Can food protect us from the flu?

ARTICLE

20 July 2022

4 mins read

We’ve all heard that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. But just how true is it, and what’s the science behind it?

When it comes to navigating flu season, we often gravitate towards universally accepted staples: bottles of vitamin supplements, bowls of steaming chicken soup and cups of herbal tea.

These aren’t unfounded myths, though. Eating well is a major part of our defence system and offers our body greater resistance to bugs and viruses – including influenza and even COVID-19¹.

You probably know that proper nutrition helps with your immune system, but have you ever wondered what takes place at the microscopic level? Let’s dive in.

Our two types of immunity

Before we discuss food, let’s review our immune system, which is comprised of two types of immunity²:

Innate immunity. This is our first line of defence against pathogens (an organism that can cause or create disease in its host,) and includes our skin, stomach acid, mucus and more.
Adaptive immunity (or acquired immunity). When any foreign substance enters our body, white blood cells and organs including the spleen, thymus and lymph nodes produce antibodies. These antibodies are specifically shaped to bind to the substance and destroy it. Our immune system then ‘remembers’ the genetic structure of the foreign entity, so if it ever returns, our antibodies will be more efficient in responding to the threat.

Vitamins and minerals keep you fighting fit

Fruits and veggies are essential in a balanced diet for their nutritional content. These food groups are packed with vitamins and minerals, which help your body and immune system perform at their peak³.

Think of vitamins and minerals as your body’s maintenance crew – while they generally don’t fight infections directly, they help your adaptive immune system produce antibodies and white blood cells to destroy pathogens⁴.

There are plenty of vitamins, and you’ve probably heard of most of them; A, B6 and B12, C, D and more. Each vitamin serves a range of different purposes. Vitamin D supports healthy bone structure and protein production⁵, while vitamin C can be helpful in recovering from respiratory viruses like the common cold, influenza and COVID-19⁶.

Our body also requires trace amounts of minerals for a healthy immune system. For example, a mineral like zinc is involved in healing wounds, synthesising new DNA and proteins and can even reduce cold symptoms.

Most importantly, our bodies are unable to create these vitamins and minerals on its own – which is where a healthy, balanced diet comes into play.

Food groups to aim for

According to the official Australian dietary guidelines⁷, we need at least five serves of vegetables and two serves of fruit every day. These two food groups are bursting with vitamins and minerals and should be staples in your diet⁸:

Fruits:

Apples, pears and bananas
Citrus – oranges, grapefruits, mandarins, limes
Berries – strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, kiwis and passionfruit
Melons – watermelons, rockmelons, honeydew
Tomatoes and avocadoes

Vegetables:

Leafy greens – spinach and silverbeet
Cruciferous – cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and broccoli
Marrow – pumpkin, cucumber and zucchini
Root – potato, sweet potato and yam
Edible plant stems – celery and asparagus

Allium – garlic, onion and shallot

Need some recipe inspiration? Accredited Practising Dietitian and AIA Vitality Ambassador Marika Day has you covered.

All or Something

When it comes to your diet, you don’t have to commit to juice cleanses or fully reform your eating habits. Every small step you take counts – even if it’s just making sure to have one piece of fruit every day.

All: Make sure you’re eating five serves of veggies and two serves of fruit every day.
Something: Add some fruit to your breakfast cereal.

Remember, All or Something!

Our immunity is based on our holistic health

While supplements, teas, fruits & veggies play their part in boosting your immune system, there are other ways to help your body achieve optimum immunity.

To prime our bodies against infection and diseases, we need to take a holistic approach to our health by making healthier lifestyle choices. These include getting enough sleep, exercising regularly and maintaining low stress levels throughout the day⁹.

Footnotes

Staff Writer

Staff writers come from a range of backgrounds including health, wellbeing, music, tech, culture and the arts. They spend their time researching the latest data and trends in the health market to deliver up-to-date information, helping everyday Australians live healthier lives. This is general information only and is not intended as medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances. The information in this article is general information only and is not intended as medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances

Disclaimer:
This is general information only and is not intended as financial, medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a financial adviser, or medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances.

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