Q
- I picked up a cold which developed into a chest infection and I had to take
a course of antibiotics for a week. I’m fine now, and feel great, but
was wondering whether you could tell me what kinds of foods are good for sustaining
a good immune system. It would be really beneficial for me to incorporate
this into my diet. I take a Vit C and zinc supplement and also was prescribed
an iron supplement by my doctor for a low iron level, but was wondering what
foods were particularly good for healthy immunity.
A
- Firstly, making sure that your (good) gut bacteria are replaced after your
course of antibiotics is important. Scientists have shown that c ertain types
of bacteria that help the body can escape digestion and end up in the colon,
or large bowel. You may want to try having a live yogurt, such as Loseley,
Onken, Muller Probiotic or Nestle LC1 or a cultured milk drink every day such
as Yakult, Actimel or Muller Vitality. If you don’t like yogurt, then
you could buy a known brand of probiotic supplements in tablet or capsule
form instead. Make sure that you buy a packet that has a long ‘use-by’
date, so that you can be better assured that there still are bacteria alive
and well in there! Brands include Solgar, BioCare, Lamberts and Multibionta
Advanced Formula, which combines a multivitamin and mineral with the right
type of helpful bacteria.
When looking at the immune system overall, it is a VERY complex system - sometimes
in needs to be stimulated and sometimes it becomes dampened down or suppressed.
Someone who has an overactive immune system may start attacking their own
body or common household items e.g. Allergy to some foods, bees-stings, hayfever
or what is called auto-immune conditions, where the body's immune system turns
on itself some types of rheumatism are thought to be involved in this mechanism.
If you had rheumatoid arthritis you may want to suppress you overactive immune
system - often through prescribed drugs but also through dietary changes.
However you do want a system that is stimulated if you get a bug or infection,
you don't want to suppress it! The turning up and turning down of the immune
system is therefore very important. Certain nutrients are involved in helping
the immune system work properly, but it is also dependent on your genes.
So how is nutrition involved:
- * Eating
a well balanced diet - taking foods from all the important food groups:
bread/cereal and potato group; fruit and vegetables, milk and dairy
and meat and alternatives.
-
* We know that supplements do not equal food. Food is superior to
supplements due to the complex nature of the chemistry in foods and
compounds, many of which we are only beginning to understand are important.
-
* We know that it is not just vitamins and minerals that help the
immune system, but also carbohydrate, the right type of fat (essential
fatty acids) and the right amount of protein, from animals and vegetables,
too
* Timing of food and drink immediately after training or competition
is important: 0.5g - 1.0g carbohydrate plus a small amount of protein
taken ASAP as a snack is important (see attached handouts) if you
are not eating a proper meal straight away. If you are eating pretty
much as soon as you finish, then the amount of carbohydrate and protein
(and fat) will go up accordingly. So rather than just having a nutrigrain
bar and a yoghurt and then waiting until your main meal; you could
be eating your main meal of spaghetti bolognese straight away?
* Eating too much fat saturated and getting overweight suppresses
the immune system
* Not eating enough essential fat (oily fish, nuts, seeds, avocados,
olive oil, rapeseed oil) suppresses the immune system
* But an intake that is very high in essential fat (such as longterm
supplements with fish oil) can suppress the immune system (hence reason
why fish oil supplements popular in arthritis)
* Losing weight if already thin will suppress the immune system and
may help if you have arthritis but you will be more prone to infections....
* Making sure that you eat enough protein as well as carbs. Carbohydrates
protect protein from being broken down to be used as fuel for muscles
etc but protein is needed to remodel muscle and sometimes for certain
white cells of the immune system (glutamine is an amino acid, a building
block of protein, known to be involved in the immune system. It’s
role is linked very closely to that of glucose as sometimes glucose
can be used instead of glutamine, but not always).
* Carbohydrate is needed as a fuel for white cells of the immune system-
* Drinking a carbohydrate-containing sports drink during training
is important to help maintain blood glucose which seems to improve
the stress response (through the hormone cortisol) and may lessen
the risk of coughs and colds
* Zinc is important for the immune system, but taken as a supplement
for a long time, perhaps without copper can suppress the immune system
as it interferes with iron metabolism via copper(!)
* Sucking zinc lozenges if getting a sore throat/cold may help reduce
symptoms, but not if lozenge contains sorbitol and no evidence that
zinc in the pill form will help (find zinc in chicken, meat, nuts,
seeds, fish i.e. Meat and alternative group)
* Vitamin C is important, but there is no evidence that taking extra
will help the immune system over and above fruit and vegetables. However,
taking up to 2g of Vitamin C, spread through the day when first symptoms
of cold are felt may reduce the severity of a cold or reduce the life
of a cold.
* Poor iron status will affect immune system adversely, but giving
iron when not needed may not be a good idea. An iron deficit in some
countries seems to prevent bacterial infections (bacteria need iron
to multiply), but an iron deficit in other countries impairs brain
function in young children and the immune and cardiovascular system
in older children and adults.
* Calcium, magnesium and selenium are all involved in the immune system
and found in milk and dairy products, green vegetables and wholemeal
bread and tuna fish and Brazil nuts respectively!
* Alcohol in excess suppresses the immune system and can have an adverse
effect on how the body handles carbohydrate, fat and protein and certain
vitamins and mineral |
And
of course making sure you get enough sleep (8 hours a night) and trying to
stay clear of people sneezing over you are also important preventative measures.
I would recommend that you see a State Registered Dietitian, specializing
in sports nutrition to help you look at your diet in more detail and to see
whether certain supplements may help, particularly if your iron status has
been diagnosed as being poor.
This
advice should not replace that of your doctor or usual state registered dietitian.
You should always discuss medical matters with your GP.
