The Importance Of Nutrition For Your Immune System

As the saying goes, "you are what you eat". This is especially true for your immune system. According to research, a healthy diet boosts the immune system.

To function properly, your immune system needs good nutrition, so if you're malnourished, deficient in micronutrients, or don't get enough of the right kinds of foods to keep you healthy, not only will your overall well-being suffer, but your immunity will as well. It is impossible to maintain a healthy immune system if you eat a poor-quality diet.

Because of this, they are more likely to develop short-term illnesses as well as ongoing health problems. In addition to coughs, colds, and flu, you’re also at risk for developing more serious diseases like diabetes, hypertension, or cancer when you do this.

In order to improve your diet and, therefore, your overall health, you must understand the connection between nutrition and immunity.

The role of malnourishment in low immunity

Lack of nutrition results in a decreased number of white blood cells, which makes it hard for your body to fight sicknesses and heal them.

You cannot fully recover if you're malnourished, as wounds require protein, energy, minerals, and vitamins. If you're malnourished, you're at an increased risk of cancer and will struggle to tolerate chemotherapy. Malnourished people are more likely to contract infections and illnesses as well.

In spite of the common misconception that malnourishment only occurs in developing countries, a surprising number of people living in the USA and other developed countries are malnourished due to a lack of nutrients. Even though they may eat enough food physically, they don't choose the right foods to provide them with the nutrients they need.

It is easy to become malnourished over time if you choose food that is processed, full of sugar, fat, and artificial ingredients. It's possible you think you aren't suffering from malnutrition because you eat three meals a day, but if the content of those three meals isn't well-balanced and does not contain the right components, you could as well starve yourself.

Deficiencies in micronutrients

As you might expect from their name, macronutrients need to be consumed in larger amounts than micronutrients in order to maintain optimal health and well-being.

Humans are only capable of functioning well with a small amount of micronutrients. There is no need to consume large amounts of these minerals and vitamins.

It is important to note, however, that if you do not receive those small amounts, you are much more likely to contract diseases, and your immune system will certainly suffer as a result. To keep your immunity at an optimal level and to stay fit and healthy, it’s important to choose foods that contain plenty of minerals, vitamins, and micronutrients.

The body cannot manufacture nearly 30 minerals and vitamins sufficiently. These are called essential micronutrients.

Insufficient consumption of key minerals, vitamins, and other compounds can increase your risk of cancer, type II diabetes, osteoporosis, and heart disease.

Getting enough micronutrients requires a diet containing legumes, vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, lean protein sources, olive oil, nuts, and other healthy fats.

A number of essential micronutrients have a key role to play when it comes to maintaining your immunity, including vitamin C, vitamin C6, vitamin E, zinc, and magnesium.

Adding them to your diet can take many forms:

• Vitamin B6 – is found in chicken, bananas, cereals, potatoes with the skin on, and pork loin.

• Vitamin C – found in citrus fruits, tomatoes, kiwi fruits, broccoli, and sweet peppers

• Vitamin E – found in sunflower oil and seeds, safflower oil, almonds, and peanut butter

• Magnesium – eat seeds, nuts, legumes, and whole wheat

• Zinc – eat beef shank, dark turkey meat and oysters

An Overview of Superfoods

Recently, you might have heard about superfoods. These foods are touted as the newest and best way to stay healthy.

Eating superfoods is a good way to increase your immunity and keep yourself healthy, but what are these superfoods and how do they boost your health?

Known for containing a large amount of minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins, superfoods are ideal for aiding in immunity enhancement.

As a result, they provide your immune system with valuable assistance so that it can function at its best.

Some of the superfoods that are known to boost your immune system include:

• Garlic

• Ginger

• Goji berries

• Chia seeds

• Matcha

• Kale

• Blueberries

Incorporating some or all of the above foods into your daily diet will give your immune system a little extra assistance in combating the invading threats that your body faces every day, such as bacteria and viruses. As a result, you will be able to stay healthy for longer, and avoid illnesses that can make you unwell in the short or long term, thanks to this additional power.

However, tell yourself that you're proud that you made the decision in the first place. Celebrate how far you've come.