How Diet Affects Your Immune System
Everything in your body affects your immune system and the foods you put into it are no exception. Here are a few ways foods drive immune reactions:
Food allergies/intolerances
Is your immune system producing antibodies to certain foods? There can be a near-instant reaction (IgE antibodies) or a delayed reaction of up to 4 or 5 days (IgG antibodies) often associated with intestinal permeability (leaky gut). Both food allergies and intolerances drive inflammation - a big energy robber that can lead to autoimmunity in susceptible individuals. It is better if the whole family is singing from the same hymn sheet as inhalation of foods can be a problem. For example, mums avoiding gluten need to stop making gluten grain brownies for their children and use gluten-free flour instead.
Lectins
This is an example of foods having an immunological impact that is not antibody-driven. Lectins are a type of protein found in certain types of plants that have the ability to bind to certain types of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. The highest amounts of lectins are found in grains, nuts and legumes. When you have an autoimmune condition (immune system attacking your own tissues) it is crucially important to pay attention to certain lectins. I have a chart which tells me which lectin-related foods patients with autoimmune conditions should avoid. Those foods vary with each condition. Wheat should be avoided with every condition. The cells in the intestinal lining are constantly exposed to wear and tear. Lectins are known to impair the intestine’s ability to repair itself and are toxic to wounded cells. This is how lectins can set the scene for chronically inflamed intestines.
Low histamine diets
Some people don’t make enough of the Diamine Oxidase enzyme which helps clear histamine from the gut. Histamine build-up can cause some nasty symptoms ranging from headaches, to watery eyes, fatigue, joint pains and more. These people can also suffer from Th2 cell dominance of their immune system which drives infections in the hollow spaces of the body (gut, sinuses, urinary tract etc.) and increases food allergy reactions. If they are susceptible to mould and fungi too, this can be a double whammy as mould and histamine use the same detox pathway to exit from the body. This can get overloaded and spill out into unpleasant symptoms. Such people are good candidates for a low histamine diet. I suggest looking at a chart of high histamine foods and histamine-releasing foods and reducing or eliminating those that you eat a lot of.
Other dietary needs
Some people may need to avoid the Nightshade family of foods (potatoes, peppers, aubergines, tomatoes, tobacco and a few others), especially with conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. Others may need a low oxalate regime but should also work to reduce fungal and mould infections and histamine overload if this is part of their clinical picture. Oxalates are naturally occurring compounds in certain plants.
Which diet?
The mountain of dietary misinformation out there can make people really confused about what to eat. It is best to work with a practitioner who can see from your lab results what you should be putting into your body. There is no “one-size-fits-all” diet; it should be tailored to you and your biochemical needs gleaned from your case history, symptoms and what your lab tests reveal you need.
The ground rules
Having said that, there are some ground rules that apply to any diet if you are trying to overcome a health condition, or indeed, stay in optimum health. These include:
Avoid gluten, cows’ dairy and refined sugars as these are major drivers of inflammation.
Use fibre and good fats as your fuel for energy rather than grains and sugars. Most people eat too much of the latter, which leads them into trouble.
Eat real foods, not invented foods. Many are eating powdered substitute meals (commercial shakes and smoothies) with too many sugars and too few nutrients, which I call “moon food.”
Increase the amount of vegetables you eat. Most people don’t eat nearly enough. Doing this enables you to cut down on other things (including grains and junk) proportionately.
Eat enough adequate proteins to provide the raw materials your immune system needs and for the manufacture of neurotransmitters in your brain. There is a modern tendency to shy away from proteins (i.e. “I only eat meat once a fortnight”) with a corresponding rise in sickness.
Chew a lot - this is a massively simple but profound thing to do as it stimulates the firing of sensory inputs that promote vagal motor outflow, stimulating digestive enzymes, adequate stomach acid and a feeling of satiety which stops you overeating.
Doing better with diet
I find many people do a lot better eating an abundance of vegetables, lean meats and restricted carbohydrates. This way they avoid:
Spiking blood sugars.
Pro-inflammatory lectins in grains.
Provoking unfavourable flora or bacteria in the gut by feeding them too much fruit sugars.
Compliance
The challenge is to comply to a dietary plan based on your specific lab tests and biochemical needs. You need to buy into the importance of doing this and doing it accurately so that you can get the benefits early on and feel it is worthwhile doing and can therefore sustain it.
It may feel impossible at first. But this is the same as learning to drive - you need to make a start and get on and do it so you can start to see some benefits. I would make the point that after a while it will start to feel normal to eat this way.
Don’t be “reasonable”
I ask people to subscribe to 100% of their clinical protocol despite how difficult it is. If they give me an account of not having been able to give up some damaging food or practice (gluten, sugar, dairy, milk chocolate, alcohol, cigarettes etc.), this is simply the account of how their case has failed. This is what is known as being “reasonable.” People can make the choice between being “reasonable” or they can do the work necessary to get themselves well. They may need help overcoming a food addiction. I am here to give it. The bottom line is this; if they can’t do what it takes to get well, even the unreasonableness, their case will fail.
If you would like help with any of the above issues, please contact the Good Health Clinic on goodhealthclinic@outlook.com or ring me on 07836 552936.