Adam Weinmann, RD: Brain-Powered Nutrition

Last up in the fight for stronger immunity are probiotics and prebiotics. It might seem strange, but those trillions of bacteria living in our large intestine can actually have a huge impact on the health of our immune system! In fact, around 70% of our immune system is found in our gut, and the more we support the bacteria living there, the better our immune system will function! A number of studies have shown, for example, that probiotics can increase our immune response to... vaccines, which is pretty amazing. Further, a 2015 systematic review of 12 separate studies found that taking probiotics reduced the incidence rate of upper respiratory tract infections! There are two approaches to building up your gut bacteria: PRObiotics and PREbiotics. Probiotics help by adding in new bacteria to our gut. These new bacteria don’t stick around our gut for long, but on their way through, they can have all kinds of positive effects on our health. You can take a probiotic supplement (but make sure you’re taking enteric-coated capsules), or you can eat fermented foods rich in probiotics: yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, etc. However, I’m also a huge fan of prebiotics: fibre-containing foods that feed that bacteria already hanging out in our large intestine. Garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, bananas, oats, flaxseeds, sun chokes, and even cocoa are all sources of prebiotic fibre.

I love this guy's approach! He breaks down a high-level scientific study into an easy-to-understand video. It's important to focus on the best-quality scientific evidence if we want to get definitive answers in nutrition. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5yVGmfivAk

Vitamin D has been getting a lot of hype lately, with piles of research looking into its possible effects against cancer, osteoporosis, depression and even multiple sclerosis! As with everything in nutrition, it seems further research is needed (sigh!). However, it’s well-established that Vitamin D plays a role in regulating immunity in fact, certain cells within our immune system contain special receptors that are activated by Vitamin D. Studies have even shown that Vitami...n D deficiency can increase your risk of respiratory infections! Vitamin D is made by the body after exposure to UVB rays from the sun. However, those of us living in northern latitudes aren’t able to produce Vitamin D between October and March the angle of the sun during winter is simply too low. What’s more, people with darker skin have an even harder time producing Vitamin D. So, it’s critical to get Vitamin D from our diet, which can also be challenging. The only foods that naturally contain Vitamin D are fatty fish, cod liver oil and eggs from hens specifically given Vitamin D. Milk products have Vitamin D added to them, but that’s not much help for anyone who doesn’t eat dairy! So, for most of us in northern countries, taking a Vitamin D supplement really isn’t a bad idea. At the moment, dietitians recommend getting 600 IU (International Units) of Vitamin D daily. However, a number of Vitamin D researchers seem to think this recommendation is way too low, and suggest a daily dose of 1000 or 2000 IU. Vitamin D is fat-soluble, which means it gets stored in the body, making it possible (but not likely) to develop toxicity. That said, as long as you aren’t taking more than 4000 IU daily, you should be just fine.

First up in the fight for a healthy immune system is the amazing mineral zinc! Zinc is involved in over 100 chemical reactions in the body and it’s critical in regulating our immune health. But before you go raiding pharmacy shelves, let’s be clear: loading up on zinc won’t necessarily build up a monster immune system. Immunity is complicated! Plus, most of us aren’t likely zinc deficient, with the exception of some vegans or vegetarians, and about 1 in 3 elderly people. Howe...ver, a number of studies have shown that zinc can help fight viral infections, such as the virus that causes cold sores. So, when there’s a bug going around, zinc could be of some help! Zinc also has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and as a bonus, it has shown promise in reducing symptoms of depression! Foods with lots of zinc include meat, shellfish, whole grains and legumes (beans, lentils and peas). As usual, it’s preferable to get vitamins and minerals from food sources rather than supplements, but if you want to go the extra mile, a zinc supplement (usually 25mg per day) won’t hurt: just be sure you aren’t getting more than 40mg per day, or you risk digestive problems.

What do we eat to give ourselves the best chance at fightingoh, I dunnothat darn virus that’s going around? Over the next week, I’m going to take a look at some key nutrients that help keep our immune systems in top shape. Stay tuned!