The secret of the Keto, Vegan and Mediterranean diets: foods to raise the defenses
Under the title Your diet can change your immune system (Your diet can change your immune system) recently published in Nature.com Clinical experiences on the impact of the diet on the immune system and the list of Foods to raise defenses.
Some of the researchers cited in this article observed how in just Two weeks Keto or vegan diets modified the activity of immune cells. And there are many voices that believe that a deficit diet, lacking essential substances or specific combinations, can undermine the good condition of our defenses while a Specific diet, you can favor it.
Posted on 11/7/24
Hifas Editorial Team
The chitin of mushrooms and fungi Can the defenses upload?
As explained in the article, researcher Steven Van Dyken, from the University of Washington, is behind the track of the Quitina as an important substance of fungi that can activate an immune response that regulates metabolism.
Quitina is a type of fiber that can activate a specific immune response, which helps us defend ourselves from external pathogens. In addition, chitin stimulates glucagon production, a hormone that Regulates appetite and Improve insulin sensitivity. Hence this substance can be key in the investigation of immunity processes and metabolic system. Thus, incorporate fungi and mushrooms into diet as the Shiitake It could be a help tool within the food selection to raise the defenses.
Like the Lentinano, the beta-glucanos In general, the Antioxidants or the Prebiotics, naturally present in species such as Reishi, the León hair, Chaga, etc. Chitina seems to reveal key to health care.
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How to incorporate bioactive compounds of day to day
As we explain in our section of Pure fungi, the most used species in traditional oriental medicine begin to have new evidences that support their applications.
In addition, there are highly concentrated nutritional supplements of its active ingredients and with pharmaceutical safety standards such as Hifas-lentinan (Shiitake liquid extract); Dr. Immune Five (Liquid formula for children with extracts from the 5 greats of the Funghi Kingdom: Reishi, Mushroom of the Sun, Pleurotus, Chaga and Shiitake) or Myco-vir+ (Reishi and Cordyceps powder extract).
All of them are from our laboratory, Hifas da Terra, With more than 25 years of research and development in fungal products used in eastern medicine and with More than 20 R&D projects In progress in collaboration with research centers, universities and health professionals from various fields.
Fiber fiber and its impact on immunity
A high fiber diet not only favors digestion, but can also positively impact the immune system. The clinical tests included in Nature's article demonstrated that The lack of fiber harmed the intestinal microbiome, which usually supports these immune cells.
Food -rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, promote the proliferation of healthy bacteria in the intestine favoring a Intestinal microbiota balanced The opposite, an imbalance in the bacterial populations of the intestinal tract (also known as dysbiosis) is already considered an indicator of disease of various kinds and is being investigated in metabolic pathologies and Oncological processes.
A study cited in the article and published in 2021, discovered that greater fiber consumption in the diet was associated with greater survival in people who received an immunotherapy against melanoma, and that mice with melanomas and fed with a low fiber diet had fewer cells that attack cancer cells.
The impact of the Mediterranean diet
Undoubtedly, the most studied diet in relation to its impact on health is the Mediterranean diet (Dmed). According to the article Current evidence on the benefits of the Mediterranean Health Diet, since the 70s there is a noticeable growth of articles on the impact of this type of diet on certain diseases, especially in cancer processes, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases.
What is included in this type of diet? Fundamentally fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, olive oil, nuts, blue fish and fermented dairy products. However, what does not include or includes with low consumption: red and processed meat, sugars and fats almost important.
The future of nutrition and immunity
As noted in Your diet can change your immune system, There is more and more evidence that a specific diet can optimize immunity and certain foods can rise defenses.
Scientists have identified that different diets can activate different types of immune responses. A vegan diet rich in fiber, for example, can enhance innate immunity (a quick and not specific response), while a ketogenic diet can strengthen adaptive immunity, which recognizes and combats specific pathogens. This personalized feeding approach could be key to a future in which specific diets are used to address specific health conditions in an integral treatment plant.
Summary of food to climb immunity
There is no unique food that guarantees an immune system to proof of everything, but there is evidence that some foods thanks to their compounds and their combination, can strengthen your defenses.
As we have seen, a food rich in fiber, antioxidants, healthy fats and fungi rich in chitine, together with daily physical activity can be a powerful combination to maintain your immune system in optimal conditions.
Remember that the diet has an impact on your health, so it is always advisable to consult health professionals who can know your specific case and guide you in a professional way of making decisions and carrying out changes in your day to day.