Today I am sharing my top 5 nutrients for immune health. Our immune system is our fighter system. In an ideal world our system is strong enough to fight off “bugs” or infection before they take over our body and make us sick. However, many factors contribute to a weakened immune system including stress, excessive sugar intake, lack of sleep, a diet high in processed foods, a low protein diet and excessive exercise. It is unlikely that these factors will not affect us. Therefor, it is extremely important to support our immune system as best we can with diet and supplementation!
The Top 5 Nutrients for Immune Health:
Probiotics: Probiotics are the “good” bacteria in our gut, which directly affect our immune system. 80% of our immune system is located in our digestive tract, which means that we need to keep it healthy in order to ward off pathogens and infection. Probiotics help modulate our guts mucosal immune system, which is the part of our immune system located in various mucous membranes that wards off pathogenic microbes. Probiotics also increase the absorbability of various nutrients, which can affect our immune functioning, as well as increase the number of certain T cells ( fighter cells). Include probiotic rich foods such as fermented vegetables ( sauerkraut, kimchi), kombucha, miso, tempeh and kefir. You can also try supplementing with probiotics, which is always a great idea during cold and flu season or any time you are susceptible to nasty bugs.
Zinc: Numerous studies prove Zinc can boost immune system functioning. Zinc is a trace element essential for the cells of our immune system. A deficiency in zinc negatively affects the ability of T cells ( again, those fighter cells) to function as they should. Foods high in zinc include sardines, pumpkin seeds, spinach and beans. You can also supplement but do not take more than 25 mg/day.
Vitamin C: The oldest one in the book, vitamin C has been documented to boost our immune functioning and decrease the duration of illness. Our white blood cells use vitamin C to fight infections. Vitamin C levels deplete when our body is attacking infection or when under stress, which shows the need for extra vitamin C during these times. Humans lack the enzyme to synthesize vitamin C ( unlike other animals), so ensuring a proper amount in diet and through supplementation is crucial. Include citrus fruit and dark leafy green vegetables or a supplement.
Vitamin D: Vitamin D helps to modulate our immune responses. Vitamin D is crucial to activating our immune defences, specifically our T cells. Without sufficient intake of Vitamin D our T cells do not activate or react appropriately to fight off infection. Vitamin D is near impossible to get from diet, therefor supplementation of D3 can be important at 1000 IU/day.
Selenium: Selenium is an anti-oxidant, which protects the body against certain pathogens. Selenium is needed for the proper functioning of all the cells in our immune system. Food sources include brazil nuts ( in fact, eating 3-5 brazil nuts a day provides the body with adequate selenium), lima beans, chia seeds and brown rice. Again, supplementation can be effective in times of stress or when particularly susceptible to infection.
To summarize, it is important to keep your immune system in tip-top shape by ensuring you are including these top immune boosting nutrients in your diet and lifestyle. As well, try to reduce stress levels ( hard, I know…), lower your sugar intake and eat a diet rich in protein.
I hope you enjoy and incorporate these tips into your life to have a vibrant and energized season ahead!
SG