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Smart Immunity - Harness The Healing Power of Food For Optimal Health and Resilience
Smart Immunity - Harness The Healing Power of Food For Optimal Health and Resilience
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A massive body of evidence tells us that
our diet and lifestyle choices can influence
how our bodies respond to illness. There’s
never been a better time to put the power of
healthy food choices into action.
3
How Does Food Affect
Your Immune System?
It’s difficult to overstate how important fruits and vegetables, they have improved
nutrition is in promoting a healthy immune antibody response to stress.
system. You need a diverse group of Making healthy food choices is like
phytochemicals (the bioactive chemical recruiting a microscopic army of nutrients
compounds in plants) to create a strong which are all trained to help your body fight
barrier against pathogens that would off germs.
otherwise make you ill. Because immunity
typically declines as you age, it becomes So, what foods should you be eating to get
especially important to eat more immune- the nutrients you need and stay healthy?
supporting foods as you get older. Plus,
there is considerable evidence that the
immune systems of people who eat healthful G-BOMBS to the Rescue
diets abundant with fruits and vegetables
do not decline nearly as rapidly with age. Some of the healthiest foods for you and
Many studies have shown that nutrient your immune health are what’s called
deficiencies cause impaired immune G-BOMBS, a fun acronym developed by
function in the elderly. Even in people as Food Revolution Summit speaker, Joel
young as 35 years old, poor nutrition wreaks Fuhrman, MD. It stands for Greens, Beans,
havoc on the immune response. Onions, Mushrooms, Berries, and Seeds.
G-BOMBS are full of critical nutrients to help
But there’s good news, too! When elderly
your body fight off illness.
people eat at least five servings per day of
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Greens Onions
Greens, such as spinach, kale, mustard Onions, which
greens, collard greens, broccoli, bok choy, are part of the
and Brussels sprouts, are packed with the Allium ffamily of vegetables along
phytonutrients your immune system needs with shallots, scallions, leeks, garlic, and
for optimal function. Green vegetables are chives, are full of organosulfur compounds.
rich in folate, calcium, and antioxidants like These compounds have known benefits
lutein and zeaxanthin. Folate is especially for immunity and are released when
important for producing antibodies that alliums are crushed or chopped. Onions
work to destroy antigens that can contain quercetin, a compound that may
make you sick. You can blend have particularly powerful bacteria-fighting
green veggies into smoothies, abilities, as well as prebiotic fiber that feeds
saute them, use them as only the beneficial bacteria in our large
a base for colorful intestine. Onions and garlic make great
salads, chop and kitchen staples because you can use them
mix them into in so many ways. You might enjoy sauteeing
pasta dishes, or them and adding them to soups, stir-fries,
roast them. burritos, and homemade sauces.
Beans Mushrooms
Beans, peas, and lentils are full of fiber and Mushrooms, including
resistant starch (carbohydrates not broken the commonly
down through digestion). The compounds in consumed varieties
beans and other legumes can help enhance like white, crimini,
your gut microbiome, which is important and Portobello, have been
because much of your immunity begins with studied for their immune-modulating
the health of your digestive system. You can and enhancing abilities. There’s so much
add beans, peas, and lentils to just about evidence that mushrooms aare good for
any dish, like spaghetti, your immune system that they’ve even
on top of salads or been studied as a potential treatment
pizzas, or in for cancer. Additionally, mushrooms may
stews and increase an important immune-balancing
soups. compound called secretory IgA. To be on
the safe side, it’s always a good idea to cook
mushrooms before eating them to reduce a
potentially carcinogenic compound called
agaritine. Cooked mushrooms are great
on warm sandwiches, in noodle dishes,
on salads, in soups, and on pizza. They
can even serve as a base for plant-based
burgers!
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Berries Other Immune-
Berries of all kinds — including strawberries, Supporting Foods
raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries
— are high in phytochemicals and vitamins
that may help keep the immune system Stay healthy with a few other antioxidant-
functioning at its best. The main antioxidant rich foods that strengthen immunity,
compound in blueberries is called including:
pterostilbene, which has been studied for
its ability to lower inflammation and fight Beets: Beets are high in nitrates, which
disease. Berries are delicious eaten raw, but become nitric oxide in the body and open
you can also blend them into up your blood vessels, improving circulation
smoothies, mix them into and lowering heart rate. They also contain
oatmeal or yogurt, make betalains, which can reduce inflammation, as
them into a homemade well as fiber, an important nutrient to prevent
chia jam, or toss them a number of diseases.
into salads.
