Boast your immune system with this diet.

Your diet plays a part in strengthening your immune system. Sadly, too many of us don’t eat enough of the fresh fruits, vegetables and other foods we need to keep ourselves healthy year-round. You can’t just eat an orange or grapefruit and expect one quick burst of vitamin C to prevent a cold.

A truly healthy immune system depends on a balanced mix of vitamins and minerals over time, plus normal sleep patterns and a good dose of exercise.

The role of diet in promoting a strong immune system begins before you get sick. Promoting a strong immune function through consuming a consistent, high-quality diet will make fighting off illness faster and easier.

With some exceptions, it’s best to get your vitamins and minerals from your food rather than in pill form.

Good nutrition is necessary before, during and after an infection. Maintaining a healthy diet is therefore very important. A healthy dietary pattern is central to keep the immune system working at its best, hence preventing the body from diseases.

A healthy dietary pattern entails eating a variety of foods that includes meals consisting of foods from the three (3) main groups.

These include;

• body building foods,
•  energy giving foods, and
• protective foods (fruits and vegetables).
•  This is because no single food can supply the body’s nutrient needs.

 

Eat a variety of locally available foods within each food group and across all the food groups every day to ensure adequate intake of essential nutrients. This builds your immunity to diseases and facilitates healing from illnesses .

Eat whole grains (e.g. unprocessed maize, millet, wheat, brown rice or starchy tubers or roots such as potato, yam, karo or cassava). For processed maize or wheat flour, chose products fortified with vitamins and minerals.

Keep hydrated; Water is essential for life– regulates your body temperature, transports nutrients in blood and helps in getting rid of wastes from the body. Drink 6-8 glasses or 2 liters of water spread throughout the day to stay hydrated and boost your immune system. . A dry mouth decreases the mouth’s natural functions as a first-line immunological barrier. This means more susceptibility of the body to bacteria and viruses. Dehydration can also cause an increased production of the stress hormone cortisol, which is linked to immunosuppression.

Include in your diet immunity boosting foods such as; garlic and onions that give antibacterial and antiviral effects, mushrooms, green tea, turmeric, tamarind, ginger, mukene, citrus fruits (lemon, oranges, tangerine/), coloured vegetables.

Key nutrients that boost the immunity from our local foods include;

Vitamin C: Rich sources include oranges, lemons, tangerines, guavas, tomatoes, pineapples, spinach, broccoli.

Vitamin A: Dark colored fruits and vegetables (yellow, red, green e.g mangoes, carrots,pumpkins) orange fresh sweet potatoes, eggs and liver.

Vitamin E: Green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, vegetable oils.

Vitamin D: Fatty fish e.g Nile perch, ‘Semutundu’, beef, liver, egg yolk, sunshine.

Zinc : Eggs, seeds, nuts, beans, chick peas, meat, liver, dairy products.

Vitamins A, E and D – the three fat soluble vitamins; C & B vitamins, and minerals such as zinc, selenium, iron, copper etc. and phytonutrients, amino acids, fatty acids are necessary for optimal immune function (to prevent establishment of viral infection) and immune regulation (to check uncontrolled proliferation of immune cells that may cause more harm than good to the body). vitamin A maintains structure and function of the mucosal epithelial cells of the respiratory tract and enhances mucosal immunity (critical for prevention of respiratory infection),

These nutrients are critical for the function of T cells, B cells, killer cells, macrophages, neutrophils/granulocytes that are involved in the killing and elimination of infectious microbes.

however though deficiency of one or more of these nutrients can increase the frequency and severity of infections, supplementation of nutrients among healthy (not deficient) population does not confer any additional benefit.

some of these nutrients in excess can increase susceptibility to infections. Therefore, a balanced healthy diet is the key! foreaxmple; An excess of zinc has also shown negative effects on immune function and can inhibit the phagocytic cells (macrophages and neutrophils) maintaining adequate but not excessive levels of zinc is important.
This is one reason food is such an excellent source of obtaining nutrition versus supplementation

what to avoid

• Processed foods may be problematic for your immune function.
• Toxic metals such as cadmium, lead and mercury are immunosuppressive.
• Food additives can also have untoward effects on the nutrient content of the food.
• Some preservatives can negatively effect the gastrointestinal lining
• Choose raw vegetables and fresh fruit rather than foods that are high in sugar, fat or salt.
• Do not overcook vegetables and fruit as this can lead to the loss of important vitamins
• Avoid consuming too much caffeine, and avoid sweetened fruit juices, syrups, fruit juice concentrates, fizzy and still drinks as all they contain is sugar.
• Smoking & alcohol adversely affect immunity and increase the risk and severity of infections, hence must be avoided.