Feeding Your Immune System
Filed in: Feeding Your Immune System
by Del Millers, Ph.D.
WhyAreWeWhispering.com
All the King's horses and all the King's men, couldn't put Humpty together again....
You can be healthy and not fit.
You can be fit and not healthy.
And you can be healthy, fit and not have the body you want.
Wanna renovate? Fix the foundation first - get healthy then fit before you attempt to transform your body.
Feeding Your Immune System
Your immune system functions like an army, it's a complex mechanism made up of the skin, gastric acid, mucus, tears and an array of cells… white blood cells, macrophages, natural killer cells, T-cells, and B-cells to name a few. When your immune system is compromised, it is virtually impossible to remain in good health because your body will not have the ability to fight off foreign invaders like viruses, bacteria, parasites, pollutants, even the very toxins that it produces on a daily basis as a natural byproduct of it's various metabolic functions.
Adequately feeding your immune system will not only boost its fighting power, it will keep you healthy. Eating immune boosting foods will increase the number of various cells in the army, help them to perform better and to devise a better battle plan for fighting off invaders.
To boost your immune system, here are the top immune building nutrients and the top foods that contain them.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that increases the production of infection-fighting white blood cells and antibodies and increases levels of interferon, the antibody that coats cell surfaces, preventing the entry of viruses. Vitamin C reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by raising levels of HDL (good) cholesterol while lowering blood pressure and interfering with the process by which fat is converted to plaque in the arteries. As an added perk, those whose diets are higher in vitamin C have lower rates of colon, prostate, and breast cancer.
Before you stack up on the supplements keep in mind that the body does not absorb individual nutrients unless there are other co-nutrients present. For example, Vitamin C, E and D work together synergistically in the body. There are also thousands of bioflavonoids (chemicals) found in plants that are necessary for the absorption of these vitamins. So forget the individual supplements, try nutrient rich fruits and vegetables.
Excellent food sources of vitamin C are citrus fruits or citrus juices, berries, green and red peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, and spinach. You may also want to use a fruit and vegetable capsule daily to get more nutrients from food.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that stimulates the production of natural killer cells, those that seek out and destroy germs and cancer cells. Vitamin E enhances the production of B-cells, the immune cells that produce antibodies that destroy bacteria. Vitamin E may also reverse some of the decline in immune response commonly seen in aging. Vitamin E has also been implicated in lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease. In the Harvard School of Public Health study of 87,000 nurses, Vitamin E, from food sources, was shown to cut the risk of heart attacks by 50%.
Excellent food sources of vitamin E are nuts, seeds, eggs, whole grains, vegetable oils and dark green leafy vegetables.
Garlic
Don’t be surprised that this flavorful member of the onion family is also a powerful immune booster that stimulates the multiplication of infection-fighting white blood cells, boosts natural killer cell activity, and increases the efficiency of antibody production.
The immune-boosting properties of garlic seem to be due to its sulfur-containing compounds, such as allicin and sulfides. Garlic can also act as an antioxidant that reduces the build-up of free radicals in the bloodstream. Garlic is also a heart-friendly food since it keeps platelets from sticking together and clogging tiny blood vessels.
As usual, forget the supplements; just add some raw garlic to your daily meals.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
The omega 3 fatty acids in flax seed oil and fatty fish (such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel) act as immune boosters by increasing the activity of phagocytes, the white blood cells that eat up bacteria. Remember your grandmother’s daily dose of unpalatable cod liver oil? Essential fatty acids also protect the body against damage from over-reactions to infection. Try a tablespoon of flax seed oil or fish oils along with Vitamin E rich foods. The essential fatty acids and Vitamin E act together to boost the immune system.
Carotenoids & Bioflavonoids
I’m sure you’re familiar with beta-carotene. However, Beta carotene is only one member of the very large carotenoid family (there are over 800 known carotenoids). Others include alpha carotene, lycopene and lutein. All the carotenoids work together to increase the number of infection-fighting cells, natural killer cells, and helper T-cells, as well as being powerful antioxidants that mops up excess free radicals that accelerate aging.
Excellent food sources are fruits, dark green leafy vegetables, carrots, pumpkin, and winter squash.
Bioflavonoids are a group of phyto-chemicals (plant chemicals) that aid the immune system by protecting the cells of the body against environmental pollutants. Bioflavonoids protect the cell membranes against the pollutants trying to attach to them. Along the membrane of each cell there are microscopic parking spaces, called receptor sites. Pollutants, toxins, or germs can park here and gradually eat their way into the membrane of the cell, but when bioflavonoids fill up these parking spots there is no room for toxins to park.
Bioflavonoids also reduce the cholesterol's ability to form plaques in arteries and lessen the formation of microscopic clots inside arteries, which can lead to heart attack and stroke. Studies have shown that people who eat the most bioflavonoids have less cardiovascular disease. A diet that contains a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, at least six to nine servings per day, will help you get the bioflavonoids needed to help your immune system work in top form.
Foods that suppress your immune system:
Sugar
Don’t be surprised to find sugar at the very top of this list. Just 8 tbsp. of sugar, that’s the amount in one can of regular cola, is enough to suppress your immune system by forty percent for up to six hours. Sugar impairs the ability of your white blood cells to kill germs.
Alcohol
Having a drink (the equivalent of 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1 ounces of hard liquor) every now and then does not negatively affect your immune system. However, three or more drinks can reduce the ability of white blood cells to kill germs. Excessive alcohol in the blood also suppresses the ability of the white blood cells to multiply, inhibit the action of killer white cells on cancer cells, and lessen the ability of macrophages to produce tumor necrosis factors. Any amount of alcohol that is enough to cause intoxication is also enough to suppress immunity.