Dragon Fruit: Dragon fruit is a good source
of fiber and prebiotics, which are beneficial
to gut health. They also contain antioxidants,
Seeds like vitamin C, which enhance immunity.
And they include heart-healthy compounds
Seeds and nuts, like chia, flax, walnuts, and
called flavonoids, like betalains.
almonds, are rich in disease-preventing
nutrients like fiber, healthy omega-3 fats,
Purple Veggies: Purple vegetables like
and micronutrients like vitamin E, iron,
purple cauliflower, purple carrots, red onion,
zinc, and calcium. Zinc — especially high in
eggplant, and purple cabbage, are loaded
pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and hemp
with antioxidants called anthocyanins, which
seeds — is a particularly potent nutrient
give them their coloring and heal your
that supports immunity, so much so that it’s
cells from damage. Anthocyanins may help
called “a gatekeeper of immune function.”
prevent cancer, promote heart health, and
Nuts and seeds are a perfect afternoon
boost your memory.
snack and go well in homemade
trail mix. You can blend them to Zucchini: Zucchini contains compounds
make your own nut and seed that can improve digestion, slow the effects
butters and “cheezes,” or toss of aging, lower blood sugar, promote heart
them into salads, stir-fries, and health, and protect your body against
smoothies. oxidative damage that can lead to disease.
6
The Nutrition-
COVID Connection
There’s a lot we still don’t know about higher susceptibility to health problems
COVID-19. But here’s one thing we do know: — and make COVID-19 significantly more
People who are obese, have hypertension, dangerous.
cardiovascular disease, or diabetes fare far
worse if they become infected. They are Studies clearly show the see-saw
much more likely to be hospitalized. And relationship between plant-based eating
they are far more likely to die. and disease: The more fruits and vegetables
you consume daily, the lower your risk of
the chronic diseases that make COVID-19
While a number of different factors far more dangerous. When researchers from
contribute to the development of major Imperial College, London, analyzed data
chronic diseases and developing severe from 95 studies encompassing over two
cases of COVID-19, perhaps the most million subjects, they determined that up
powerful is nutrition. There’s a reason to 10 servings a day of fruits or vegetables
many of these COVID-19 comorbidities are provides the maximum protection from
referred to as “lifestyle diseases.” Eating a chronic disease and premature death.
nutrient-poor diet is known to contribute Meanwhile, USDA food consumption
to a higher risk for chronic conditions like surveys find that the average American
heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, consumes less than three servings a day of
and obesity. Chronic diseases make your fruits and vegetables.
body work harder and bring about a
7
Your Body Needs the
Right Kind of Fuel
Think about how you fuel your car. If you don’t
give your car enough gas — or the right kind
of gas — it doesn’t run well, if at all. Imagine
if owners of cars with diesel engines used
gasoline just because it was more convenient.
Do you know what would happen? I didn’t,
but I looked into it and discovered that it
would cause serious engine damage because
gasoline is a solvent and diesel fuel is a
lubricant. Using the wrong kind of fuel would
destroy the fuel system, cause shock wave
damage to sensitive parts of the engine, and
produce clouds of black smoke belching from
the exhaust pipe.
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he said when the study was published, For example, the standard American diet
“that this disease has been around for a (SAD indeed!) is filled with these kinds of
whole year with millions dead and tens of pro-inflammatory foods:
millions hospitalized worldwide, and we
• Fast food (burgers, fries, chicken
haven’t addressed one of the major ways
nuggets, milkshakes, etc.)
of preventing such severe outcomes…
If individuals exercised a little more, and • Ultra-processed foods (potato chips,
ate a bit more healthfully, we would see cookies, packaged baked goods,
improvements in diabetes and hypertension frozen dinners, etc.)
in just a few weeks. We should be shouting
this from the rooftops…” • Meat, especially processed meats
(cold cuts, sausage, hot dogs, etc.)
We agree.
• Dairy products (milk, ice cream,
cheese, etc.)
