Boost your immune system for the winter with these foods

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- You are what you eat and drink, experts say, and that includes foods that will help your body fight off infectious diseases this winter like colds, flu and coronavirus.

"What we eat is very important in terms of how our immune system responds to pathogens, and how well it can defend itself against these pathogens," said Dr. Simin Meidani, Senior Scientist and Team Leader in Nutritional Immunology at Tufts University.

Micronutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin B complex, zinc and selenium help to "pump up" two essential parts of the body's defenses. The innate immune system acts as the first line of defense, followed by the adaptive immune system, which sends killer T cells, antibodies, and other soldiers into battle.

Experts say the extent to which you can boost immunity with nutrients depends on your age, general health, and stress levels.

But if you are overweight, smoke, drink alcohol, suffer from a chronic illness, suffer from excessive stress or sleep poorly, focusing on the food you eat can pay off this winter.

It's also important to maintain a healthy weight, reduce stress, get good sleep, and get regular exercise, to keep those natural defenses up in a fight. Without this healthy baseline, your body will have to work harder to beat down the invaders, and you may lose the match.

Immunity boosting diet

Is there an immune boosting diet? The answer is yes, but there's no need to stick to a specific superfood list for your next shopping trip.

"You will not see the benefit that you want to see by eating a large amount of one nutrient or food component," Midani explained.

Therefore, the best path to a healthy immune system is to eat a wide variety of fresh, red, yellow, orange, blue, and green fruits and vegetables every day, along with some high-quality whole grains, a little lean protein, and a little protein. healthy oils.

Increase your portion size

If you want to increase the effect of food on your immune system, you will need to dramatically increase the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat each day, says Midani.

Her team investigated the immune responses in animals fed two to three servings of fruit and vegetables per day, and compared them to those who ate five to six servings per day or eight to nine servings per day.

"The animals eating eight to nine servings a day had the best effect," Midani said. "So it's not just about increasing the healthy portions a little bit, but increasing them significantly," she added.

Finding ways to include fruits and vegetables in every meal and snack during the day may do more than boost your immunity. And a 2017 study found a significant reduction in the risk of heart attack, stroke, cancer, and early death by eating 10 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

Are Supplements Necessary?

The human body is built to absorb nutrients from fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, and proteins more efficiently than from processed foods or supplements.

However, people with limited access to healthy food options, those with certain medical conditions, or anyone over the age of 65 may need to focus on adding specific micronutrients to their diet.

"I'm not talking about frail elderly people who live in their homes... I'm talking about elderly people who are healthy, but over the age of 65. For them, I think some nutritional supplements could be very beneficial," Midani said.

Most people in the United States get enough zinc from the foods they eat. But a study conducted by a field team found that 20% of elderly and sedentary people had low levels of zinc in their blood, while 30% of elderly people living in nursing homes did not have adequate levels of zinc.

A study of 500 older adults found that those with low blood levels of zinc had less pneumonia, twice as much pneumonia, longer duration of pneumonia, and antibiotic use than people with adequate levels.

Meghan Meyer, director of scientific communications for the International Food Information Council, said that using zinc lozenges in the early stages of a cold or flu, such as in the first 24 hours, may give a boost to the immune system in fighting pathogens. The recommended daily dose is 8 milligrams for women and 11 milligrams for men for no more than five days.

Zinc

Zinc can also interfere with the effectiveness of antibiotics or interact negatively with some blood pressure and rheumatoid arthritis medications, so consult your doctor before adding it to your diet.

Selenium

Selenium plays an important role in inflammation and immunity. And we need the mineral in the soil that plants absorb to activate immune cells. It also appears to be able to reduce the inflammatory response.

Most Americans get plenty of selenium from their diet. It can be found in seafood, meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products, bread, cereal, and nuts, especially Brazil nuts, which can contain up to 91 micrograms.

Vitamin C

Hundreds of studies over the years have looked at the benefits of vitamin C for the immune system. Clinical trials are currently underway to investigate its effect on the severity of COVID-19.

Most people believe that vitamin C strengthens the immune system and prevents colds. However, reviews of studies to date have found a moderate beneficial effect compared to placebo, leaving many experts unwilling to praise it.

Vitamin E

This vitamin can play a dual role in boosting the body's immune response. It acts as an antioxidant in the body, helping to protect cells.

One of the best sources of vitamin E is vegetable oils such as sunflower, peanuts, hazelnuts, almonds, and seeds. Many people turn to supplements. But beware, high doses of vitamin E may increase the risk of bleeding.

“The optimal level in our study was 200 IU per day,” Midani said. “This is very important, because people think that if something is good for your immune system, the more you eat, the better.” .This is not the case.”

Vitamin D

It may be early days, but scientists are studying the relationship between vitamin D and the coronavirus. The most promising of vitamin D's anti-inflammatory properties, the hope is that supplementation will moderate any overactive immune response to the virus.

Just like vitamin C, the evidence for D's immune-boosting properties is mixed, Midani said.

And she added: "We cannot say that giving higher levels of vitamin D will improve the immune response and fight respiratory infections."

Your body makes vitamin D from the sun, so people with dark skin or who live in areas with little sunshine may be deficient in vitamin D, such as the elderly and children who are exclusively breastfed, and who need a daily supplement. Many foods in the Western diet are supplemented with vitamin D, and consuming too much can be toxic.

Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Another reason to fill your plate with a variety of fruits and vegetables is the need to control your body's inflammatory response to bacteria and viruses.

"There is a need for a certain amount of inflammatory response to get rid of pathogens and help the body's immune system do its job," said Midani.

But if you release a lot of inflammatory components, it can be harmful to the surrounding tissues. It can cause autoimmune diseases. It can cause chronic diseases."

Chronic inflammation has been linked in studies to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, depression, Alzheimer's, and many other diseases.

Unfortunately, today's Western diet is filled with overly processed, fat-laden foods, sugary drinks, and red and processed meats, which can cause persistently high inflammation in the body.

Studies have shown that eating lots of unhealthy "ultra-processed" foods can shorten your life. And just a 10% increase in such foods was significantly associated with a 14% increased risk of death from all causes.