The bottom line -- You now have a deeper appreciation for your body and are “armed” to pay more attention to eating “health building foods.” I have heard too many people in the gym saying that they don’t eat fruits and certain vegetables because they contain too much sugar, not realizing that their body is in desperate need of the nutrients in all fruits and vegetables. Love your body. Remember, health first, then fitness and then body transformation.
Dr. Del is a fitness and nutrition consultant and author of four books. Visit his web site at delmillers.com or send questions to del@delmillers.com.
WhyAreWeWhispering.com
All the King's horses and all the King's men, couldn't put Humpty together again....
You can be healthy and not fit.
You can be fit and not healthy.
And you can be healthy, fit and not have the body you want.
Wanna renovate? Fix the foundation first - get healthy then fit before you attempt to transform your body.
Feeding Your Immune System
Your immune system functions like an army, it's a complex mechanism made up of the skin, gastric acid, mucus, tears and an array of cells… white blood cells, macrophages, natural killer cells, T-cells, and B-cells to name a few. When your immune system is compromised, it is virtually impossible to remain in good health because your body will not have the ability to fight off foreign invaders like viruses, bacteria, parasites, pollutants, even the very toxins that it produces on a daily basis as a natural byproduct of it's various metabolic functions.
To boost your immune system, here are the top immune building nutrients and the top foods that contain them.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that increases the production of infection-fighting white blood cells and antibodies and increases levels of interferon, the antibody that coats cell surfaces, preventing the entry of viruses. Vitamin C reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by raising levels of HDL (good) cholesterol while lowering blood pressure and interfering with the process by which fat is converted to plaque in the arteries. As an added perk, those whose diets are higher in vitamin C have lower rates of colon, prostate, and breast cancer.
Excellent food sources of vitamin C are citrus fruits or citrus juices, berries, green and red peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, and spinach. You may also want to use a fruit and vegetable capsule daily to get more nutrients from food.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that stimulates the production of natural killer cells, those that seek out and destroy germs and cancer cells. Vitamin E enhances the production of B-cells, the immune cells that produce antibodies that destroy bacteria. Vitamin E may also reverse some of the decline in immune response commonly seen in aging. Vitamin E has also been implicated in lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease. In the Harvard School of Public Health study of 87,000 nurses, Vitamin E, from food sources, was shown to cut the risk of heart attacks by 50%.
Excellent food sources of vitamin E are nuts, seeds, eggs, whole grains, vegetable oils and dark green leafy vegetables.
Garlic
Don’t be surprised that this flavorful member of the onion family is also a powerful immune booster that stimulates the multiplication of infection-fighting white blood cells, boosts natural killer cell activity, and increases the efficiency of antibody production.
The immune-boosting properties of garlic seem to be due to its sulfur-containing compounds, such as allicin and sulfides. Garlic can also act as an antioxidant that reduces the build-up of free radicals in the bloodstream. Garlic is also a heart-friendly food since it keeps platelets from sticking together and clogging tiny blood vessels.
As usual, forget the supplements; just add some raw garlic to your daily meals.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
The omega 3 fatty acids in flax seed oil and fatty fish (such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel) act as immune boosters by increasing the activity of phagocytes, the white blood cells that eat up bacteria. Remember your grandmother’s daily dose of unpalatable cod liver oil? Essential fatty acids also protect the body against damage from over-reactions to infection. Try a tablespoon of flax seed oil or fish oils along with Vitamin E rich foods. The essential fatty acids and Vitamin E act together to boost the immune system.
Carotenoids & Bioflavonoids
I’m sure you’re familiar with beta-carotene. However, Beta carotene is only one member of the very large carotenoid family (there are over 800 known carotenoids). Others include alpha carotene, lycopene and lutein. All the carotenoids work together to increase the number of infection-fighting cells, natural killer cells, and helper T-cells, as well as being powerful antioxidants that mops up excess free radicals that accelerate aging.
Bioflavonoids are a group of phyto-chemicals (plant chemicals) that aid the immune system by protecting the cells of the body against environmental pollutants. Bioflavonoids protect the cell membranes against the pollutants trying to attach to them. Along the membrane of each cell there are microscopic parking spaces, called receptor sites. Pollutants, toxins, or germs can park here and gradually eat their way into the membrane of the cell, but when bioflavonoids fill up these parking spots there is no room for toxins to park.
Bioflavonoids also reduce the cholesterol's ability to form plaques in arteries and lessen the formation of microscopic clots inside arteries, which can lead to heart attack and stroke. Studies have shown that people who eat the most bioflavonoids have less cardiovascular disease. A diet that contains a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, at least six to nine servings per day, will help you get the bioflavonoids needed to help your immune system work in top form.
Foods that suppress your immune system:
Sugar
Don’t be surprised to find sugar at the very top of this list. Just 8 tbsp. of sugar, that’s the amount in one can of regular cola, is enough to suppress your immune system by forty percent for up to six hours. Sugar impairs the ability of your white blood cells to kill germs.
Alcohol
Having a drink (the equivalent of 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1 ounces of hard liquor) every now and then does not negatively affect your immune system. However, three or more drinks can reduce the ability of white blood cells to kill germs. Excessive alcohol in the blood also suppresses the ability of the white blood cells to multiply, inhibit the action of killer white cells on cancer cells, and lessen the ability of macrophages to produce tumor necrosis factors. Any amount of alcohol that is enough to cause intoxication is also enough to suppress immunity.
Dr. Del is a fitness and nutrition consultant and author of four books. Visit his web site at delmillers.com or send questions to del@delmillers.com.
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