Food for Immune Support:
- Vitamin A: liver and cheese, dark green leafy vegetables, orange fruits and vegetables (Carrot, sweet potato, pumpkin, papaya, melon)
- Vitamin C: citrus fruit, berries, kiwifruit, green vegetables, tomatoes.
- Vitamin D: sunshine!! Fortified breakfast cereal, fortified dairy product
- Zinc: meat (beef, lamb), seafood (oyster, mussel, sardine, salmon), seeds and nuts (pumpkin seed, cashews), sundried tomato, peas, whole wheat biscuit
- Iron: meat (beef, lamb, kangaroo), seafood (calamari, prawn, sardine), seeds and nuts (hazelnut, pine nut, chia seed, sunflower seed), firm tofu, vegetables (asparagus, bok choy, silverbeet, spinach)
Is Super Food worth the hype?
Common superfoods that received the most attention include kale, spinach, salmon, blueberries, avocado, chia seeds, walnuts, beans, fermented milk, and garlic. Take kale, for example. Kale offers a good amount of fibre and vitamin K and is also a moderate source of vitamins A and B. As a member of the cruciferous vegetables family, kale helps balance intestinal microbiota and alleviate inflammatory states like obesity and Type 2 Diabetes. However, the positive effects on inflammatory bowel disease, cancer risk reduction, and prevention of cardiovascular diseases can depend on factors like the cooking temperature, the consumption frequency, and maturity, etc.
Fun fact: Probiotics are not just for better gut health. Some evidence shows probiotics (especially lactobacilli and bifidobacterial) may improve immune function, by reducing incidence and improving outcomes of respiratory infections in humans. Try starting with one small tub of yoghurt every day!
We do not need a cocktail of supplements if we have a variety of nutritious food from the Australian Dietary Guidelines. Book a consultation with our Loganholme Dietitian to learn more about your personalised recommendations!
Call us at 07 3132 0898 to get personalised dietary recommendations in Loganholme.
References
Calder, P.C. Nutrition and immunity: lessons for COVID-19. Eur J Clin Nutr 75, 1309–1318 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-021-00949-8
British Nutrition Foundation. Nutrition and Immunity- be careful of myths and false promises. (2022). https://www.nutrition.org.uk/health-conditions/covid-19-nutrition-and-immunity/immunity/nutrition-and-immunity-be-careful-of-myths-and-false-promises/
Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG). (2023, August 14). In brief: The innate and adaptive immune systems. NCBI. Retrieved January 22, 2025, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279396/
Calder, P. C. (2021, December 18). Foods to deliver immune-supporting nutrients. Current opinion in food science. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8702655/
Munteanu, C., & Schwartz, B. (2022, December 8). The relationship between nutrition and the immune system. Frontiers in nutrition. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9772031/
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