The immune system is simply your body’s in-built ‘army’ that protects you by identifying viruses, bacteria, parasites or other threats and eliminating the threat via producing antibodies. You can support the functioning of your immune system by including a variety of food types to your everyday diet and leading healthy active lifestyle.
Here are two simple ways you can support proper functioning of your immune system through diet alone:
Eat micronutrient-rich fruit and vegetables
Fruit and vegetables contain micronutrients that function as antioxidants to protect against cell and tissue damage caused by normal, everyday metabolism, and thus they can play a role in our wellbeing. For example, Vitamin C and copper helps protect cell against oxidative stress.
Try: Tomatoes, carrots, spinach and berries
Support your gut with fibre-rich food
Your digestive system plays an important role in housing trillions of bacteria with vital functions such as helping digest fibre, producing vitamin K and B12 and protecting the gut from harmful bacteria. Some fibres that are in our diet can be fermented by gut bacteria. Fermentable fibre is converted into metabolites like short-chain fatty acids. On the other hand, fibres like oat grain fibre contributes to an increase in faecal bulk.
Try: whole wheat bread, brown rice, cereals, and apple or flax seeds
In your next meal, add Vitamin C, E, Zinc and Selenium to contribute to cell protection from oxidative stress, your body and proper functioning of your immune system.
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