Instead of protecting our immune system and prevent all kind of diseases, we tend to do all sorts of thing that harm our immune system. The major problem is that we eat diets filled with immune-system saboteurs, than we drink alcohol, we smoke, burn ourselves with stress, and many other things.
According to all nutritionists, the diet we consume plays a big role in fighting off germs. Beth Reardon, RD, an integrative nutritionist at Duke Integrative Medicine, North Carolina says: “Our immune system is like a finely honed, intricately choreographed dance.” She also states that every cell has a specific role and requires key nutrients to survive and work properly. This is the reason why American diet puts the immune system at risk, it is desperately lacking in important nutrients. The best way to maintain a healthy body is to eat well. Here are the nine power foods that can help you beat the best of the bugs.
Shiitake mushrooms
Beside giving a rich flavor to a dish, shiitake mushrooms help produce a type of white blood cell called natural killer cells, which release a type of protein into the infected cells that causes them to self-destruct. According to the research, shiitake mushrooms are also powerful natural remedy due to their unique complex sugars called lentinan. Lentinan is structurally similar to bacteria and its tricks your body into feeling threatened which kicks the immune system into a higher gear.
Oranges
These citrus fruits are very beneficial for our health since just one orange can provide more than 100% of the daily value for vitamin C. Vitamin C is needed in our organism since it is a powerful antioxidant that helps strenghten the immune system. Most of the doctors and nutritionists believe that vitamin C can prevent colds. Lona Sandon, RD, associate professor at the University of Texas Southwestern says that vitamin C helps boost immunity by stimulating the growth of antibodies that fight off infections. Vitamin C is part of the chemical reactions that allow the body to synthesize proteins needed for antibodies. Antibodies can be made faster if we enter more vitamin C in our organism. According to studies, vitamin C acts as an antihistamine, lowering blood levels of defensive chemicals (histamines) released by the immune system that actually exacerbate stuffiness and congestion. Moreover, vitamin C helps produce prostaglandin E1 in the body which is an anti-inflammatory hormone. We all know that inflammation is actually a sign that somethins is wrong with the body. Sandon says that we all suffer from low-grade inflammation which can cause the immune system to constantly fight the inflammation, so if the immune system is busy doing that, there is a great risk that it will miss the beginnings of another disease.
Tea
We use tea in order to soothe the throat and relax the senses and it also help build up resistence against cold and flu. Green tea contains the highst amount of nutrients, but black teas are also extremely beneficial for us. They contain powerful compounds know as polyphenols that compromise nearly 30% of their dry weight. This is very important for us because thanks to the air we breathe and the food we consume, our body is constantly bombarded with free radicals, which steal electrons from healthy cells and, in the process, damage their DNA. So, as Kerry Neville, RD, a dietitian in Kirkland, Washington explains, the selfless polyphenols offer up their own electrons to these unstable atoms, rendering them harmless and eliminating the threat.
Garlic
We all know that garlic is one of the most powerful natural remedies due to its antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties. Its pungent odor is due to allicin, the sulforous chemical compound for which garlic is so effective in the treatment of many conditions. Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, a physician and nutritionist in Sarasota, Florida says that studies showed that allicin not only inhibits the growth of bacteria, but it can also kill germs on contact. Boston City Hospital conducted a study which showed how garlic killed 14 strains of bacteria taken from the noses and throats of children with ear infections. Now for the tricky part: in order to experience the full benefits of garlic when it comes to fighting colds and flu, you will have to eat an entire bulb-raw-every day. When eaten cooked, garlic will lose most of its amazing health benefits. What’s more, eating any amount of garlic will provide some benefit, says Gerbstadt.
Blueberries
Blueberries are considered as the ultimate immunity food. They are a powerhouse of antioxidant phytonutrients – health promoting components found in plants, rich source of vitamin C and vitamin E. According to Reardon, when these two vitamins work together, they produce their most potent antioxidant effects. Vitamin C is number one water-soluble antioxidant that patrols the body’s waters. On the other hand, vitamin E is fat-soluble vitamin that works to protect fatty tissues from free radicals.
Yogurt
Yogurt is very important for our immune system due to its bacteria known as probiotics. Probiotics help maintains a balance between the good and bad bacteria in the stomach and our intestines, where there are 500 different varieties of bacteria. Probitics act by crowding out pathogens and prevents them from attaching to gut walls. They also feed on nondigestible fibers called prebiotics, producing short-chain fatty acids that decrease acidity in the colon. The decreased acidity makes the colon uninhabitable for most infection-causing pathogens, which, in turn, allows for increased mineral absorption. According to one researchs, probiotics can also enhance the body’s immune response by increasing levels of key players, including natural killer cells. Moreover, according to studies from the University of California, yogurt specifically helps the body build a protein called gamma interferon, which aids the body in developing white blood cells.
Sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes are orange in color due to the chemical found in them known as carotene and it is a keay player in the fight against infection. This is because the liver converts carotene in vitamin A. Mary Ellen Camire, PhD, a professor in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Maine explains: “Vitamin A fortifies your first defender—your skin—by making it less permeable to germs.” They also contain almost 27% of the recommended daily value of vitamin C and according to recent research, the unique proteins contained in sweet potatoes may have antioxidant effects.
Lean beef
Organic beef due ot its rich zinc contend of lean can bolster the immune system. It is amazing how just one 4-ounce serving provides almost 42% of the recommended daily value. According to Camire, zinc figures prominently in the production of white blood cells. Deficiency of zinc can lead to a drop in white blood cells which increases the risk of some kind of infection. Immune cells live only a short period of time and cannot divide or reprocude on their own. That’s why we need the intake of zinc in our organism since it surs rapid cell divison and it can help replace and repair these important members of the immune team. Looking for a vegetarian source of zinc? A quarter cup of pumpkinseeds packs approximately 17 percent of the RDA.
Spinach
Spinach is a rich source of nutrients and essential vitamins, but what’s more important is that it also contains folate needed for the production of new cells. Neville explains that in addition to being short-lived, immune cells get produced in fairly low numbers. Once the body is under a threat, one division of the immune system jump-starts production of cells targeted for the specific invaders. Therefore, the immune system depends on folate to increase the supply of cells. However, that’s not all. According to some researchers, there are at least 13 different compounds in spinach that act as antioxidants. Quercetins is one of them which is a phytochemical that helps in the prevention of many viruses from muptiplying. Neville advices that the adults should incorporate at least 3 cups of spinach in their diet each week.
source:fhfn