Does Diet Influence The Immune System?
The immune system plays a key role in maintaining health and is highly dependent on diet. This is because the defense system needs macronutrients and micronutrients for its proper functioning. Find out how diet influences the immune system!
How diet influences the immune system
Numerous studies have shown that there is a clear association between nutritional deficiencies and infectious and inflammatory processes. In fact, there is evidence that the mother’s malnutrition can affect the child’s immunity, especially in the first years of life, even with long-term metabolic consequences.
Proper nutrition during childhood and adolescence leads to a proper functioning of the immune system in adulthood, according to an article published in the journal Nutrients. Carbohydrates, fats and proteins play a key role in the immune response.
Carbohydrates (carbohydrates) are important for the immune system because there is a close relationship between insulin and them. This combination may explain the effect of carbohydrates on inflammation.
A study published in the journal Progress in Cardiovascular Disease states that the intake of simple and refined carbohydrates reduces the level of phagocytes, while increasing the level of inflammatory cytokines. However, complex fibers (not starch), which are found in fruits and vegetables, seem to reduce the inflammatory state.
Both the quality and the amount of protein in the diet can alter the immune response. Protein deficiency can affect cell generation and repair and increase the risk of infection due to altered levels of antibody production.
The importance of protein in the diet is due to their ability to provide amino acids. Protein deficiencies influence immune cells, altering their ability to respond. Diets low in the amino acids tryptophan and phenylalanine have been shown to decrease antibody synthesis.
It is worth noting the important role that fats play on immune function. Each type of fatty acid, the main components of fats, has different functions in the human immune system.
For example, obese diets – with excess saturated fat – have been linked to changes in the inflammatory response. This leads to an increase in infections, regardless of the existence of obesity.
Omega 3 decreases the most important inflammatory mediators and improves the intestinal microbiota. Similar effects have been reported with oleic acid. At a lower presence of inflammatory mediators, there is a decrease in the incidence of inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease.
Dietary micronutrients and their influence on the immune system
The lack of any of these minerals or vitamins is linked to a deficiency of lymphocytes and other important markers for the immune system. However, many of the immune changes that occur due to low levels of micronutrients improve with supplementation.
You should also be careful about excess micronutrients, as it can cause adverse effects on the immune system.
Diet for a strong immune system
