Well and good: eating for immunity

27th May 2020 | Eativity editors

A healthy diet can help to support healthy immunity, but eating too much of the wrong things can make you more susceptible to getting sick this cold and flu season. So, what should you be eating, and what should you try to cut down on? We had a look at what science had to say, and then checked in with Amazonia in-house dietitian Tara Kaff to ask her about the best ways to keep our immune system firing on all cylinders.

eating for immunity
Carbs are not the enemy.

WHAT TO EAT FOR IMMUNITY

Go high fibre

A diet that’s high in soluble fibre – the kind found in foods like apples, oats and nuts – can strengthen your immune system, according to research from the University of Illinois, US. The researchers found that soluble fibre changes the “personality” of immune cells, changing them from being pro-inflammatory “angry” cells to anti-inflammatory healing cells that can help your body recover more quickly from infection.

There’s another type of fibre that’s even more important – resistant starch. This is needed for a healthy gut microbiome. And a healthy gut means a healthy immune system.

“Resistant starch is a prebiotic,” Kaff explains. “That’s basically food for the good bacteria in our gut. It’s their fuel source. You’ll find it in things like green banana flour and cooked and cooled potatoes and pasta.”

Cooking potatoes and pasta and then cooling them changes the chemical formation of these foods. This allows the resistant starch to be more available to your body.

“A lot of people are scared of carbs, and don’t eat enough,” Kaff says. “I think that’s where people are going wrong. Because that’s where we get prebiotics. It’s all good and well to have all lots of vitamins and minerals from whole foods, but those prebiotics you can only really find in wholegrain, starchy foods.”

eating for immunity
Take nature’s multivitamin.

Be a herbivore

Eating more plants and less red meat can also keep you healthy. Several studies have found that vegetarians tend to have stronger immunity. This is believed to be due to a number of factors, including the fact that vegetarians tend to eat a wider variety of fruits and vegetables. But there’s also the beneficial effect that a vegetarian diet has on gut bacteria.

“Fruits and veg have all your vitamins and all your minerals, but especially iron and zinc,” Kaff says. “Iron is a co-factor for enzymes that fight unwanted substances in our bodies.”

You can get iron from red meat, but there are plenty of other ways to get iron in your diet.

“Lots of wholegrains contain iron, as do spinach and other green leafy vegetables,” Kaff explains. “As well as red kidney beans and lentils.”

Leafy greens – as well as carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, red and yellow capsicum, peas and broccoli – are also high in beta-carotene. This powerful antioxidant has been shown to increase immune cell numbers and the activity of “natural killer cells”. These white blood cells in our bodies kill any cells infected with a virus.

Shellfish is high in zinc
“I’ll have the lobster, thanks.”

Think zinc

Zinc is a key mineral when it comes to immunity. It helps your body to fight off any nasty bacteria or viruses that try to invade your body. It even aids in wound healing. One study from Ohio State University, US, found that zinc helps to control infections by “tapping the brakes” on the immune response in a way that stops it from spiralling out of control. You can find zinc in foods like shellfish, nuts and seeds, legumes, eggs and dairy foods.  

“Zinc is also a co-factor for the enzymes that help to fight unwanted substances in our body,” Kaff says. “People are very focused on their macronutrients [protein, carbs and fats]. But it’s the micronutrients – vitamins and minerals – that do all the background work for those macronutrients. They’re like the driving force for all the chemical reactions in your body that are needed for the body to function at its peak, including the immune system. They help the cells that pick up all these nasty substances floating around in our bodies that can dampen our immune system or make us ill.”

eating for immunity: cut back on junk food
Maybe skip the fries next time.

WHAT TO AVOID FOR IMMUNITY

Cut back on fast food

Too much salt isn’t just bad for your blood pressure. Research from the University Hospital Bonn, Germany, revealed that mice fed a high-salt diet were found to suffer from much more severe bacterial infections. Human volunteers in the study who consumed an additional six grams of salt per day also showed pronounced immune deficiencies. As a reference, six grams is about the amount of salt you’ll find in two fast-food meals.

“The majority of the time, when you have a high-salt diet, it’s from foods that are also highly processed and high in saturated fat,” Kaff says. “Foods that are highly processed and have high amounts of saturated fats or sugar feed the ‘bad’ bacteria in our gut. That’s what can dampen our immune system. Basically, you’re giving the bad guys what they want.”

Researchers at the University College Cork in Ireland found that a high-fat diet reduces the efficiency of the immune system. This makes it harder for your body to fight illness. Too much fat in your diet has also been found to impair the function of your white blood cells. These are the cells in your body that fight infection.

eating for immunity: less alcohol
Love your liver: stop wining so much.

Cut back on booze

This is a no-brainer when it comes to health. But right now alcohol consumption has increased dramatically as we’re all bored and stuck at home in lockdown.

“Alcohol is not good for our gut,” says Kaff. “And it’s not good for overall health. Our liver, for example, is one of the most important organs in our body. It helps to regulate the immune system. Having too much alcohol – enzymes in the liver break down alcohol, which is a toxic substance – puts a lot of stress on the liver as it works to get rid of it. This works to dampen our immunity. When the body is stressed, it can’t fight infection as well. “

Instead of slugging back a few wines after dinner, switch to water. “Staying hydrated is so important,” Kaff stresses. “Our body is 70 percent water. Every single chemical reaction in our body uses water, including the reactions needed to fight infection or any sort of virus.”

LATEST VIDEO Towri Sheep Cheeses: local QLD artisan produce ewe'll love