Some people diet to lose weight, while others do it to improve their overall health. Putting some restrictions on what you eat can have a lot of positive health effects, but having a diet that’s too restrictive or drastic can sometimes do the opposite. Learn more about how your diet affects your body and how vitamins for your immune system, like (Sodium Ascorbate + Zinc) ImmunPro, can help.
Diet has immediate, direct impact on your immune system
A change in diet can have a profound and immediate effect on a person’s health, including the immune system.
One study1, conducted on people who switched to either a keto diet or a vegan diet for two weeks. Vegan diets focus on eating plant-based food like fruit and vegetables. On the other hand, a keto diet minimizes carbohydrate intake.
The study found that the vegan diet had an effect on the subjects’ innate immunity while the keto diet had an effect on adaptive immunity.
Innate immunity refers to the body’s first line of defense against microbes. Adaptive immunity is a more specific immunity that the body develops through daily exposure and vaccination.
While these sudden changes did not cause any short-term harm, the researchers have made it clear that further studies need to be done to know the long-term effects that these diets can have on health.
Vitamins for the immune system
Proper nutrition helps prevent disease and illness by providing our body with the right minerals and vitamins for the immune system. These nutrients can help the body’s immune cells function normally and provide an adequate immune response whenever it is necessary2.
On the other hand, if our diet does not let us eat the right food for the immune system, our immune cells won’t be able to work as best as they could. This is the reason why people suffering from malnutrition also tend to have weaker immune systems.
Poor immune system may lead to chronic illness
Aside from increasing your risk of developing disease and infection, problems with the immune system can potentially lead to chronic illness.
There is evidence to show that an altered immune system causes inflammation3, which in turn has been linked to many chronic illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and heart disease.
Alteration, or problems with the immune system can occur if the body does not get the right nutrition. This is why it is important to have a balanced diet rich in minerals and vitamins for the immune system to protect the body from disease and prevent inflammation4.
Ultra-Processed food weakens immune system
Another example of how diet affects the immune system is in the case of ultra-processed foods. These are foods that are made from substances extracted from foods such as fats, starches, sugars, or have undergone significant processing that significantly alters the composition of the food5. Common examples of these are cookies, some types of chips, soft drinks, hot dogs, cold cuts, etc.
While ultra-processed foods are a quick and convenient way for us to get nutrition, they are far from an ideal source of nutrients that our body needs. Studies have found that ultra-processed food can actually harm the immune system since it contains a lot of sugars, salt, trans fats, and saturated fats that all contribute to inflammation in the body6.
Ultra-processed foods can also alter the gut microbiome, which plays an important role in maintaining a healthy immune system.
Do vegan or keto diets give you the right vitamins for your immune system?
Going back to the topic of vegan and keto diets and how they affect the immune system, the studies conducted have so far shown mixed results.
Vegan diet
Vegan diets have the benefit of being low in fat and high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber; which are all things that the body needs. In particular, vegans get a lot more vitamin C, which plays an important role in immunity.
However, the problem with this diet is that it can be easy to have a deficiency in other minerals essential for immunity such as iron and zinc. These minerals are typically found in meat, and can be difficult for vegans to get enough iron and zinc in their diets8.
Keto diet
Keto diets are high in fat and protein, and low in carbohydrates. And as far as the keto diet goes, studies so far have shown no negative effects on the immune system.
However, as with any restrictive diet, there is a risk that going on a very strict keto diet might cause nutrient deficiencies. In particular, there is a risk of not getting enough nutrients such as B vitamins, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins A and C which are important vitamins for the immune system8.
Nutrients you need for a healthy immune system
Nutrients that are important for a healthy immune system include vitamins such as B-vitamins, vitamin A, C, and D, as well as minerals such as zinc and selenium. The ideal mix of food for the immune system would typically include fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, and dairy.
This is the reason why more restrictive diets such as keto or vegan diets might not be able to supply the adequate amount of vitamins for the immune system.
The best way to deal with a nutrient deficiency would be to eat a balanced diet. However, if this is not possible, taking supplements such as ImmunPro can help.
(Sodium Ascorbate + Zinc) ImmunPro gives you vitamin C + zinc through ZincPlus® technology
Figuring out how to strengthen your immune system, especially on a restrictive diet, can be tricky. (Sodium Ascorbate + Zinc) ImmunPro contains vitamin C as well as zinc, which are essential for maintaining a healthy immune system.
However, the problem with these nutrients is that they rapidly degrade when they come in contact with each other. (Sodium Ascorbate + Zinc) ImmunPro vitamins are made using ZincPlus® technology which ensures a stable combination of vitamin C and zinc so that you are getting the full dose of these nutrients.
Aside from providing the essential nutrients for immunity, this stable combination of nutrients are among the most important benefits of (Sodium Ascorbate + Zinc) ImmunPro.
So if you do decide to try out a keto or a vegan diet, make sure to supplement your nutritional needs with (Sodium Ascorbate + Zinc) ImmunPro.
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