Supporting your immune system

Supporting your immune system
Winter or summer, rain or shine, it’s really important to look after your immune system to ensure you can always fight off any potential viruses that may be lurking around.  There are a variety of ways to support our immune system both dietary and lifestyle.  But recently I’ve been asked questions about antioxidants, so here we go!

Viruses and bacteria produce oxidants, which are reactive forms of oxygen that damage cells and age you faster.  Simply put, they are bad news!  If you have smoked, breath polluted air, eat chargrilled/blackened foods or have eaten less than a great diet over the years you may be in a situation where you have too many oxidants and not enough antioxidants.

Antioxidants
We all know about vitamin C – the great immune supporting vitamin!  But we really shouldn’t ignore the others – glutathione, alpha lipoic acid and selenium.

Glutathione – the master antioxidant!
Glutathione is one of the most important molecules in the body – almost like a magic elixir of health.  Too little of it and you’re at risk of developing health conditions such as stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and heart disease.   However, if levels are adequate or high, not only will you be protected from these conditions, but you’ll have amazing energy, glowing skin, healthy detoxification, strong heart and brain function, and possibly even a longer life!

What is Glutathione? – I’ve never heard of it!
Glutathione is made up of three amino acids called cysteine, glycine, and glutamic acid (or glutamate). It’s often called the “master” antioxidant because it helps recycle all the other antioxidants in your body like vitamins C and E, as well as alpha lipoic acid and CoQ10.  Research shows that glutathione primes the white blood cells of the immune system and helps them produce more infection-fighting substances so they can control both bacterial and viral infections.

Got it! So how do I increase my levels of glutathione?
There are some foods that naturally contain glutathione and you need to eat these to stay fighting fit.  These are: asparagus, avocado, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, spinach, broccoli, garlic, chives, tomatoes, cucumber, almonds and walnuts.

Some other foods contain the building blocks or pre-cursors needed to make glutathione.  Generally, these foods contain cysteine (and other sulphur-containing foods) and selenium. Good options include: onions, spring onions, shallots, leeks, kale, bok choy, rocket, spring greens, watercress and radishes.

Some spices have compounds that can also help to restore healthy levels of glutathione and its antioxidant enzymes, such as turmeric, cinnamon and cardamom.  So they are great to include in your cooking.

Alpha Lipoic Acid – never heard of this one either!
Alpha lipoic acid (also called ALA) is a critical co-enzyme helping to recycle many antioxidants, including vitamin C, E and also glutathione. It’s well known for its anti-ageing effects on our cell’s energy factories, the mighty “mitochondria”.

So what do I eat to increase my levels of alpha lipoic acid?
Good food sources to include in your diet are: organ meats, beef, brewer’s yeast, broccoli, spinach, Brussels sprouts, peas and tomatoes.

Selenium – the building block of antioxidants
Selenium is an important trace mineral, key in the production of glutathione.  It also just happens to be great for thyroid function so if yours is a little off, consider getting more of this antioxidant as a double win!

Tell me what to eat for more selenium!
Good dietary sources of selenium include: seafood, oysters, brazil nuts, eggs, mushrooms, wholegrains, organ meats and dairy products.

One last thing – why you need to eat more broccoli!
If there was a pub quiz about food, broccoli would most probably be the answer!  Why? Because it really is one of nature’s super-heroes.  Not only are these little trees excellent in detoxifying oestrogen (essential for women’s health) but also contain good levels of antioxidants sulforaphane, lutein and zeaxanthin helping to fight disease.  Broccoli is also packed with vitamin C, which we all know is an important nutrient for immune function as well as all the vitamin K you’ll need in a day.  It also contains decent amounts of folate, vitamin A, potassium, phosphorous and selenium.  So if you do nothing else, eat more broccoli!

Seriously though, it really is important that you have a wide and varied diet.  Many of us stick to the same foods week in and week out, but you really do need variety.  Your body and immune system need slots of natural antioxidants and other nutrients to support its needs.   If you feel you are stuck in a rut or need some new ideas for mealtimes, check out my recipes or follow me on social media.