaptive immunity – this is the memory bank. The cells involved in this response help the body remember antigens that it has encountered before – so it can mount a quicker response before the harmful pathogen causes any damage. This is the basic premise of a vaccine – when you introduce an antigen to the body, it mounts a response so when it is exposed to it in the real world, the body knows how to deal with it.
The immune system is trained to recognise its own cells as self and leave them to do their jobs. It is trained to recognise anything that isn’t self and attack it.
When it works, it works brilliantly and, well, we survive.
But as you have largely noticed, the immune system is coordinated; it has a number of different forms of defence and therefore a number of different cells. These cells need certain things to do their job and we can get these things, in many cases, from our diets.
Peppers
Red bell peppers contain almost three times the amount of Vitamin C that an Orange does!
Vitamin C contributes to immune defence by supporting how immune cells work. Vitamin C helps encourage the production of white blood cells known as lymphocytes and phagocytes, which help protect the body against infection.
Spinach
Another one rich in Vitamin C, it is also packed full of antioxidants like beta carotene. Not that you would know it because the chlorophyll hides the yellow-orange pigment. Beta carotene is converted to Vitamin A in the body but beta carotene, like all carotenoids is an antioxidant, which protects the body from free radicals. Free radicals are produced by macrophages whilst fighting off invading germs, and these free radicals can then damage healthy cells leading to inflammation, so a diet rich in antioxidants could help mitigate the damage that any seasonal bug causes.
Shellfish
Many types of shellfish are packed full of zinc and this is a particular powerhouse when it comes to immune function.
It has antioxidant effects protecting against reactive oxygen species and also plays a role in skin health – which as we know is our first line of defence.
Zinc helps immune cells figure out the role they are going to play in fighting off invading bugs. Shellfish includes both crustaceans like shrimp, crab or lobster and molluscs like clams, mussels, oysters and scallops.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms contain the mineral selenium, which plays a role in antibody production. Selenium also protects against free radical damage too! Which as we know, free radicals are like the exhaust fumes of our body’s work and this includes when it is working to fight off invading bugs!
Mushrooms also contain beta-glucans which are glucose subunits which can also help the body mount an effective response against viruses and bacteria.
Vitamin D is found in mushrooms which again promotes a healthy immune response to threats. Keep your mushrooms on the windowsill to increase their Vitamin D content even more.
Leafy Greens
Leafy green vegetables are known for their B vitamin content. B vitamins are called upon when we are converting what we eat to energy and when we are busy fighting off invading viruses, our energy levels drop! This is because it takes a literal army to fight it off and this army needs supplies!
The more we ask the body to do, the more supplies it needs, so fill up on those leafy greens like kale, spinach, collard greens, rocket, watercress, beet tops and cabbage!
Red Meat
Red meat is a great source of iron. Iron comes in two forms, haem which comes from meat sources and non-haem found in plant sources.
Iron helps neutrophils destroy bacteria and it also helps immune cells released from them bone marrow become specialised immune cells.
Haem is more easily absorbed than non-haem sources, as plant products often contain phytic acid which binds to minerals (not just iron), inhibiting its absorption.
We can include a range of herbs and spices to support immune health too.
Turmeric
The inclusion of turmeric in the diet has been seen to increase antibodies to particular antigens and overall, it is seen to improve both innate and adaptive immune function. Not only that, but it plays a role in the inflammatory response – making sure it doesn’t get out of hand.
When we are sick, the inflammatory response is normal – it just needs to occur in the right amount, and for the right period of time.
Garlic
Garlic contains sulphur-containing compounds like allicin. It has been used for centuries to help fight off infections. Garlic also functions as a prebiotic which can support the development of a healthy microbiome in the gut – and the gut is home to around 70% of your immune system after all.
Ginger
Many test-tube and animal studies suggest that ginger can enhance immune response. What’s more, ginger has powerful antiviral and antibacterial properties. Ginger is also seen to reduce stress, and as we know, when we are stressed, our ability to fight off viruses and infections becomes compromised. The stress response in the body is like a redirection of resources, and if we liken it to our ancestors – we could have fought that virus off when we were no longer being chased by a bear!
So, along with opting for immune-boosting foods, it’s clear that to optimise our immune health we also need to manage our stress levels. We should also ensure we are getting adequate sleep, along with appropriate exercise. If you’re not sure where to start, get in touch to see how we can help you on your health and wellbeing journey.
Thanks for reading,
Beyond40
