Every Starvation And Every Nutritional Deficiency Reduces Immunity! (Part I)

The spring season is approaching. At the end of the winter, our immune system is weaker due to a monotonous diet, rich mainly in fats and pasta. What diet can we rely on to strengthen our defenses, which this winter were tasked with dealing with several flu?

Indeed, through our diet we can support our immune system and recovery processes after viral and bacterial infections spent in the winter.

In response to these infections, our immune system is activated, but the function of macrophages and other immune cells is associated with the formation of free radicals, which when accumulated can damage normal cells. On the other hand, substances are released - cytokines that stimulate inflammatory processes.

In all infections there is an increase in the processes of degradation, especially of proteins, which leads to an increase in protein losses in the body. They also reduce the levels of a large number of vitamins and minerals that are involved in immune functions - vitamins A, C, iron and zinc, as well as B vitamins, which play a significant role in protein and energy metabolism.

Recommended foods to support the immune system and recovery processes are foods and beverages with antioxidant action, which include most fruits and vegetables, especially those of dark green, red and orange color. The recommended amount is at least 400 g per day. Other plant foods such as garlic, onions and leeks are also useful, containing sulfides, sulfur compounds that not only boost immunity but also suppress microbial growth and reduce inflammation. In order to form these compounds, it is necessary to cut the garlic and crush it, cut the onion and leek and stand for some time. Then enzymes are released from them, which lead to the formation of active substances.

Yogurt is another valuable food product that should be present in our menu every day in order to be healthy and with strong immunity. Live lactic acid bacteria contained in milk are a powerful weapon to support the intestinal immune barrier.

Animal foods rich in high quality protein are meat, fish, milk and dairy products and eggs, and legumes and nuts are plant products rich in protein. It is good to consume at least one representative of protein foods daily, both to restore protein losses and to support immunity.

It is recommended to include wholemeal bread and wholemeal pasta in the diet, which are rich in minerals and vitamins, as well as healthy fiber.


During the cold months we reduce movement and physical activity, which affects our figure. When is the right time to go on a diet and what are your tips in this regard to get in shape in the spring?

Spring is not a good season to follow a very low calorie diet. Although we have gained a lot of weight in the winter and in the spring we are already starting to prepare for the sea, we want to lose weight, we must be careful with diets.

In the spring months, fresh fruits and vegetables are still expensive, so the possibility of consuming them in sufficient quantities is not as great as in summer. In winter there are at least oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, kiwis. The same is the problem with fresh vegetables. That is, there is a risk of inadequate nutrition and dieting to lose weight further increases the risk of nutritional deficiencies. However, we should not wait for spring to start a proper weight loss diet.

In addition to diet, we need to increase our physical activity, one hour a day to do what we love - walking or practicing a favorite sport. 


How many calories does a diet need to be in order to be both healthy and effective?

It is important to know that there is no diet for weight loss that contains less than 1500 calories and can supply the necessary amount of vitamins and minerals. Very restrictive, low-energy diets are often used, which consume only about 600-800 calories a day. But weight loss diets should not be so drastic, because they become dangerous to health.

On the other hand, if the diet is more than 1500 calories, it will not work as desired. The appropriate caloric content should be between 1000-1500. In order to get all the necessary vitamins and minerals for the body, it is good to take additional nutritional supplements that contain all the vitamins and minerals in normal physiological amounts. Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) need a certain amount of fat to be absorbed, so it is best to take multivitamin supplements during meals or immediately after meals.
 

How do diets affect our immunity?

Every starvation and every nutritional deficiency reduces immunity. By following low-calorie diets, a person is also exposed to health risks. If there is no serious weight problem, things are much easier and smoother, but if there is one - care must be taken.

Immune disorders, however, are also observed in high energy and fat intake, in obesity.


What should our diet include to improve our metabolism and get rid of accumulated toxins?

If the diet contains all the necessary vitamins and minerals for the body, these metabolic processes through which detoxification takes place will be effective and a person will be able to get rid of toxic substances entering the body in a natural way.

Deficiency of vitamins and minerals disrupts metabolic detoxification processes, because they are part of the enzymes involved in the chain of neutralization of harmful substances entering the body or those that have been formed in the course of their metabolism.


In the spring, vegetables appear that are at risk of containing more nitrates than allowed. Should we be worried about this fact? How to choose our food?

It should be noted that nitrates can accumulate in vegetables not only as a result of excessive fertilization with nitrogen fertilizers, but also with excessive and untimely use of natural fertilizers.

However, we should not give up eating vegetables, because there may be a risk of higher nitrate intake. Consumption of fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C or plant oils and nuts, which contain significant amounts of vitamin E, counteracts the harmful health effects of nitrates. Also, there are techniques that reduce the amount of nitrates in vegetables.

Nitrates accumulate mainly in leafy vegetables (salads, spinach, dock, green onions), in root vegetables such as carrots, on the surface of cucumbers. When the salad is washed thoroughly and left in water for ten minutes, most of the nitrates go into the water. The same goes for carrots. It is recommended to peel the cucumbers.

In all cases, no detrimental effect of nitrates and nitrites on cancer, cardiovascular disease or other health problems has been demonstrated. Fruits and vegetables contain so many nutrients that even if they contain residual amounts of nitrates, their adverse effects are simply eliminated.

 

In the spring increases the frequency of allergic reactions? What should be the diet of those affected so as not to burden their bodies with potential allergens?

The action of food allergens does not depend on the season. In fact, there is a greater risk than the so-called. pollen resulting from the flowering of flowers and trees. Therefore, really with nutrition we can influence the general condition of the body, of course, to some extent, not completely. The main thing in allergic reactions caused by pollen is to reduce contact with them.

One way to reduce the body's response to allergens is to eat foods rich in antioxidants that have anti-allergic effects. As I have already mentioned, these are fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C and carotene - all yellow-orange, red, dark green fruits and vegetables.

Antioxidants are the so-called phenolic compounds, which are found again in dark green fruits and vegetables, in citrus fruits, in tea, in wine. Vitamin E also has antioxidant action, is a component of vegetable oils and nuts. That is, we must strive to replace animal fats with vegetable ones. Fish oil also has antioxidant effects.