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Foods To Avoid:
Aspartame: rapidly turns into dangerous formaldehyde in the body.
Hydrogenated foods: such as margarine, shortening and all partially hydrogenated vegetable oils contain
trans fatty adds which cause heart disease, increase LDL - (the bad cholesterol) and lower HDL - (the good cholesterol), increase inflammatory responses, inhibit immune function, promote aging and free radical damage
and cause toxicity in the liver.
Red meat: aggravates conditions such as multiple sclerosis and arthritis. Arachidonic add, a substance which is found in red meats is linked to an increase in pro-inflammatory factors.
Sugar: reduces immunity. It lowers the body's production of antibodies and causes macrophages to be inactive. Sugar causes a form of paralysis to take place in our immune cells so that they are unable to move around the body fighting invaders and they are rendered ineffective It also increases the growth of Candida albicans.
One teaspoon of white sugar can devastate our immune system for up to six hours, leaving us vulnerable to attack from viruses, bacteria, cancer cells and parasites.
Useful Herbs And Phytonutrients For Immune Support:
Carotenoids: boost the immune system and enhance the response of T-cells and B-cells.
Cat's claw (Una de gato or Uncaria tomentosa): This herb is believed to accelerate wound healing
and to enhance cartilage restoration in joint disorders. A number of case studies also show promise for
cat's claw in treating various immunodeficiency states, auto immunological diseases, allergic diseases,
gastrointestinal inflammation and even viral and bacterial infections.
Coenzyme Q10: Research shows that macrophage activity is increased with CoQ1O supplements,
and that CoQ1O has antiviral, antibacterial and antitumor effects. CoQ1O is especially important during viral infections since it's levels in white blood cells fall rapidly as the cell's requirements for the nutrient increase in order to fight off invaders. It is also known to enhance natural killer cell activity and inhibit metastasis of tumors.
Flavonoids: are potent antioxidants that prevent the formation of free radicals. They stimulate T-cell formation and lymphocyte transformation. Food sources include broccoli, grapes, carrots, onions, peppers, green tea, tangerines, elderberries, blueberries, bilberries, apples, all citrus fruits and Ginkgo biloba.
Green tea: Research shows that several cups of green tea each day have antiviral,
anticancer and antibacterial effects.
Magnesium: deficiency causes an increase in pro-inflammatory conditions and an excess production
of free radicals. Food sources are tofu, legumes, seeds and nuts, green leafy vegetables,
and whole unrefined grains.
Olive Leaf Extract: may have effective antibacterial and antiviral properties and is an effective treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome.
Phytoestrogens: Soy products contain isoflavones, daidzein and genistein as well as protease inhibitors,
all of which are powerful anticancer phytochemicals. Genistein and daidzen fill the receptor sites on cells meant
for estrogen, reducing the amount of estrogen produced by the body thus providing a cancer-protective effect. All isoflavones stop the growth of young malignant tumors.
Selenium: is essential to the production of glutathione peroxidase which is important in detoxifying the body
of environmental toxins. Selenium deficiency causes poor resistance to viruses and bacteria. Food sources include Brazil nuts, brewer's yeast, broccoli, brown rice, chicken, dairy products, dulse, garlic, kelp, liver, molasses, onions, torula yeast, vegetables, wheat germ and whole grains.
Selenium Supplement Dosage: It is not recommended that more than 200 micrograms of selenium be taken daily in any of the forms, since the different selenium compounds have varying degrees of toxicity.
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