How To Boost Your Immune System And Protect Against Infection

Does a plant-based diet protect against infection?

How do you protect yourself against infection? We heard that viral infections, mostly among older and sick people, claim thousands of lives worldwide. Also, there are infected people every day. The prognosis for surviving infection is relatively good in countries with good health care.
However, one should not underestimate the risk of Infection. But can a vegan diet protect against a virus Infection? Or can a plant-based diet at least contribute to a mild course of a disease?

Currently, we can not assume that the vegan diet has a therapeutic effect against the coronavirus. In any case, most of the proven health benefits of a vegan diet and the observed effect in most cases are the avoidance of unhealthy foods that strain the immune system and the internal organs. The often observed health benefits of a balanced, vegan lifestyle are, therefore, mostly based on prevention, not on a therapeutic effect. 

And yet, this relieving effect could be decisive in the case of a disease. 

We need to support organic farmers and only eat organically grown food.

Infection challenges the immune system.

Infection with a pathogen challenges the immune system. The body fights against the disease with all its strength and high fever. The stronger the immune system in our body, the faster the Infection will be over.

If the immune system is already preoccupied with other pre-existing conditions, and the cardiovascular system is already weakening due to poor nutrition, an infection can sometimes be more severe.

In general, a healthy, balanced vegan diet can relieve the immune system and strengthen the body in the hope that an infection will then be less severe.

Protect yourself against infection – strengthen your immune system.

Fortunately, modern humans have access to many healthy foods that can enhance the immune system. Unfortunately, only a few eat healthily. Fast food not only leads to obesity but also cannot supply our body with the vitamins and minerals it needs. The more we lack vitamins and minerals, the more susceptible we are to viruses and bacteria.

On the other hand, those who mainly eat seasonal fruits and vegetables equip their bodies in the fight against pathogens. For a healthy diet, you can include the following fruits and vegetables in your diet:

Citrus fruits like kiwi, grapefruit, and oranges provide the body with vitamin C.

Vegetables like arugula, spinach, broccoli, and parsley are iron suppliers.

Rice, quinoa, whole grain beans, lentils, and chickpeas contain vegetable proteins, and B vitamins, and avocados, olives, and nuts contain many healthy fats.

 Tips for healthy intestinal flora to protect yourself against infection

Thousands of bacteria live in our colon, most of which are very useful. Because correctly, these microorganisms form healthy intestinal flora. It fulfills two essential functions, namely, on the one hand, preventing dangerous pathogens from spreading in the intestine and, on the other hand, promoting the immune system.

Stress, antibiotics, or certain diseases can disturb the balance of the intestinal flora. It is all the more critical that we provide our body with dietary fibers that stimulate our digestion and ensure healthy intestinal flora.

How To Support Your Microbiome To Keep Your Gut Healthy?

Strengthen the immune system with vitamins and minerals. 

The following vitamins and minerals play a significant role in our immune system. We should eat right so that we supply our bodies with it every day. Unfortunately, this is not always possible. Regardless of whether you need to take vitamin supplements or cover your daily needs with Food. Here is the list of the essential vitamins that strengthen our immune system:

Vitamin B12 supports the formation of blood cells and cell division.

Vitamin D3, medically known as cholecalciferol, is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays a vital role in building bones. The body does produce it, or we ingest it through Food. For the body to produce the vitamin, we should sit under the sun for at least 15 minutes a day.

Vitamin C regulates the oxygen supply to the cells and stimulates the synthesis of other vital substances. The body needs valuable vitamins to produce collagen. But it is also crucial for our immune system because it promotes the production of antibodies. These antibodies can localize and successfully combat harmful pathogens.

Magnesium participates in over 300 chemical reactions in our body. It supports muscle building (especially the heart), the normal nervous system functioning, and strengthens the immune system. Leafy greens, whole grains, beans, and nuts are essential suppliers of magnesium, and the trace element zinc is a vital mineral. It stimulates metabolism, supports the function of the immune system, and regulates insulin storage and protein synthesis.

Selen fulfills an essential function as a natural antioxidant, promotes various critical cell-building processes, and supports the supply of cells with oxygen. Brazilian nuts are imperative suppliers of selenium. 

Strengthen the immune system with movement and breathing exercises

Do exercises daily! They keep joints, muscles, and digestion fit. It is worth starting the day with breathing exercises in the morning. They supply the body with oxygen.

Adequate sleep, positive thinking, and meditation
The human body regenerates best when we sleep. If you don’t sleep well, you get sick quickly, and not necessarily from coronavirus.

Avoid taking an afternoon nap; instead, do meditation in the afternoon. Try to reduce stress and think positively.

See here >  Resilience in challenging times.

The coronavirus is undoubtedly a challenge that our health system and we, as modern humans, have to overcome. It is, therefore, all the more critical that we remain calm and strengthen our immune systems. But fear and panic weaken or even shut down the immune system.

Many are also wondering whether vaccinations are right to protect against infection and are they vegan?

Is Vaccination vegan?

In the media, there are often discussions about Vaccinations. They should protect against dangerous pathogens and even help eradicate them.
Do vaccinations make sense for vegans? Are vaccines vegan?

Vaccinations should ​​stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies against specific pathogens. For this, people are getting injections of small amounts of inactive pathogens as a vaccine. In a sense, it is training for your immune system without the risk of a real infection. However, most animal cell cultures are used in the production of vaccines.

Viruses for the production of vaccines only grow on animal and human cell cultures. There is no vaccine meeting the criteria for vegetarian or even vegan.
For the flu vaccine cell cultures, incubated chicken eggs are used. But many other animal cells are also used to start new cell cultures, including Dog kidney cells.

Animal cell cultures for vaccine production

Vaccines obtained with animal cell cultures are not vegan, even if these cells are no longer detectable in the vaccine. Also, vaccines are tested in deadly animal tests before approval and for batch testing afterward. Currently, vaccines are practically always associated with animal suffering.

Should vegans get vaccinated?

The vegan lifestyle is an enrichment for all areas of everyday life. Severe illnesses and their prevention, like vaccination, are not part of healthy everyday life – they are special situations that need decisions. It is your choice whether or not to be vaccinated against certain diseases.

To achieve a change in medical research and development, a societal discussion and further research are necessary. Countless researchers are already working on animal experiment alternatives and cell cultures for which no animal has to suffer.

Trying to live 100% vegan can also sometimes require deciding whether to concentrate on the positive ways of helping animals or rely on an animal-tested vaccine for health issues.
The question of vaccination or not, as a vegan, everyone has to answer for themselves.

 

See also Boost Your Immune System With Seasonal Vegetables.

Vitamin B12 Myths – Can humans produce vitamin B12 in the gut?

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