Dr Paul Clayton 2015<\/p>\n
Strengthening your immune system has become a real priority for everyone in the family \u2013 especially now we are running out of effective antibiotics. The threat is very real as the medical literature shows.<\/p>\n
\u201cDrug-resistant superbugs represent one of the gravest threats in the history of medicine\u201d. The Lancet<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThe effectiveness of lifesaving antibiotics is at risk. Many medical advances that physicians and patients take for granted\u2014including cancer treatment, surgery, transplantation, and neonatal care\u2014are endangered by increasing antibiotic resistance.\u201d We are running out of effective antibiotics because bacteria have a very short life cycle compared to ours, so they continually and rapidly evolve to resist and overcome the antibiotics we fight them with. Within a surprisingly short period of time, resistant strains emerge. Hence the rise of the hospital \u2018super-bugs\u2019.<\/p>\n So how can you strengthen your immune system? Are there foods and natural supplements which can enhance the immune system?<\/p>\n It\u2019s an important question because a weakened immune system leaves your body vulnerable to disease. Indeed the weakening of immune systems is implicated in the significantly increased incidence of cancer that has occurred in the last half-century.<\/p>\n Natural ways to strengthen your immune system<\/strong><\/p>\n THE FOOD YOU EAT This way of eating is high in fruits and vegetables, wholegrains, beans and other legumes, olive oil, nuts and seeds, garlic, oily fish and a moderate intake of red wine. The key is a wide range. Even so, there are some specific foods that are high in the nutrients important for a healthy immune system. They include:<\/p>\n Nuts, seeds and whole grains<\/strong>: Pine nuts<\/strong> and pumpkin seeds<\/strong> are a good source of zinc, which is an important immune-boosting mineral, and promotes the function of the thymus gland, which is a controller of the immune system.<\/p>\n Zinc<\/strong> also increases the production of infection-fighting white blood cells, and has anti-viral properties. Oats<\/strong> contain a type of fibre with anti-microbial and anti-oxidant capabilities.<\/p>\n Herbs and spices<\/strong>: Herbs and spices contain immune-supporting nutrients \u2013 so add turmeric <\/strong>to rice and grate ginger<\/strong> into stir fries.<\/p>\n Citrus and other fruits<\/strong>: Oranges and lemons contain limonoids<\/strong> \u2013 a type of polyphenol with antiviral properties. Polyphenols are some of the most important compounds in fruits and vegetables that give you protection from almost all the illnesses that threaten as we get older. Kiwi fruits<\/strong> and peppers<\/strong> are high in vitamin C and mangoes<\/strong> contain beta carotene as well as vitamin C \u2013 as do sweet potatoes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Pomegranate<\/strong> juice, blueberries<\/strong>, blackberries<\/strong> and raspberries<\/strong> are also high in anti-oxidants which help mop up excess free radicals that can damage tissue.<\/p>\n Green tea<\/strong>: People who drank 5 cups a day of tea for 2 weeks had 10 times more virus-fighting interferon in their blood than others who drank a placebo hot drink, according to a Harvard University study.<\/p>\n Fish<\/strong>: Selenium, plentiful in shellfish such as oysters, lobsters, crabs, and clams, helps white blood cells produce cytokines \u2014 proteins that help eliminate flu viruses. Salmon, mackerel, and herring are rich in omega-3 fats, which reduce inflammation and help protect lungs from colds and respiratory infections.<\/p>\n Mushrooms:<\/strong> Shiitake, maitake, and reishi mushrooms appear to offer the biggest immunity effect of the mushroom family. Add a handful to pasta sauce, or saut\u00e9 with a little olive oil.<\/p>\n But it is difficult \u2013 given our sedentary lifestyle \u2013 to eat a wide enough range of food daily without putting weight. So I also recommend that anyone over the age of 45-50 take a comprehensive daily nutritional supplement<\/strong>.<\/p>\n It should include optimum levels of the A-Z vitamins and minerals \u2014as opposed to merely levels that prevent outright deficiencies, like scurvy or rickets. \u00a0Of particular importance for strengthening the immune system is vitamin D3 (800 IU a day), selenium (150 mcg a day) and zinc (10mg a day).<\/p>\n Vitamin A deficiency is associated with impaired immunity and increased risk of infectious disease, but it is better to supplement with beta carotene, which gets converted to vitamin A as needed, because it is important not to exceed the RDA for vitamin A.<\/p>\n But a narrow focus on vitamins D, E, selenium and zinc \u2013 or even vitamin C \u2013 is not enough. An effective immune-enhancing health supplement must also include polyphenols, flavonoids and carotenoids (derived from fruits and vegetables). Ensure it also includes Omega 3 fatty acids from fish.<\/p>\n All these nutrients \u2013 and more are in the health supplement I helped design called NutriShield \u2013 www.nutrishield.com<\/a><\/p>\n I indicated that a comprehensive supplement is advisable for the over 50s. My opinion is that it is virtually essential in the elderly who tend to eat less and often have less variety in their diets. They commonly face what researchers call \u201cmicronutrient malnutrition\u201d \u2013 depletion in essential vitamins and trace minerals \u2013 leading to less effective immune systems, a higher risk of infection, and slower healing. And if they enter hospital they are particularly vulnerable.<\/p>\n 1-3, 1-6 beta glucans Today, changes in food growing and processing technologies have effectively removed these beta glucans from our environment due to routine spraying of crops with fungicides. Anti-bacterial sprays have removed them from many homes, too.<\/p>\n Of course, I am not advocating creating a dirty environment \u2013 but extensive research by a company called Biothera has shown that a small, deliberate and controlled challenge from a naturally derived beta glucans supplement can strengthen immune function.<\/p>\n This natural supplement is proven to increase the number and effectiveness of neutrophils \u2013 the main immediate defensive element in the immune system. Indeed when the Canadian Department of Defence tested some 100 immuno-enhancers this 1-3, 1-6 beta glucans came out as the number 1 effective immune booster.<\/p>\n
\nJournal of the American Medical Association<\/em><\/p>\n
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\nThe Mediterranean Diet<\/em>, which contains high levels of flavonoids (nutrients in fruits and vegetables), anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory ingredients, not only reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer, but also supports good immune function.<\/p>\n
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\nPrevious generations had a less sanitised environment. In particular, their immune systems learned to recognise molecules called 1-3, 1-6 beta glucans, which are present in the cell walls of fungus, moulds and yeasts. Those immune systems then responded by mounting a strong counter-attack.<\/p>\n