Stay Healthy With These 3 Immune Boosters
Emily Sohn
Stay Healthy With These 3 Immune Boosters
Eatingwell
You already know you need to eat well to stay healthy, but scientists are now zeroing in on specific diet strategies that can help bolster immunity. With cold and flu season right around the corner, here are three to add to your arsenal:
1. Fill your Vitamin D tank: You may have fewer health problems--ranging from colds to cancer--if you get enough vitamin D. Your body naturally makes vitamin D from sunlight. You can also get it--albeit in smaller doses--from fatty fish, such as salmon, and fortified milk. But because Americans don't get enough vitamin D, most experts recommend a D supplement.
New research in the
Laboratory studies indicate that the nutrient may help immune cells identify and destroy bacteria and viruses that make us sick, says Adit Ginde, M.D., M.P.H., a public health researcher at the
2. Get a daily dose of soluble fiber: Mice that ate a diet rich in soluble fiber for six weeks recovered from a bacterial infection in half the time it took mice that chowed on meals containing mixed fiber, according to a recent study in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity.
Soluble fiber--abundant in citrus fruits, apples, carrots, beans and oats--helps fight inflammation, says lead author
3. Stay lean: Overweight adults who cut their daily calorie intake by nearly a third saw a 50 percent boost in immunity, according to a six-month study out of
Animal studies suggest that calorie restriction could work in normal-weight individuals too. "Try to maintain your body weight at what is considered ideal," Meydani says, because eating more than what you need drags the immune system down. And remember: when you cut back on quantity, you need to be even more vigilant about the quality of your diet.
Aim to eat more fruits and vegetables--and choose lean protein sources, such as fish, chicken and low-fat dairy.
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