Public health experts predict that this year's flu epidemic may be the worst ever. And while your body's immune system is busy fighting the flu virus so you don't get sick, you're also being attacked by a slew of other germs, both bacteria and viruses, on a daily basis.
The flu virus has increased in virulence in recent years, making it stronger and harder to fight. At the same time, strains of common bacterial infections such as strep throat have become resistant to treatment with antibiotics. Many antibiotics, like penicillin, are now useless against infections they once were able to kill. Part of the reason antibiotics are running out of steam is because too many of us rely on them when they really aren't necessary.
According to Stuart Levy of Tufts University Center for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics, antibiotics aren't always to be credited for recovery. "Usually when people think they're getting better because an antibiotic has kicked in, it's really because their own immune system has finally killed off enough of the bugs to make a person feel better," Levy said.
Considering that the flu virus doesn't have any hope of being treated with antibiotics, and other infections may be able to outsmart antibiotics, your best line of defense against illness is your very own immune system. A properly functioning immune system fights off daily germ attacks before they have the chance to cause any uncomfortable symptoms.
But a strong immune system depends on adequate nutrients, and if you're not careful to get good nutrition, your immune system may run out of the ammunition needed to keep you from getting sick. And the same immune system that keeps you from succumbing to colds today will help keep you free of diseases like cancer or heart disease later on.
Some of the best tools to prepare your immune system for war are right in the grocery store. Although many factors play in to your ability to fight infections, such as amount of sleep, stress levels, and the use of toxic substances such as nicotine and alcohol, eating certain foods can prevent some of these illnesses from taking their toll and boost your immunity to new heights.
Bright colored fruits and vegetables
Foods with bright colors like cranberries, blueberries, tomatoes, carrots, and spinach are high in antioxidants, which protect immune cells from environmental assaults and speed up the production of white blood cells - responsible for destroying foreign viral or bacterial cells. Foods in the yellow-orange color group like oranges, tend to be high in vitamin C, which not only helps stave off colds, but also helps speed recovery. Lycopene, an antioxidant in tomato-based products, enhances the function of white blood cells. And deep orange foods like carrots and sweet potatoes are high in beta-carotene, a precursor to the potent antioxidant, vitamin A, which also helps strengthen immune defense.
High Quality Protein
Is it 'Feed a Cold, Starve a Fever' or is it 'Starve a Cold, Feed a Fever'? Although the actual clich?© that dates back to 1574 is 'Starve a Cold, Feed a Fever,' neither of these two statements is true. Whether you have a cold or you're burning up from a fever, your body is using more energy to fight what ails you. In addition, your immune system depends on a constant supply of amino acids. Thus, calorie and protein needs both increase when you're sick.
If you don't take in enough calories or proteins, you run the risk of malnutrition. Muscles are the primary source of amino acids to fuel immune function, even in the first stages of infection - before you become sick. It is important to get adequate protein so that amino acids from your muscles can be spared. When infections invade the body, it reacts by producing antibodies, which are actually proteins, also called immunoglobulins. Antibodies bind with high specificity to infectious agents and neutralize them, break them down, or remove them from circulation. Because these cells are made up of protein, it is important to eat high-quality proteins such as eggs, lean meats, or tofu, for optimal immune function.
Vitamin E
One in three Americans doesn't get enough of this immune-boosting nutrient. While it has been known for some time that immunity is bolstered by vitamin E supplements in older people, researchers believe that vitamin E can also boost T-cell (immune-mediating cells) and antibody responses in young people under a variety of stresses. According to Tufts scientist Simin Meydani, fulfilling your Vitamin E needs requires a supplement.
"It is almost impossible to get the amount of vitamin E necessary for an immune response through food," Meydani said. Meydani recommends a supplement of 200 IU of d-alpha-tocopherol per day. Good food sources of vitamin E include almonds, wheat germ, and dark green, leafy vegetables.
Garlic and Onions
The folk remedy of drinking the juice of onions for coughs may have been right on target. Researchers have discovered several 'sulfur-containing' compounds in foods belonging to the onion family that may increase the activity of white blood cells and T-helper cells, both essential to a comprehensive immune response. In fact, research shows that compounds in onions and garlic may act as effective body 'disinfectants,' clearing away toxins and germs.
Cheap Insurance
According to Jeffrey Blumberg, chief of the Antioxidants Laboratory the USDA Nutrition Research Center at Tufts, "taking a daily multivitamin is like cheap health insurance." Unlike single doses of certain vitamins, which may disrupt absorption of other key nutrients and even become toxic, standard multivitamins are generally balanced formulas that can't hurt. If you fall short of any essential nutrient, your immune function will suffer - a multivitamin can help. But, by no means does a multivitamin replace a nutrient-dense diet. As you can see, there are many other compounds in foods that act as key players in immune defense that won't be found in a multivitamin.
