Lisa Mosing,
MS, RD, FADA, LifeScript Director of Nutrition
To make it through cold and flu season unscathed, your immune system needs to be strong enough to fight off germs and viruses lurking, well, everywhere. Eating nutrient-rich foods is a great way to keep your family healthy. But with tight schedules, many of us eat on the run and sacrifice good nutrition, which can undermine the health boost that a normally nutritious diet offers…
Even at the edge of springtime, colds and flu can sneak up on you and your loved ones. More than 200 viruses can cause cold symptoms. That’s a lot of bugs to fend off. Luckily, eating healthfully may be just the immune-system booster you need to ward off illness.
A healthy immune system is a defense against pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, and carcinogens that can make you ill. Immune cells are found throughout your body – in your tonsils, lymph nodes, spleen, thymus gland, and bone marrow. By focusing on nutrient-rich foods instead of high-calorie foods like cookies and ice cream, you and your family can ward off illness.
1. Go Fishing
For a stronger immune system, nutritionists suggest consuming at least two servings a week of fatty seafood, such as sardines, salmon, herring, and mackerel. The omega-3 fatty acids in these fish and in other foods such as walnuts, flaxseed, and canola oil are known to boost the immune system and reduce inflammation in the body by increasing the activity of while blood cells called macrophages, which engulf troublesome bacteria. Monounsaturated fats in foods such as olive oil and wheat germ also protect our bodies from microorganisms, bacteria and viruses. In fact, researchers have found that diets low in fat weaken the immune system and increase depression.
2. Pick Protein
Zinc, a mineral abundant in meats like calf’s liver, beef and lamb, works with protein found in meat to help to strengthen the immune system. (Vegetarians can get their zinc from whole grains and fortified breakfast cereals.) In fact, certain types of immune cells, including white blood cells, cannot function without zinc. Other proteins that can help reinforce your body’s defense system include chicken, fish, tofu, eggs and dairy foods.
3. Reach for Plant Foods
By serving your family a variety of fruits and vegetables at meals and for snacks, you ensure that their bodies get plenty of phytonutrients. These compounds help boost your immune system, strengthen your heart and blood vessels, and even fight some cancers. In the winter months, most markets offer a wonderful array of fresh choices, from winter squashes, greens and root vegetables to cranberries. And you can always reach for canned and frozen fruits and vegetables. Processed just after harvest, canned and frozen produce can actually sometimes have more nutrients than produce that has spent days in transit.
4. Don’t Skimp on Citrus
Go ahead and indulge in leafy greens, bell peppers and citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit, all rich in vitamin C. This vitamin inactivates histamine, the substance responsible for your runny nose and congestion, and helps reduce the inflammation that accompanies colds and viruses. In fact, according to a study at the University of California at Berkeley of 160 healthy adults, those who took 500 milligrams of vitamin C a day for two months had a 24% drop in C-reactive protein, a protein associated with inflammation and chronic disease. Brightly colored greens and other vegetables also contain large doses of immune-enhancing antioxidants that help fight wintertime illnesses. So, load up on strawberries, cantaloupe, blueberries, tomatoes, broccoli, and sweet potatoes – all a boon for your immune system. To make winter and spring vegetables more appealing, consider adding some to soups, stews and sauces. And down a glass of low-sodium tomato or vegetable juice now and then – they’re both great sources of vitamin C.
5. Go Nuts
Instead of chips or cheese doodles for an afternoon snack, reach for a handful of nuts or seeds. Studies show vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant, fights respiratory infections, including colds. It boosts the responses of antibodies and certain immune system cells when we’re under stress – and who isn’t? A quarter cup of sunflower seeds has almost all the vitamin E you need daily. A quarter cup of almonds provides 50% of your need. And Brazil nuts pack a whopping dose of selenium, a mineral that also boosts wintertime defenses.
6. Hit the Spice Rack
Both garlic and onions contain compounds that rev up the activity of immune-system cells called natural killer cells and T-helper cells. While they’re fending off colds, they’re also helping defend us from cancer and heart disease – not a bad side activity at all. If a cold does catch you and you get stuffy, a bite of garlic will also help clear your nose (not to mention the room).
7. Spoon in the Yogurt
In a year-long study at the University of California, adults who ate three-fourths cup of yogurt a day had 25% fewer colds that those who didn’t. The yogurt cranked up the production of a substance called gamma interferon, which helps squelch virus reproduction, a death knell for your cold.
Dehydration can also lower your defenses. Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water and other fluids every day. And if you’re already sick, double that.
Now you know what to eat. But what foods should you avoid?
Skip Sugar and Fat
Even as little as two sugary sodas a day can lower the power of your cold-busting immune cells by 40%. And animal studies have shown that diets high in both sugar and fat reduce the numbers of natural killer cells.
For a healthy immune system, health experts also encourage reaching a healthy weight, taking a multivitamin that provides essential minerals (like zinc and selenium), exercising 30 to 60 minutes most days, and sleeping at least eight hours every night.
Are You a Health Food Nut?
Lentils. Fish. Nuts. You know health food is good for you, but that doesn't necessarily make a bland block of tofu any more appealing. Experts insist that health food is essential to your diet, but do you know why? Test your knowledge on healthy fare - from garlic to green tea - with this health food quiz.
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