Why would eating more healthfully make so • Alcohol, especially when consumed in
much difference? The standard American excess
diet is full of foods and food-like products In addition to minimizing or avoiding the
that increase the risk of and perpetuate foods above, the World Health Organization
chronic disease, inflammation, and oxidative emphasizes the importance of drinking
stress. Some of the worst offenders contain an abundance of water to stay hydrated,
excessive amounts of saturated fat and switching to healthier fat sources, eating
omega 6-rich oils, refined carbohydrates, out less, and eating more fresh and
sodium, and factory-farmed animal products. unprocessed foods.
9
Foods That May Help
With COVID-19 Outcomes
10
• Ginger: Some research has found that certainty to add them to your diet now.
several compounds found in ginger At the very least, it will help you enforce
bind strongly to a COVID-19 enzyme in social distancing!
a way that may inhibit the virus. While
• Citrus fruits: Citrus fruits, like oranges,
that may seem surprising, most antiviral
lemons, limes, and grapefruit, contain
drugs contain raw materials derived
high amounts of vitamin C, a known
from medicinal plants like ginger that are
immune-enhancing antioxidant. They’re
essential to their effectiveness.
also rich in hesperidin, a flavonoid shown
• Turmeric: The primary active compound to bind to key proteins of the COVID-19
in turmeric, curcumin, has been shown to virus and potentially block infection.
have potent binding capacity to the main Clinical trials In vitro studies using
COVID-19 enzyme and may be useful hesperidin to fight COVID-19 infections
in pharmaceutical developments for have shown promise as potentially
the virus. Curcumin acts as a protease binding to viral spike proteins.
inhibitor, preventing the virus from
• Cruciferous vegetables: The profound
replicating, in addition to potentially
health benefits of cruciferous veggies,
helping prevent its entrance in the first
like broccoli, kale, and cauliflower, are
place. Curcumin also has powerful and
attributed in part to their sulforaphane
well-documented anti-inflammatory
content. Sulforaphane is a sulfur-
properties. The power of curcumin is so
rich compound that helps reduce
strong that multiple clinical trials have
inflammation and facilitate repair in the
already tested its impact on COVID-19
body. It can activate a compound called
infections and a systematic review
NRF2 that can be employed against the
found that curcumin supplementation
COVID-19 virus. Cruciferous veggies
is an effective treatment for improving
also contain an antioxidant called
COVID-19 outcomes.
glutathione, which has been studied as
• Onions and garlic: These foods contain a way to block cytokine storm syndrome
a compound called allicin, which has also and respiratory distress in patients
shown antiviral activity. Allicin appears with COVID-19 pneumonia. For more
to boost immune cells and repress pro- on the extraordinary health benefits of
inflammatory cytokines and whole-body sulforaphane, click here.
inflammation, which could help prevent
While there aren’t yet enough studies to
and reduce the severity of COVID-19
definitively prove the impact of specific
infections. Existing research shows
foods on COVID-19 infection, the benefits
that allicin-containing supplements can
of these foods to your overall health are
prevent severe attacks from the common
already well documented.
cold virus. And so far, one study has
shown that treatment with allicin could Ginger, turmeric, onions, garlic, and
accelerate healing and relieve symptoms cruciferous vegetables can all make a major
of COVID-19. While more research for contribution to your health.
COVID-19 is needed, onions and garlic
provide a host of known health benefits,
so there’s no need to wait for scientific
11
Vitamin D for
Immune Support
Studies have shown that people with vitamin It’s a good idea to get your vitamin D levels
D deficiency are 11 times more likely to get tested using the 25-hydroxy vitamin D test.
a cold or flu — while supplementing with This is something almost any doctor can
vitamin D can reduce colds and flu by up to prescribe. You can also order a home test
42%. kit, such as this one, which might or might
While vitamin D — or “the sunshine vitamin” not be as reliable, but which adds a great
— is naturally made by your skin when deal of convenience.
exposed to direct ultraviolet light, most of
us don’t experience enough direct sunlight Many health experts suggest that a healthy
year-round. In fact, one reason sickness, blood level of vitamin D is between 30 and
colds, and flu cases spike in winter is that 50 nanograms per milliliter — and ideally
during the winter months, most of us have closer to 50. A daily dose of 2,000 IUs of
less sun exposure and, correspondingly, vitamin D3 could make a huge difference,
lower vitamin D levels. especially for people who don’t get a 20-
30 minute daily dose of direct sunlight.
