immune resilience: How to increase it

15 Dec

Whether you are immunised or not, now more than ever we all want our immune systems to function at optimal level. We have not been exposed to any viruses being “locked up”, along with unsteady mental health, stress and unhealthy lifestyle habits reduce our immune capacity without us even realising it. Let’s strengthen our defences in a natural way.

Here are just a few ideas. But as always, please speak with a naturopath to be advised on dose, medication interactions and if the foods will be safe with your particular medical conditions (if you have any).

Prebiotics

Immune health and a healthy gut microbiome go hand in hand. We have all heard of probiotics, well, PREbiotics feed the microorganisms living in our gut. Think, PRObiotics increase the quantity and PREbiotics feed them so they stay there!

Prebiotic Rich Foods – too many to mention but here are a few;

jerusalem artichoke tubers – raw

garlic – raw

dandelion leaves – raw

chicory – roasted (coffee) – 1tsp

onion – raw or cooked

asparagus – raw or cooked

broccoli – raw

blueberries

whole grains

cold precooked pasta, potato, brown rice

combine these with the above to get extra benefits

chickpeas, lima, red kidney beans, split peas, borlotti, lentilsi– boiled

Try foods rich in;

Vitamin A/carotenoids – a potent immunomodulator which supports a balance in T cell activity – nutrient can be consumed when eating carrots, sweet potatoes, cabbage, pumpkin, peppers, tomato, dark green leafy vegetables, avocado, melons & orange coloured fruits

Vitamin C – serious antioxidant - support the function of various immune cells and enhances their ability to protect against viral infection by helping the immune cells attack pathogens. It also helps regenerate other antioxidants in the body. Its contained in blackcurrant, broccoli, citrus fruits, mangoes.

Vitamin D – another immunomodulator which improve immune cell activity. Healthy levels help you lower your risk of respiratory infections. Our main source of vitamin d is from sunlight so good to supplement in winter months or if levels are low.

Zinc – important for immune cell function and helps produce new immune cells to help fight off viruses, support communication between immune cells and reduces inflammatory response. Excellent food sources include oysters, beef, lamb, liver, whole grains, pumpkin seeds and nuts.

Herbs - so many herbs for so many different reasons – as a naturopth I match the herb to the individual. But great herbs that we call Adaptogenic can be useful. They supports the immune systems resilience against viral infections. They have a broad range of activity that encourage the body to adapt to any stressor.

Some are;

Astragalus membranaceus

Reishi Mushroom

Andrographis paniculata

Echinacea spp.

Sambucus nigra – for onset of symptoms

olea europaea – antioxidant and anti-inflammatory

Healthy lifestyle practices