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Which foods can strengthen your immune system?
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We have known for a long time that a healthy and balanced diet is good for our health. But did you know that by consuming the right nutrients you can also boost your immunity? We list some important nutrients and ask advice from Eric De Maerteleire, bioengineer and doctor in Agricultural and Applied Biological Sciences.
Also read: Is natural food healthier?
Protein
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Proteins are essential nutrients that fulfill an important function in our body. They are found in whole wheat bread, beef, salmon and eggs, among other things, and are necessary to combat pathogens. “We see that elderly people in particular have a shortage of proteins in their diet. This deficiency will cause them to break down muscle mass more quickly and put pressure on their immune system. A healthy adult needs 0.85 grams of protein per kilogram (ideal) body weight per day, but for seniors 1 gram of protein per kilogram (ideal) body weight per day applies – this may even go up to 1.1 to 1.2. Elderly people therefore need to eat more protein than younger people because the biological conversions in the body are less efficient. This means that a person weighing 70 kilograms should eat approximately 70 grams of protein per day. To roughly know what your ideal body weight is, you should equate your BMI to 22.5.” There are plenty of tables on the internet showing the protein content of foods and for packaged foods it must be stated on the label.
Also read: Eating insects: healthy or dangerous?
Salty
It is not earth-shattering news, but it is best to include as little salt as possible in your diet. 5 to 6 grams is more than sufficient. The reason for this is the impact it has on the kidneys. “Our kidneys have a filter that regulates salt excretion and if too much salt is consumed, this sensor causes glucocorticoids to accumulate in our body. These glucocorticoids will in turn disrupt the functioning of certain immune cells (granulocytes) in the blood. We all know that eating too much salt is not healthy, but we still consume far too much salt every day, 9 to 10 grams per person. However, it has been shown several times that the more salt you eat, the weaker your immune system becomes. Eating too little salt is of course not good either, so stick to 5 to 6 grams per day,” says De Maerteleire.
Also read: 8 signals from your body that you are consuming too much salt
Zink
If there is one element that has a major impact on our immune system, it is the trace element zinc, according to De Maerteleire: “Zinc is necessary for the development of certain white blood cells (neutrophil polymorphonuclear and NK cells) that are part of our immunity. If you have too little zinc, you will immediately be a lot less protected against infections and diseases. The recommended amount is 11 mg/day for adult men and 9 mg per day for adult women (19-70 years and older), but for seniors this limit would be better increased to 20 to 25 mg per day due to lower bioavailability.” You can take the nutrient as a supplement, but we also get it from our diet. Zinc, for example, is found in oysters (by far the strongest source!), fish, lean meat, black chocolate, yoghurt, beans and nuts.
Also read: Microplastics in fish: should we worry?
Selenium
Another element that is important for our immune system is selenium. This substance is part of an important enzyme that destroys free radicals: glutathione peroxidase. Free radicals are very small, short-lived unstable molecules that can cause damage to our body. “According to the Superior Health Council, an adult needs 70 micrograms of selenium per day to produce sufficient white blood cells, but this would be better increased to 120 µ/day. Selenium is crucial for our immunity: the lower the selenium percentage in our body, the less resistance we have. You get this nutrient from fish, shellfish, whole grain products, eggs, celery, nuts and vegetables. Brazilian nuts in particular have a high selenium percentage, two nuts are enough to meet your daily dose,” says De Maerteleire.
Also read: Mycotoxins (mold poison): ‘Throw away moldy food’
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is also important for the proper functioning of white blood cells. “Vitamin C is not only good for boosting your immunity,” De Maerteleire explains, “but it also helps with the formation of a lot of antibodies. It is necessary to mention that vitamin C only works in collaboration with other substances such as iron, folic acid and vitamin D. A supplement consisting of pure vitamin C will hardly work.”
Also read: Why vitamin C is so important
Vitamine A
It is also necessary to consume enough vitamin A. This is mainly found in dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, endive and kale. “Vitamin A helps to keep your mucous membranes healthy. This is important to keep viruses and bacteria outside the body. This vitamin is also crucial for the production of white blood cells,” says De Maerteleire.
Finally, it should be noted that the general diet must be good and that a series of other elements (vitamins, minerals, trace elements) must also be included in sufficient quantities.
Last updated: October 2023
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2023-10-04 22:04:38
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