Not only is vitamin D a key player in Some find that 5,000 or even 10,000 IUs
everyday immunity, but there’s also a strong is the right amount to get to optimal blood
correlation between low vitamin D levels levels. But remember that you can also get
and higher rates of COVID-19 risk and too much vitamin D, so supplementing with
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high levels is potentially ill-advised unless EPA and DHA as well as intravenous
you are also testing to ensure you are in a omega-3 supplementation aimed at
healthy range. resolving cytokine storms or severe
overreactions of the immune system
You can also try a simple self-test for to COVID-19 infections, which can be
potential vitamin D deficiency at home. To deadly if unchecked.
do this, press your thumb into your sternum
with medium pressure. Be sure not to press • Vitamin C: An essential vitamin and
too hard, as to not damage your breastbone. well-known antioxidant, vitamin C is
If this medium pressure is painful or causes highly concentrated not just in citrus
discomfort, you may have a vitamin D fruits, but in many fruits and vegetables,
deficiency. If this is the case, you have even including bell peppers and broccoli. As
more reason to consider checking your it reduces inflammation and oxidative
blood levels or to simply take a modest daily stress, vitamin C has been spotlighted
supplemental dose. for its potential to alleviate COVID-19
complications. Both injections and oral
vitamin C have been associated with
improved outcomes and recovery from
More Specific the infection. For more on the immune
13
• Vitamin A: Vitamin A (retinol, or retinoic part to play in reducing the severity of
acid) is found in mango, watermelon, COVID-19’s impact.
cantaloupe, sweet potato, carrots, and
raw spinach. Researchers have noted • Melatonin: Some studies have found
that when COVID-19 patients experience that people taking melatonin have
a cytokine storm (one of the primary significantly lower odds of developing
factors in COVID-19 deaths), they often COVID-19, and are far less likely to
have low levels of vitamin A in their die of it. In October 2020, a study at
blood. Megadoses of vitamin A are being Columbia University found that intubated
considered as a potential way to support patients had better rates of survival if
a healthier and more balanced immune they received melatonin. When then-
response. President Trump was flown to Walter
Reed Medical Center for COVID-19
• Selenium: Brazil nuts are among the treatment, his doctors prescribed — in
best sources of selenium (just one nut addition to other experimental therapies
can meet your daily needs!), an important — melatonin.
mineral and antioxidant for your immune
system. One study found that selenium Again, research on these individual nutrients
status was significantly higher in samples is ongoing. But based on what we know
from surviving COVID-19 patients now, it seems like a good idea to get plenty
compared with non-survivors, suggesting of these nutrients in your diet, and to
that selenium may have an important consider supplementation if necessary.
14
Immune-Optimizing Recipes
You can support your immune system while indulging in plant-based goodness. Choose from
a satisfying vitamin A and fiber-packed breakfast with the Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal; or, a dish
rich in immune-supporting minerals that can be enjoyed by the whole family with the Pineapple
Rice; or, a flavorful dressing that packs a lot of nutrient power with the Ginger Turmeric
Dressing. Here’s to whole plant foods for health!
Pineapple Rice
Pineapple Rice is so simple to make that it might be hard to
imagine it’s actually packed with immune-supporting nutrition!
Brown rice offers fiber and selenium; red peppers are packed
with vitamin C; carrots bring the beta-carotene; onions provide
prebiotic fiber; and peas and tofu are great sources of plant-
powered protein. Add some leafy greens, and you have
yourself a completely nourishing (and tasty!) meal.
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The Power of and less highly processed and animal-
based foods.
Your Plate If you eat the standard American diet, or
anything akin to it, then chances are you’re
The modern industrialized diet is rich in at risk for, or already have, one of the
calories and poor in nutrients. And the underlying conditions that could make you
modern American diet, in particular, is more susceptible to complications from
based around sugar, refined carbohydrates, COVID-19. But the good news is, there are
and other processed foods, while also choices you can make now that will slash
deriving 34% of calories from fat, namely your risk of chronic disease. And in the time
factory farmed meat, dairy, and eggs. of COVID-19, they’re more important than
Meanwhile, around 90% of Americans ever before.
aren’t getting the recommended amount We all want an immune system that can
of fruits and vegetables. deal with real threats without overreacting.
Tens of thousands of studies published And a healthy diet, full of all the compounds
in peer-reviewed medical journals make your immune system needs to function
it clear that we need to eat more fruits, well, can make a world of difference. This
vegetables, and other whole plant foods approach to health can save lives during a
pandemic, and well beyond.
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Watch the Food Revolution Summit Docuseries