What to eat for good immunity?
In this damp and chilly season, viruses and bacteria lurk everywhere we go, and that's precisely why it's important to boost immunity. You might immediately think of going to the pharmacy for a multivitamin. But no dietary supplement will boost immunity enough to protect you from infection. But did you know that our immune system can be largely influenced by what we eat? Our immune system is weakened when we lack important nutrients. Which ones are they?
She once dreamed of a career full of flowers and their arrangement, but ultimately the need to help others prevailed. Petra Kuřátková, originally from Slovakia, eventually settled in Brno, where she started a family, and even before that, she studied Adult and Child Nutrition at the medical faculty. Thanks to this, she learned not only to cook and bake better, but mainly to understand the functioning of our organism, to navigate food, and also the quantity of nutritional and sometimes contradictory claims. Now, as the mother of little Jurek, she tries to convey a non-black-and-white view of child and maternal nutrition on her website nutrimamma.cz.
4 TIPS ON HOW TO ACHIEVE GOOD IMMUNITY WITH THE HELP OF FOOD
1. Consider adequate energy and protein intake It might surprise you that our energy and protein intake plays an important role in fighting diseases. In fact, insufficient caloric intake and protein deficiency can impair the function of T-lymphocytes, which are an important part of our immunity. Children naturally have a higher need for energy and protein. However, proper energy and protein intake, in addition to body weight, should also reflect the level of physical activity, meaning the extent of sports participation in children. Protein intake in children should be around 1 g/kg of body weight; energy intake varies by age and gender – for example, a first-grader should consume approximately 700 kJ, while a 15-year-old adolescent can easily consume up to 11,000 kJ! Where to find complete proteins? In meat, fish, offal, eggs, milk, and dairy products. Non-animal sources of protein include legumes or nuts, although we do not consider them complete. You can ensure sufficient protein for one day with 2–3 servings of dairy products and 1–2 servings of foods from the meat, fish, eggs, legumes, and nuts group.
2. Ensure an adequate intake of vitamins and mineralsWithout a whole range of vitamins and minerals, our immune system could not function properly. The main vitamins are A, C, D, and E. Optimal intake of vitamin D cannot be ensured by diet alone from autumn to spring, as its production is primarily influenced by sunlight. Unlike other vitamins and minerals, it is therefore unequivocally recommended to supplement vitamin D. Vitamin A is abundant primarily in carrots, leafy greens, beetroot, liver, dairy products, fish oil, and eggs. Vitamin C is mainly found in fresh bell peppers, (properly cooked) potatoes, citrus fruits, tomatoes, or broccoli. Eggs, liver, cold-pressed oils, nuts, leafy greens, spinach, legumes, or whole grains are rich in vitamin E.Among minerals, zinc, selenium, copper, and iron are essential for proper immune function, and children's bodies are particularly sensitive to iron deficiency. Iron is found primarily in red meat and offal, but also in egg yolks, fish, legumes, or dried apricots. Many cereal porridges are also fortified with iron. Zinc and selenium are largely found in seafood, bran (and thus whole-grain products), nuts and seeds, and also in eggs. We get copper from nuts, leafy greens, legumes, or liver.You will obtain an adequate intake of vitamins and minerals through a varied and sufficient diet. It is necessary to focus on purchasing quality fresh ingredients, because improper and long-term storage or even unsuitable culinary preparation deprives us of a significant portion of these micronutrients. If we want to have enough micronutrients for the proper functioning of the immune system, we should focus on a varied intake of fruits and vegetables, 5 times a day, and also not omit foods such as meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, legumes, or nuts.
3. Did you know that fats are also important for immune function? But not all fats are created equal! On one side of immunity are saturated fatty acids, found mainly in animal products (but also coconut fat), which can have an inflammatory effect when consumed in excess. On the other side are fatty acids with a more complex chain, omega-3 FAs, which show anti-inflammatory effects. We get these fats from fatty fish, such as salmon or mackerel, rapeseed, flaxseed oil, or also in walnuts and flax, pumpkin, hemp, or chia seeds.