Microorganisms are everywhere—in the air, soil, and water. Humans are like small planets colonized by billions of bacteria and fungi. The bacteria carpeting our intestinal tract alone outnumber our own cells by a factor of ten. Fortunately, most of these tiny denizens benefit us by manufacturing vitamins, outcompeting disease-causing microbes, and otherwise contributing to immune function.
Nevertheless, a large number of microbes— viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and worms— can make us sick. So if they’re everywhere, why aren’t we sick all the time? You guessed it: the immune system. This complex association of organs, cells, and molecules protects us from anything foreign and potentially harmful: “bad” microbes, cancer cells, splinters, toxic chemicals. Ideally, it refrains from attacking harmless pollen, animal dander, and our normal cells. But allergies and autoimmune diseases do occur.
Certain people have more trouble maintaining a healthy immune system than others. Elderly people often have diminished immune defense. Chronic sleep deprivation causes imbalances in the immune system and results in increased inflammation. Chronic stress overload dampens immune system function. Certain medications (corticosteroids and chemotherapy) and procedures (radiation therapy) suppress the immune system. Surgical procedures stress the body and also raise the risk for infection. Finally, some diseases either present at birth or acquired later (AIDS, mononucleosis, leukemia, and diabetes) impair the immune system.
Fortunately, a host of simple lifestyle choices and a few nutritional supplements can ironclad your immune system. Key among them is taking care of yourself. Undue stress, sleep deprivation, a diet of processed foods high in sugar and fat, social isolation, and inactivity undermine general health and the immune system.
Recipes To Support The Immune System
Harvest Colors Veggie Roast
This sweet and succulent dish is packed with antioxidants, which help counter unhealthy free radicals. 1 sweet potato or yam, sliced into chunks 2 carrots, sliced into chunks 2 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, seeded and sliced into chunks 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
Preparation and use:
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C, or gas mark 6). Combine the vegetables and spread across a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil on each side. Roast for 25 minutes, flipping half way through, and serve.
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
How it works:
Plants contain a number of molecules that promote our immune function. Examples include the carotenoids and flavonoids that give fruits and vegetables their beautiful colors and act as antioxidant and antiinflammatory agents. That’s important because as the immune system goes about its business of dispatching microbes, it stirs up inflammation and oxidation. Furthermore, carotenoids directly contribute to immune function.
Immune Soup
Years ago, herbalist and author Brigitte Mars told me about this recipe. Since then, I’ve adapted the recipe and make it at the first sign a family member has a cold. ~ LBW
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 2 chicken breasts (skin removed), or 1 pound (455 g) extra-firm tofu 1 quart (946 ml) vegetable or chicken stock 1 quart (946 ml) water 4 to 6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, or 8 to 10 dried 1 cup (100 g) chopped celery, 2 cups (260 g) chopped carrots or other root vegetables 4 to 5 astragalus roots 2 teaspoons (2.8 g) dried thyme 1 teaspoon (1. g) dried rosemary 1 teaspoon (1 g) dried oregano ½ teaspoon dried sage 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons (8 g) chopped fresh parsley Cracked pepper (optional)
Preparation and use:
In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. If using chicken, sauté it, too, adding ¼ cup (60 ml) of the stock or water to keep it from sticking. Once the chicken is cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes on each side, remove it from the pot, cube it, and place it in the refrigerator. In the same pan, sauté the mushrooms over medium heat until gently browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the remaining stock and the remaining water. Bring to a boil. Add the remaining vegetables and astragalus roots. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the tofu now (if you’re using it rather than chicken) and the thyme, rosemary, oregano, and sage. Simmer for another 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Return the chicken to the pot and heat over low heat another 5 minutes. (You should have enough liquid to generously cover all the vegetables. If not, add more water.) Turn off the heat. Fish out the astragalus roots, which are too fibrous to eat. Add the garlic, parsley, and, if desired, cracked pepper to taste. Serve.
Yield: 4 hearty servings
How it works:
Shiitake mushrooms, garlic, and onions all enhance immune function. Garlic and onion are also antimicrobial. If you can’t find shiitake mushrooms, all mushrooms contain complicated polysaccharides called betaglucans, which enhance immune system function. Astragalus root also contains polysaccharides and other chemicals that support the immune system. You may find the dried roots (which look like tongue depressors) in the bulk section at your natural food store or order them online. Chinese medicine doctors use extracts of this root to enhance immune function in people being treated for cancer (radiation and chemotherapy often suppress immune function). Studies support that use. Rosemary, thyme, and oregano all carry antimicrobial action. Recipe Variations: Feel free to experiment with the seasonings. You can, for instance, use curry spices instead of Italian seasonings. Rather than using vegetable or chicken stock, you can blend 2 tablespoons (32 g) of white miso paste with 1 quart (946 ml) of hot water.
When simple Doesn’t Work
Unfortunately, there’s no magic bullet for shoring up the immune response. Management lies primarily with removing the underlying cause, whenever possible. Simple measures include making sure you’re getting enough sleep and keeping your stress levels under control. Supplements can correct deficiencies in zinc and vitamins A, C, D, and E. Ask your doctor whether he or she recommends a multivitamin and mineral supplement. A blood test can screen for vitamin D defi- ciency and guide supplementation. Some of the herbs that enhance immune system function in the recipes can be taken as concentrated extracts in liquid and tablet form. In addition to shiitake (lentinula edodes), maitake (grifola frondosa), and astragalus (astragalus membranaceous), other herbal immune tonics include echinacea (echinacea purpurea, e. pallida, e. angustifolia), ginseng (panax ginseng, p. quinquefolius), and eleuthero (eleutherococcus senticosus). If you have a serious disease, especially if you’re undergoing treatment for cancer, discuss supplements with your doctor. Some of these herbs have been studied in cancer patients and seem not to interfere with treatment. In theory, people with autoimmune disorders should not take immunostimulating herbs. They definitely shouldn’t be used by people taking immunosuppressant drugs in advance of receiving an organ or tissue transplant.
When to call the Doctor
• You notice that you seem to catch mor e than your fair share of infectious illnesses. (Note: If you work or live with small children, you’re exposed to more infectious microbes and may well have more minor illnesses, such as colds and infectious diarrhea.)
• You develop a serious infection or a milder but lingering infection.
• You have traveled to a foreign country or may have consumed unsanitary water while camping and now have persistent symptoms of infection.
• You develop symptoms of an overac - tive immune response, such as asthma (coughing and wheezing), eczema (itchy rash), or hay fever.
• You develop infections uncommon in healthy individuals—oral fungal infections, pneumonia caused by bacteria, fungi, or protozoa.
• You’re at high risk of HIV infection (e.g., practice unsafe sex, have anal intercourse, have multiple partners, have had more infectious illnesses, or use intravenous drugs).
• You develop recurrent fever, night sweats, and weight loss.
• You have an immunodeficiency disease and develop a fever, cough, vomiting, diarrhea, or any other sign of infection.
Sunday, 6 April 2014
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