Feature Article: January 2021 - 5 Everyday Immunity Boosting Foods for Aging Adults

e-Journal Featured Articles January 15, 2021

5 Everyday Immunity Boosting Foods for Aging Adults

Crystal Willson

More than any other year, 2020 is the one that taught us the value of our immunity. As a senior, pandemic issues aside, you must have become more aware of your weakening immunity caused by several factors such as diabetes or lung failure. Even if you have no chronic health issues, your immunity is likely to weaken with age.

Doctors are unable to explain why immunity decreases as we get older. One reason could be that aging adults don’t respond as well to vaccines as younger individuals. Moreover, as you age, your body produces fewer T cells. The latter are the cells that remember the harmful invaders which enter the body. They are the ones that take prompt action and put up a defense mechanism.

With this in mind, being more proactive about your defense system should be a priority. Luckily, there is an easy tool to help strengthen your immunity, which comes in food.

Nourishing, healthy, and unprocessed food is crucial to sustaining our body in different ways, from energy levels to stronger bones. With the following foods, you will be giving your body the added immunity it needs.

Cannabinol

Adding CBD to your nutritional plan is another way to boost your immunity. CBD is derived from the same plant species as marijuana, but CBD does not have any psychoactive effects, unlike the latter. This means that you cannot get high, nor is there a risk of overdose.

Preliminary research has shown CBD’s potential to boost the immune system. Researchers have observed how this natural compound can help with chronic inflammation. It can prevent rapid cellular growth and promote cellular death. CBD can also manage the secretion of cytokines. The latter are large proteins that control our immunity, inflammation, and white blood cell production.

This natural compound comes in many forms. You can ingest it easily by investing in CBD oil, or you can try gummies. There is the full spectrum cbd oil canada or e-liquids, balms, and other CBD-based products. When you shop for CBD, be sure to buy products containing less than 0.3 percent of THC, so there is no risk of getting high.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are a god-send for vegetarians with their meaty texture, but the humble mushroom happens to be a mighty food for strengthening immunity. In a recent study, researchers found that aging adults who consumed two portions of this vegetable per week could potentially lower their chances of suffering from cognitive impairment by 50 percent.

Mushrooms are rich in folic acid, a critical component that helps lower the chances of suffering from an anemic disease. Moreover, due to the high concentration of vitamin D and selenium, mushrooms can help prevent the malicious tumors’ growth.

Probiotics

Probiotics are relatively popular and they are known as those foods which promote gut health and keep our digestion working optimally. More than that, researchers have observed a relationship between probiotics and a robust immune system.

There are many examples of delicious probiotics. Greek yogurt is undoubtedly the most popular, but there are more, including pickles, kefir, sauerkraut, buttermilk, kombucha, and kimchi. Tempeh, miso, and natto are also great examples to add probiotics to your daily diet.

Honey

When you learn about the potent health ingredients found in honey, you will understand why many are advocating to protect bees and their undeniably crucial job for the world’s food chain.

Pure honey contains exceptional nutrients such as flavonoids and polyphenols, which are critical antioxidants. The latter are the ones that restore balance in the body by neutralizing harmful cells that have entered the body through pollution, smoking, or unhealthy food known as free radicals.

Besides its antioxidant properties, honey is also known to have immunopotentiating effects. In simpler terms, it means that it can strengthen your immune system thanks to a sugar known as nigerooligosaccharides. Honey contains anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties too. It can increase our antibodies, neutrophils, the T and B lymphocytes, monocytes, and other killer cells found during the immune responses.

Garlic

Whether you are grating it on your toast or sliding it next to your roast chicken, adding garlic to your daily diet is a no-brainer, which is excellent because this superfood can boost your immunity too. Garlic is known to boost the immune system by fighting germs thanks to a compound it contains known as alliin.

Encouraging studies have also distinguished garlic as a potent vegetable that helps lower the risk of getting the flu and even affects the length of your illness. In one study, volunteers who took garlic supplements had 63 percent less chance of getting sick, and when they did fall ill, their colds were 70 percent shorter.

There you have it, five immunity-fighting foods that can help keep your body’s defense mechanism robust, especially during these trying times. The best part of these foods is that they can be easily found and consumed daily without much effort or change to your daily diet.

References:

Crystal Willson, Content Strategist-CBD Health, is a full-time content marketing specialist. She has been closely monitoring the cannabis industry trends for quite some time. She has worked in various domains before the cannabis industry. On her off days, she likes to spend her time with her family, lift weights, and reading novels.

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Feature Article: January 2021 – 5 Everyday Immunity Boosting Foods for Aging Adults