As we enter the fall season, we are often met by cooler temperatures, changing foliage, and many healthy vegetables fresh from the garden of summer. However, we are also greeted by a host of colds, flus, and other illnesses that slow us down for days or even weeks! Keep reading as registered dietician Kay Loughrey of Sweet Life Wellness shares the amazing impact diet and weight can have on your immune system as well as several healthy food choices that will help strengthen your immune system throughout the season of sickness!
Studies agree that the connection between what we eat and how well our bodies fight off sickness and diseases is directly connected yet also complex! What we eat, both amount and type, can impact whether we will develop certain diseases such as diabetes, certain types of cancers, and even heart disease. Truly, what we consume really does make a difference in the ability of our immune systems to work properly. Vitamins, minerals, and healthy fatty acids all play a part in how our body’s immune system will respond. If a regular food intake does not include these important nutrients, the body is not only more susceptible to colds, flus, and other illnesses, but also to a higher risk of disease.
Weight, often tied closely to the food we consume, can also impact the way our immune system responds. This is due to the inflammation that accompanies an overweight or obese lifestyle, as this inflammation leads to the body’s T-cells (the cells that fight illnesses) reacting in a way that is not normal for the immune system.
So what healthy foods can help boost our immune systems? Sweet Life Wellness has your answers!
1) Vitamin D rich foods: Vitamin D intake helps with production of proteins that fight infections!
~ Salmon, tuna fish
~ Orange juice, Vitamin D fortified
~ Cod liver oil
2) Zinc rich foods: Zinc is a major part of our body’s natural defense system to prevent germs from entering the body. Zinc also helps with immune cell development!
~ Pumpkin seeds
~ Crab
~ Oats
3) Vitamin A rich foods: Vitamin A helps keep the immune system functioning properly, and any deficiency in this nutrient can cause your body to have difficulty in fighting illness and disease.
~ Leafy green vegetables
~ Cantaloupe
~ Red bell pepper
4) Protein rich foods: Protein is also responsible for the normal functioning of our immune systems as it helps with the growth of infection fighting cells.
~ Chickpeas, quinoa
~ Chicken, lean meat
~ Salmon, seafood
Our immune systems are working silently behind the scenes to keep us healthy, living a thriving and happy life. But it is our job to make healthy habits as we consume food to help make sure our immune systems are functioning at their absolute best, and with these tips from Sweet Life Wellness, we hope you can do just that!
Learn more about your diet impacting immune system here.
Resources
Luigi Barrea, Giovanna Muscogiuri, Evelyn Frias-Toral, Daniela Laudisio, Gabriella Pugliese, Bianca Castellucci, Eloisa Garcia Velasquez, Silvia Savastano & Annamaria Colao (2021) Nutrition and immune system: from the Mediterranean diet to dietary supplementary through the microbiota, Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 61:18, 3066-3090, DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2020.1792826. Accessed 9/21/23.
Venter C, Eyerich S, Sarin T, Klatt KC. Nutrition and the Immune System: A Complicated Tango. Nutrients. 2020; 12(3):818. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12030818. Accessed 9/21/23.
Munteanu Camelia, Schwartz Betty. The relationship between nutrition and the immune system. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9. 2022. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.1082500. 10.3389/fnut.2022.1082500. Accessed 9/21/23.
University of California San Francisco. “How Obesity Can Rewire the Immune System and the Response to Immuotherapy – and How to Change That”. March 20, 2022. https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2022/03/422511/how-obesity-can-rewire-immune-system-and-response-immunotherapy-and-how-change#:~:text=Researchers%20also%20know%20that%20obesity,respond%20differently%20to%20some%20treatments. Accessed 9/21/23.
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Kay Loughrey, MPH, RDN, LDN
Transformational Speaker, Breakthrough Coach, Nutritionist-Dietitian
Karis N. Hicks
North Carolina Central University
M.S. – Nutrition Studies
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