While food have the potential of our immune system, paradoxically, it’s also foods that help strengthen our immune functions. Poor nutrition as a result of inadequate calories or nutrients in the diet, impairs the immune system and increases our susceptibility to infections.
Nutritional Factor
Nutrients that help the immune system to operate effectively have been identified as vitamins A, B6, B12, C and E, folic acid and minerals such as zinc, copper, iron and selenium. For infants, breast milk is an extremely nutritious food that not only ensures optimum growth and development but also offers protection against allergies and infections. Then, as babies enter the weaning phase, where breast milk is inadequate to satisfy their energy and nutrient needs, mothers should feed their babies solid foods which form a balanced and varied diet.
Go through your children’s menu to be certain that he’s getting his requirements of carbs, fats, proteins, minerals and vitamins. Immunonutrients Improve Immune Responses As its name implies, immunonutrients are just nutrients that boost our immune system. These include nucleotides in addition to selenium and zinc that we mentioned earlier. Nucleotides are essential to construct cells in our gut, which incidentally is our largest immune system. Although nucleotides can be reached in our own body, they may be used immediately if they’re supplied through foods.
Did you know?
Breast milk includes nucleotides. Foods that also provide this nutrient are legumes, liver, and beans. Zinc and selenium are required in the production of immune cells and cells respectively. Both of these minerals are found in fish, meats, poultry and eggs. Fats for proper immune functions DHA (DocosaHexaenoic Acid) and ARA (Arahidonic Acid) are two beneficial fats which further boost our immune system. ARA plays an essential role in inflammation, which is part of their normal immune response to disease or injury.
However, if inflammation gets out of control, desease follows. This is where DHA comes in with its powerful anti inflammatory characteristics to balance the effects of ARA. In brief, a fantastic balance of ARA and DHA in the diet is required for proper immune functions. Again, breast milk contains both. ARA may also be obtained from poultry and meats while fish is an excellent source of DHA.
Friendly Bacteria
Allies of the intestinal immune system The friendly bacteria, Bifidobacteria, that set up residence in kid intestine play an significant role in the maturation and acts of the intestinal immune system, which protects him from infections and allergies. However, to carry out its responsibilities effectively, the Bifidobacteria people in kid’s gut has to be healthy and flourishing. Breast milk is great when it comes to boosting the development of Bifidobacteruea. The low phosphorus and protein content in breast milk help to keep an acidic environment in the gut that’s beneficial for Bifidobacteria but inhibits the growth of other decease-causing bacteria.
Conclusion
Breast milk also contains slowly digested carbohydrates such as lactose and oligosaccharides, which are food for Bifidobacteria. To help mature and trigger a baby’s immune system, exclusive breast feeding for the first 6 weeks of life is suggested. When kid starts weaning, his inhabitants of Bifidobacteria dwindles. It is possible to prevent this decline by introducing Bifidobacteria into kid’s diet. Friendly bacteria featured in food products can also be called probiotics. Bifidobacteria that are added to yogurt and other foods for kids, such as milk, work equally well in defense against autoimmune diseases and allergies.