Hippocrates (460-377 BC), the “father of medicine”, uttered the following sentence: “May your food be your medicine and may your medicine be your food”. This means that food is more than a source of survival: it is a resource for the preservation of health and well-being.
Health is related to the proper functioning of the individual's immune system. This system is highly active and complex; the appropriate nutrients such as glucose, amino acids and fatty acids influence the functioning of cells in the body's defense against disease.
Adequate foods, in the right amount and consumed routinely, are able to bring several benefits to the body, such as increasing immunity and helping the immune system.
Get to know a little about this system and some nutrient-rich foods that act to ensure the body's proper immunity.
the immune system
The immune system is responsible for triggering the body's defense process called immunity, so that it maintains its balance and proper functioning against foreign or dangerous invaders, which can be microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi and germs). , parasites, cancer cells and transplanted organs or tissues. He must have the ability to distinguish between what is pertinent to the body and what is foreign.
In short, immunity both protects the organism, preventing the emergence of a disease, and can prevent it from progressing, because it identifies and destroys foreign, deteriorated or mutated cells, also helping to prevent cancer.
Low immunity occurs when the body's immune response is unbalanced, either due to diseases such as AIDS and cancer, a dysfunction such as diabetes or the use of some medications, or due to inadequate nutrition, allowing it to become susceptible to infections.
Some symptoms indicate low immunity, for example: excessive tiredness, nausea and vomiting for no apparent reason, often dry eyes, diseases such as flu and tonsillitis that take time to pass or get worse easily, herpes, severe hair loss or diarrhea for longer. of two weeks.
How to increase immunity?
Food is essential to increase the body's immunity, especially if it is rich in fruits, vegetables and vegetables that contain the nutrients that contribute and act directly on the cells and chemical processes of the immune system. Some of them even influence the prevention of different types of cancer, which in itself is a great contribution to this system. Here are some of these foods that are great allies to maintain health:
Citrus fruits such as orange, acerola, pomegranate, lemon, pineapple, cashew, kiwi and passion fruit are rich in vitamin C, responsible for increasing the production of white blood cells, which act in the body's immunity and help in the prevention of various types of cancer, especially the stomach.
Red and purple fruits have antioxidant substances and flavonoids, called anthocyanins that are real alerts on how to increase immunity and help prevent breast, rectal, colon cancer, among others. In this group are blackberries, strawberries, açaí, raspberries, black grapes and fresh cherries.
Dark green vegetables contain folic acid, a nutrient that supports the formation of white blood cells, which are needed to boost immunity. They still have isothiocyanates and glucosinolates that help prevent colon, breast and esophageal cancer, such as broccoli and cabbage. Broccoli still contains the phytochemical sulforaphane, which destroys cancer cells while allowing others to remain intact. Kale and spinach have compounds called lutein and zeaxanthin, which help prevent skin cancer.
Foods rich in zinc such as meats, whole grains, chestnuts, seeds and legumes such as beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas, help fight colds, flu and other diseases, not allowing the body to stay with immunity. low.
Oil foods such as walnuts, chestnuts, almonds and vegetable oils (sunflower, canola, corn and wheat germ) are rich in vitamin E, the main property for increasing immune activity in the elderly.
Foods that are a source of omega 3, such as olive oil, salmon, sardines and tuna help the arteries to be free from inflammation, supporting the balance of the body's immunity. Other foods that have this rich fatty acid are avocado, flaxseed meal and chia. They even help prevent breast, prostate and colon cancer.
Foods that contain selenium, an antioxidant nutrient that fights free radicals that act directly on the immune system and accelerates healing. Among them are Brazil nuts and mushrooms.
Foods rich in beta-carotene, a nutrient that turns into vitamin A, found in red and orange peppers, pumpkin and carrots, protect the body against infections.
Garlic is a food that has manganese, vitamins A, B1, B6, C and E, selenium, fiber, calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus and iron, rich to defend the body against a number of diseases and infections, strengthening the system. immune system and being an icon of how to boost immunity.
The yacon potato stimulates the growth of beneficial intestinal flora, which allows disease prevention and supports the immune system.
Onion is rich in antiviral, antiparasitic, antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory substances, which prevent the body from having low immunity. It has vitamins A, B1 and B2, C and minerals, including sulfur and allicin (also present in garlic), which also reduces the risk of some types of cancer such as oral, larynx, esophagus, colon, breasts, ovaries and kidneys. It is a great remedy to prevent colds, flu and infections in general and a model of how to increase immunity.
Dark chocolate and cocoa help prevent various types of cancer as they have a large amount of catechin polyphenols and support the body against low immunity.
Beef liver contains vitamins A, C and zinc which are antioxidants and nutrients that destroy free radicals, which can potentially cause cancer, especially colon cancer. It is also rich in selenium and B12, which help restore cells. It has copper that contributes to tissue recovery. It is an ally to increase immunity.
Yogurts and white cheeses, where beneficial bacteria to the body are found, called probiotics, help to prevent low immunity and support the intestine so that it is able to identify the micronutrients to be absorbed, such as vitamins.
Lychee is an excellent source of vitamin C that helps prevent colds and flu. Also the anthocyanins in the fruit play a significant role against inflammation, low immunity and allergies.
The egg is a super potent food that has essential amino acids and almost all of them are used by the body. Both the white and the yolk are rich in nutrients that keep the immune system healthy, because they contain essential vitamins and minerals for defense cells.
Tomato is rich in lycopene and a strong ally to fight cardiovascular diseases, removing free radicals from the body, which accelerate cellular aging, make the body more prone to developing diseases and causes low immunity. It is an ally in the fight against prostate cancer.
Royal jelly is a superfood, with many nutrients, phytochemicals and antioxidants that, if ingested on an empty stomach, is an effective example of how to increase immunity, as it contains a high concentration of vitamins mainly C and B complex, in addition to many other benefits. the health.
Propolis (resinous substance modified by bee saliva enzymes) contains proteins and compounds that alter and regulate the immune system, in addition to the benefits of being antibacterial and antiviral. This substance activates the initial stages of the immune response by stimulating specific receptors and the production of cytokines, which articulate the mechanisms of immunity. The phenolic compounds present in the resin, especially the flavonoids, cancel out free radicals, molecules that, in excess, weaken the body. In brown, green and red, this food is able to boost the system, increasing the production of antibodies.
Wheat germ contains vitamins A, E and K in large amounts, with antioxidant power, prevent cell aging, helping to increase immunity.
Ginger has several health benefits and assists in the body's defenses, as it is rich in vitamins B6 and C and has antibacterial action. It has two substances (gingerol and 6-shogaol), which in the immune system, induce the death of tumor cells. This tuberous root helps prevent pancreatic, stomach and colon cancer.
Green and black teas are true paradigms of how to increase immunity, as they contain catechin and other polyphenols, antioxidants that even help prevent prostate, bladder and lung cancer.
Coconut oil contains lauric acid and capric acid that act against fungi, viruses and bacteria. To understand how to increase immunity, it is enough to observe that it improves the work of the intestine by eliminating bad bacteria and better absorbing the nutrients that the body needs to stay healthy.
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Knowing how to increase immunity involves understanding that the more you include foods of different colors, making a real rainbow on your plate, the more nutrients you will have to protect your body against diseases.
In conclusion, we can see that Hippocrates was correct, even if at that time, studies were not as technologically perfected as today, food is our medicine and can increase our immunity to diseases, being sources of health.
If you've noticed that a lot of foods don't make up your diet, try to include them, because they influence metabolic functions and generate responses altering low immunity the next day. Have good health!
