Can Strengthening Your Immune System Prevent Weight Gain?
In this day-and-age, under the influence of our busy personal and professional lives, most of us forget to cater to the needs of our health, whether we are talking about being careful with our diets or taking care of our immune system. There has always been a strong correlation between the immune system and our body weight. But, can strengthening your immune system prevent weight gain? A perfectly balanced immune system can help us keep our weight ideal, and an ideal weight can offer you more chances of keeping your immune system fully functioning, and ready for whatever comes your way, health-wise.
It is a well-acknowledged fact that obesity can cause health complications such as diabetes, heart diseases, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, and many others. A significant weight gain also comes with a weakened immune response of your body, thus putting you at risk of common viral or bacterial diseases. According to the Society for Endocrinology, as obesity progresses, inflammation arises in the body. After years of studies, medical professionals can now assess without a doubt that endocrine-immune interactions are in a reciprocal relationship, but what does that mean for our day-to-day lives? Losing weight will boost your immune system? Can strengthening your immune system prevent weight gain? The answer to both of these questions is yes; and thankfully, nature and alternative medicine have both provided us with many simple yet successful ways of keeping the endocrine-immune system relationship in balance.
If you are thinking healthy foods, you are right, they are indeed one of the most common and easy to implement methods. According to the Nutrition Journal, eating the wrong foods can cause your immune responses to weaken, so aside from gaining weight, you will also experience an attack on your immunity. What foods can you introduce in your daily diet to strengthen your immune system & prevent weight gain?
How to Strengthen Your Immune System & Prevent Weight Gain
Now you know that strengthening your immune system can prevent weight gain, so let’s see how to boost your immune system!
If you are thinking healthy foods, you are right, they are indeed one of the most common and easy to implement methods. According to the Nutrition Journal, eating the wrong foods can cause your immune responses to weaken, so aside from gaining weight, you will also experience an attack on your immunity. What foods can you introduce in your daily diet to strengthen your immune system & prevent weight gain?
- Citrus fruits – being high in vitamin C, citrus fruits are perfect for boosting your body’s production of white blood cells; just remember that you need vitamin C every day because our bodies do not produce it;
- Blueberries – bioflavonoids and phytonutrients repair oxidation damage and protect your cells from injury;
- Almonds – the fat-soluble vitamin E is essential when it comes to keeping your immune responses alert; did you know that about 40 almonds can provide you with the entire amount of vitamin E that your body needs in a day? Also, being rich in vitamin B, almonds can help your body better manage psychological stress (which is a known cause of a weak immune system);
- Kale – this superfood is a must in your diet as it is rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A, calcium, magnesium, and many others;
- Green and black tea – packed with flavonoids, green and black tea are amazing antioxidants and have been known to boost the immune system. Replace your morning coffee with a cup of green tea and you will also help your body burn fat faster;
- Yogurt – always choose yogurts with live cultures, such as Greek yogurt, as they are the ones that can properly stimulate your immune system.