The immune system is the beating heart of our health. It is he who defends us against attacks: viruses, bacteria for example. It is important to pamper him to have good immunity: sleep well, have a reasonable level of stress and above all eat well! In this article, we remind you of the nutrient needs of our immunity and then certain foods to avoid because they weaken it.
PART 1: Immunity reminders
1.1 | Immune system
The immune system works using dedicated organs (spleen, thymus, lymph nodes), specific cells (our white blood cells for simplicity) and chemical messengers to communicate. If our internal environments are breached by a virus (the cold or the flu for example) there are two stages in immunity:
• Firstly, a non-specific innate immunity common to all attackers
• Then acquired and specific immunity because the system was “educated” at first contact
To put it simply: Our immune system is like a customs house that protects our internal environments. He will distinguish the self from the non-self.
1.2 | Nutrient requirements of the immune system
The immune system likes balance and having quality fuel regularly. We must therefore be careful to offer him a diet rich in nutrients and, if necessary, supplement with food supplements because the plate does not always cover our needs.
Have a good magnesium level
Magnesium is involved in several hundred chemical and enzymatic reactions. It is therefore important to ensure good immune function to have sufficient daily intake of magnesium. The current diet struggles to provide sufficient quantities. It is therefore relevant to supplement your physiological intake with well-assimilated magnesium.
Have good intestinal flora
60% of our immune cells are found in our intestines!
The intestinal flora or intestinal microbiota is made up of billions of friendly bacteria which line the intestinal mucosa and contribute to its tightness. When we know that the intestinal mucosa must remain as tight as possible to guarantee the boundary between what belongs to us and what arrives in our bodies via the intestines, we easily understand the role of this intestinal flora. In case of immune weakness, except autoimmune diseases where medical advice will be necessary, it is interesting to take a course of probiotics which will help better immune functioning.
Trace elements
Trace elements are essential for good immune function and are only provided by what we eat. Like magnesium, they participate in numerous chemical reactions. Zinc is often cited for good immune health, but let's not neglect all the other trace elements: selenium, iodine, phosphorus, iron, manganese, etc.
Vitamin C and D
Having a good vitamin status will help your natural defenses. The two main vitamins for immunity are vitamin C and vitamin D.
Note that vitamin D intake through food only covers 25% of our needs , it is therefore essential to supplement between the two time changes, where sunlight is not sufficient to synthesize it via the cells. our vitamin D from the skin.
Also remember that vitamin C is sensitive to heat and disappears when our vegetables are cooked.
Part 2: How to recognize immune weakness?
What are the signs of a weakening of our immune defenses?
Fatigue and stress
Immunity is very sensitive to fatigue and stress. As soon as we lack sleep or experience annoyances, our natural defenses weaken.
Chain of infectious episodes
If you have a series of colds or minor health problems, your immune system is not as competent as it should be.
Delayed healing
Likewise, if your skin sores are slow to heal, this may indicate a weakened immune system.
What can we do to help our natural defenses?
Give him the right equipment, taking care of his plate and above all avoiding foods that weaken the immune system.
Part 3: What foods weaken the immune system?
Ultra-processed products weaken the immune system
3.1 | Ultra-processed products weaken the immune system
Additives from the food industry that are too present in ultra-processed foods are extremely harmful to our natural defenses. Highly loaded with processed fats and highly refined sugars, it's the winning combo of a food that weakens the immune system. Beware of ready-made meals, industrial savory and sweet cakes, sodas and other foods whose matrix has been manipulated by man. These are foods to avoid on a daily basis.
3.2 | Excess sugars weaken the immune system
A diet that is too sweet, with too many fast carbohydrates, will hamper immunity. Irregular blood sugar levels with many spikes impair immune function. You must be careful to reduce these sugary foods which weaken immunity, while maintaining reasonable consumption. Be careful of too many sugary drinks and alcohol, pastries, pastries and bread, and look out for sugars hidden in industrial preparations (corn syrup, dextrose, maltose, fructose, etc.).
3.3 | Animal proteins
We generally eat too much of it and these proteins also contain certain inflammatory molecules which will over-stimulate our immune systems.
Dairy products
Lactose is not always well tolerated by adult digestive systems and its content increases if the food is not fermented. You can therefore keep some dairy products in your daily diet, favoring those that are fermented: cheeses and yogurts.
Meats and charcuterie
Meat proteins are inflammatory and meats contain an inflammatory molecule: arachidonic acid, which is harmful to our immunity. Let's keep a reasonable consumption of these foods which in addition to weakening our immune system, acidify our soil.
Remember: Our immune system needs quality nutrients to function well: magnesium, trace elements, vitamins C and D in particular, and healthy intestinal flora. The ideal is to adopt a diet low in foods that weaken immunity such as sugars, ultra-processed products and to reduce the quantities of dairy products and meat. You can also refer to our previous article “ Anti-inflammatory foods ” to go further.
3.3 | Get quality sleep
Sleeping well in sufficient quantity and with good quality of sleep helps to relieve our stress. However, it is the first parameter to be disrupted in the event of stress.
Here is a brief reminder of the conditions required to sleep well:
- No screens one hour before bed : favor reading time which is conducive to falling asleep
- A cool, dark room
- Go to bed at the first signs of sleep such as yawning
Remember: Our immune system needs quality nutrients to function well: magnesium, trace elements, vitamins C and D in particular, and healthy intestinal flora. The ideal is to adopt a diet low in foods that weaken immunity such as sugars, ultra-processed products and to reduce the quantities of dairy products and meat. You can also refer to our previous article “ Anti-inflammatory foods ” to go further.
