What are the worst foods for your immune system?
(upbeat dance music)
There's nothing really terrible
when it comes to your immune system.
Again, you just wanna eat a well-balance diet.
But a few things to look out for are alcohol,
I know we've all been enjoying our quarantine cocktails,
but alcohol can be dehydrating
and it can suppress your immune system;
so in moderation, you should be fine.
The other nutrient that may suppress
your immune system a little bit is sugar,
so a lot of added sugar has been shown
to sort of suppress immune activity for up to five hours.
Picture like a giant slice of chocolate cake
or a few cans of soda, like a large amount of added sugar.
So again, I'm all onboard with quarantine baking
and enjoying those treats, but just try
to be mindful of your added sugar intake
when it comes to your immune system.
"What's elderberry and can it protect me?
"Should I take it every day?"
(sighs)
Elderberry is a supplement, it grows wild,
it's a berry, and it gets boiled down into a liquid syrup.
That's the most common form you see.
Or sometimes in gummies.
There's no research about elderberry
and this new strain of coronavirus, COVID-19.
Be cautious there
because there's limited research
to show it's beneficial just for normal cold and flu.
What I worry about right now is that people think
that maybe a vitamin or a mineral
is going to help protect them against COVID-19,
and that's just not the case.
There is a reason that the CDC
is not telling people to walk around
with a zinc pill or an extra stalk of broccoli
and just continue about life as usual.
So if you wanna start taking it,
I would check with your doctor.
I think in this case, you're probably better off
erring on the side of caution
and skipping elderberry and saving some money.
"What are some vitamins that can help
"support my immune system?"
There are some nutrients that we know
are associated with immunity.
The two that we're probably hearing about the most often
right now are vitamin C and zinc,
because there's some research that shows
they may help with cold symptoms.
There's no reason to start supplementing right now.
Vitamin C especially, a lot of us get enough
through our diet; and zinc, there are foods
that are rich in zinc you can add to your diet.
Plus, when it comes to these nutrients,
more is not necessarily better.
So too much zinc can actually lead to GI distress,
so things like nausea, diarrhea.
And too much zinc is also associated
with suppressed immune function.
The one nutrient that it is hard to get
a lot of through diet is vitamin D.
And we know as we come out of winter
that a lot of us haven't been getting a ton of sunlight,
which is one way our bodies make vitamin D.
Just remember that none of these nutrients
are going to be some sort of miracle nutrient.
They just all add a little bit of support and help.
"What are the best foods for your immune system?"
The best thing you can do from an eating standpoint
is just really eat a well-balanced, varied diet
that's rich in different nutrients.
It's gonna be a little harder to do right now
without those frequent trips to the grocery store.
That's okay, but just focusing on variety.
So not having only bananas or only raspberries,
but trying to mix up the fruits that you buy.
Making sure you're getting whole grains,
a mix of protein in your diet, vegetables.
There is some really cool research
around foods like garlic and ginger.
Again, they're not magic bullets,
but if you enjoy them, those are easy foods to cook with.
My husband loves eating garlic raw,
but I'm not willing to go that far for my immunity.
There are some foods that have been linked
with reducing stress.
Dark chocolate has been shown to reduce stress response.
I think we all could use
a little stress reduction right now,
and maybe a little dark chocolate.
One more thing that's important to remember
is please, please, please don't take your health advice
from influencers or celebrities right now.
There are people pushing things
and trying to sell supplements
like silver or tonic water, telling people
that it will cure COVID-19 or prevent you
from getting sick in the first place,
and that's just not true.
If it was as simple as drinking a glass
of bubbly water, I don't think
our entire country would be shut down.
Things are changing really quickly,
so check in with the CDC and local public health officials
in your area to get the most up-to-date recommendations.
And be sure to follow EatingWell
for more nutrition tips and healthy recipes and ideas.
And be sure to subscribe
to our YouTube channel to get more videos.
Thanks. (upbeat dance music)