We know that adequate nutrition is necessary to preserve health. Preventing situations of overweight and obesity has proven to be the key to the prevention of many diseases. The effects of nutrition go far beyond an aesthetic issue.

The immune system is a system that aims to defend our body against external aggressors, more specifically germs.  When foreign substances try to access our body, the immune system is responsible for identifying them and eliminating those that it does not recognize. A healthy immune system:

  • Identifies external agents.
  • Unleash an attack to eliminate the attacking agent.
  • It stabilizes the body again so that it returns to normal.
  • It has its own memory: it is able to record those aggressor agents with whom it has had contact so that, if they return, they cannot attack.
But what happens when the immune system doesn’t work?

The immune system can be altered in three ways:

  • Insufficient immune response: when the immune system is less effective and is not able to cope with infections from external aggressors. This can be due to several causes: pharmacological treatments, infections, age, nutrition or diseases that by their nature cause immunodeficiency.
  • Exaggerated immune system response: occurs when exposed to a foreign agent that is usually not aggressive and yet unleashes an excessive reaction that can damage healthy organs. This is what happens with allergies.
  • Autoimmune alteration: occurs when there is a failure in the system by which the immune system attacks itself. Its origin, in most cases is unknown. Some examples of autoimmune disease are rheumatoid arthritis or type 1 diabetes.

From food we can not solve an autoimmune alteration, but we can strengthen the immune system and thus ensure that it will be prepared to face external aggressions. Food can also be helpful to control some of the symptoms produced in autoimmune disease and allergic processes, such as inflammation or tissue alteration.

The EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) recognizes as nutrients necessary for the proper functioning of the immune system vitamins C, E, A, vitamin B complex (B1, B2, B5, B8, folic acid and B12), flavonoids, iron, zinc and selenium. To ensure the contribution of these nutrients, it is enough to maintain a varied diet, composed of natural foods among which the content of fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and includes fish, eggs and dairy products, and sporadically meat and seafood.

Probiotics and prebiotics

Probiotics are live microorganisms that administered in adequate amounts provide a benefit to the health of the host. Prebiotics, on the other hand, are the food of these bacteria. The good bacteria that inhabit our body are necessary to maintain our health. Studies have shown that probiotics delivered in adequate amounts can support adaptive responses aimed at fighting pathogens.

We can find probiotics in yogurt and other fermented foods such as sauerkraut. Probiotic supplements should always be supplied by healthcare professionals, as treatments vary greatly from person to person. To ensure a healthy microbiota, it is best to keep ours in perfect condition and for this we must ensure an adequate supply of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, foods rich in prebiotic substances.

Foods with anti-inflammatory effect

They are beetroot, ginger, turmeric, radishes, blueberries, fish, avocado and green tea among others. They are helpful in the prevention of infections and during the development of the disease, as they help control the inflammatory processes produced by the body as a defense against infection.

Antioxidant foods

They help deal with free radicals produced by natural inflammatory reactions originated during infectious processes. They are mainly raw fruits and vegetables, among which red fruits, tomato, carrot, pepper, green leafy vegetables …

It is also important to maintain a diet low in saturated fats and free of toxins such as tobacco or alcohol, and increase the consumption of healthy fats from seeds, nuts, virgin olive oil, fish, as well as maintain adequate hydration.