LOW immunity may lead to infections and a myriad of health problems. It will also hinder recovery from illnesses.
Many conditions may be associated with poor immune functions, including urinary tract infections, vaginitis, colds and the flu.
Important nutrients that are beneficial to the immune system are beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, and minerals such as selenium and zinc. The best way to obtain these nutrients is to eat a variety of foods.
Nutritious food - such as fresh vegetables and fruits and whole grains, and an adequate amount of protein from seafood and lean meat - is the key to a healthy body. However, due to consumption of highly processed food, lack of control in one's diet and unhealthy lifestyle practices, supplementation is advisable.
Apart from boosting the immune system, these nutrients are natural antioxidants that help neutralise free radicals (unstable oxygen molecules) in the body. These free radicals can be damaging to the immune system and may alter genetic material.
Hence the molecule with an unpaired electron is highly unstable. It would then seek another electron to regain its stability. Free radicals tend to react with other adjacent molecules to "steal" an extra electron.
In the body, free radicals are formed as by-products of oxidation. Other sources of free radicals are from environmental pollution, cigarette smoke, alcoholic drinks, ultra-violet light, physical and emotional stress and high intake of saturated fat. The danger arises when there is an "overload" of free radicals in the body.
Take beta-carotene as it is a good antioxidant.
Vitamin C is probably the best known of all vitamins. The basic function of vitamin C is to help with growth and repair of body tissues, and maintenance of healthy gums, blood vessels, bones and teeth.
Vitamin E is essential for maintaining a healthy immune system, heart, capillary walls and skin, and for reducing the severity of inflammations.Vitamin E works by preventing the damage of free radicals on fats in the body. It's vital in safeguarding the protective fatty tissues that surround all major organs.
Zinc and selenium also play an important role in the defence against free radicals.
- The writer is a pharmacist actively involved in the dissemination of information on natural healthcare and holistic therapies. She can be contacted at csyam@streamyx.com
This story was first published in the New Straits Times on Jan 5, 2009.
