Foods That Help Stimulate the Immune System

VEGETABLES
Green Leafy Vegetables, Cabbage, Pumpkin, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, Onions, Beets, Tomatoes, Carrots, Peppers, Asparagus, Yams, Beets.

LEGUMES
Soybeans, Garbanzo Beans, Kidney Beans, Lentils, Navy Beans, Split peas, Black-eyed Peas, Pinto beans.

FISH
Cod, Sardines, Trout, Halibut, Salmon, Tuna, Bass, Sole, Haddock,

OILS (Cold-Pressed and Unrefined "Extra-Virgin")
Flax Seed Oil, Primrose Oil, Borage Oil, Hemp Oil, Olive Oil, Sesame Oil, Fish Oils.

OTHER
Brewer's Yeast, Garlic, Vinegar, Mustard, Salsa, Curry, Cinnamon, Ginger, Green Tea, Cayenne, Stevia, Kelp, Spirulina, Bee Pollen, Wheat Germ.

Stop eating at fast food restaurants, and start shopping in the produce section of your local grocery store.

Your body wants and needs fresh, "live" food!

Eat healthy to feel healthy!

This needs to be my new motto, too. I'm preaching to myself as well.

A diet that supports a healthy immune system should contain foods providing high-quality, complete protein, such as that found in eggs, fish, shellfish, and venison.

Many vegetables and grains are also excellent sources of many of the immune-stimulating amino acids and, together with other protein sources, are particularly beneficial.

Protein is composed of the 20 amino acids your body needs for growth and repair, and some of these amino acids appear to be especially important for proper immune function.

Vitamin C
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B1 (thiamin)
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
Vitamin B12
and...for overall health
Vitamin A
Vitamin E
Vitamin K

Zinc, Copper, Selenium, Manganese

Selenium can be obtained from fish and shellfish, as well as tofu and whole grains. Excellent sources of copper are turnip greens, calf's liver and raw crimini mushrooms, and very good sources include spinach, asparagus and summer squash and boiled Swiss chard. Iron can be provided by fresh parsley, spices such as thyme or cinnamon, tofu, beans and peas, and many other vegetables such as spinach and Romaine lettuce.

Healthy levels of zinc can be provided by including the good sources of zinc, such as boiled Swiss chard, collard greens, and both summer squash and winter squash, or the very good or excellent sources of zinc like lamb, raw crimini mushrooms and calf's liver in your diet.

*Strawberries
*Cherries
*Carrots
*Tomatoes

These all contain immune system boosters.

Additives, pesticides and preservatives.

Also...sulfites destroy thiamin (Vit. B1) in foods to which they have been added.

Whenever possible...buy ORGANIC!

Food allergy reactions can cause fatigue, rashes, headaches, muscle aches, and other effects.

The most common allergenic foods include peanuts and shellfish, cow's milk, wheat, and soy; however, everyone is unique in their food intolerances and allergies.

Reduce your consumption of meats, dairy products, and refined foods, while increasing consumption of the omega-3 rich foods such as wild-caught cold-water fish like salmon, flaxseed oil, walnuts, and leafy green vegetables.

Diets low in omega-3 fatty acids are associated with chronic inflammatory conditions and autoimmune diseases.

Probiotics are dietary supplements and live microorganisms containing potentially beneficial bacteria or yeasts. According to the currently adopted definition by FAO/WHO, probiotics are: 'Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host'.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are the most common type of microbes used. LAB have been used in the food industry for many years, because they are able to convert sugars (including lactose) and other carbohydrates into lactic acid. This not only provides the characteristic sour taste of fermented dairy foods such as yogurt, but also by lowering the pH may create fewer opportunities for spoilage organisms to grow, hence creating possible health benefits on preventing gastrointestinal infections. Strains of the genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, are the most widely used probiotic bacteria.

Probiotic bacterial cultures are intended to assist the body's naturally occurring gut flora, an ecology of microbes, to re-establish themselves. They are sometimes recommended by doctors, and, more frequently, by nutritionists, after a course of antibiotics, or as part of the treatment for gut related candidiasis. In these cases, the bacteria that work well with our bodies may decrease in number, an event which allows harmful competitors to thrive, to the detriment of our health. Claims are made that probiotics strengthen the immune system to combat allergies, excessive alcohol intake, stress, exposure to toxic substances, and other diseases.

Maintenance of a healthy gut flora is, however, dependent on many factors, especially the quality of food intake.

Improving Immune Function and Preventing Infections
LAB are thought to have several presumably beneficial effects on immune function. They may protect against pathogens by means of competitive inhibition (i.e., by competing for growth) and there is evidence to suggest that they may improve immune function by increasing the number of IgA-producing plasma cells, increasing or improving phagocytosis as well as increasing the proportion of T lymphocytes and Natural Killer cells. Clinical trials have demonstrated that probiotics may decrease the incidence of respiratory tract infections and dental caries in children. LAB foods and supplements have been shown to be effective in the treatment and prevention of acute diarrhea, and in decreasing the severity and duration of rotavirus infections in children and travelers' diarrhea in adults. Recently, clear immune enhancing effect of probiotics is demonstrated in the gut of healthy subjects. In a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled, crossover study, healthy volunteers ingested either live probiotic cells (Lactobacillus plantarum), inactivated cells of the same probiotic, or a placebo. Gene expression analysis of biopsies from the duodenum has shown clearly the effect of the live probiotic on cellular processes. These processes activate the immune system enabling it to play its protective role (the immune response). Research Top Institute Food and Nutrition

Information from Wikipedia.

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Green tea is helpful in fighting these health problems...

...cancer
...rheumatoid arthritis
...high cholesterol levels
...cariovascular disease
...infection
...impaired immune function