Enhancing Immunity with Nutrition: A Guide
In the rainy season, the Philippines experiences an increase in common colds, flu, and respiratory infections. To combat these seasonal health challenges, it is essential to focus on immune health. A balanced diet rich in essential nutrients can help strengthen the immune system, ensuring optimal function and protection against illnesses.
The gut microbiome, a collection of microorganisms, plays a significant role in protecting against germs, breaking down food for energy, producing vital vitamins, and bolstering the immune system. Approximately 70% of the immune system is located near the intestines, making it crucial to consume a balanced diet with the right vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.
A balanced and nutrient-rich diet supports a strong immune system by fostering a healthy gut microbiota and promoting the production of key immune components such as immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies. Crucial vitamins and minerals for immune health include vitamins A, B-complex, C, D, and E. Foods like berries, leafy greens, oily fish, nuts, seeds, and fermented foods provide these nutrients and help maintain immune system efficiency.
Malnutrition, which includes undernutrition (wasting, stunting) and micronutrient deficiencies, undermines immune defenses, increasing vulnerability to infections and disease. Poor nutrition impairs the development and function of immune cells, compromises barrier defenses, and diminishes antibody production. In the Philippines, 29.5% of adults are overweight, and 14.8% are obese, according to the 2021 Expanded National Nutrition Survey, highlighting the need for a balanced diet to support immune health.
Obesity represents a form of malnutrition characterized by excess body fat and is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation. This inflammatory state disrupts normal immune responses, leading to impaired immunity. Obesity may alter immune cell function, reduce the effectiveness of the immune system, and increase susceptibility to infections and poor vaccine responses.
It is crucial to maintain a healthy lifestyle, which includes consuming a diet rich in the aforementioned nutrients, to ensure optimal immune function. By adhering to a balanced diet, individuals can help strengthen their immune system and increase their resistance to seasonal illnesses.
References:
[1] Koleva, M., et al. (2011). Early-life nutrition and intestinal immune development: a role for dietary patterns. *Nutrients*, 3(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu3010001
[2] O'Brien, K., et al. (2016). Nutrition and the Immune System. *Nutrients*, 8(12), 755. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8120755
[3] Al-Zaid, M., et al. (2019). The role of the gut microbiome in immunity and inflammation. *Nutrients*, 11(12), 2896. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11122896
[4] Black, R. E., et al. (2013). Global, regional, and national prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults during 1980–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. *Lancet*, 382(9894), 766–781. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61688-8
- The gut microbiome, primarily situated near the intestines in the Philippines, contributes significantly to immune health by producing vital vitamins and strengthening the immune system.
- A balanced diet rich in immune-boosting nutrients like vitamins A, B-complex, C, D, and E, found in foods such as berries, leafy greens, oily fish, nuts, seeds, and fermented foods, promotes a healthy gut microbiota and the production of essential immune components.
- In the Philippines, malnutrition, including undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, weakens the immune defenses, making individuals more vulnerable to seasonal health challenges like colds, flu, and respiratory infections.
