Reality Liberation Front

I know that this isn’t my usual subject matter…but every now and then I stumble across an interesting bit of information that I feel the need to share. MSNBC had a link to what it titled, “9 Foods to Eat for a Killer Immunity.” I followed the link…and was completely surprised. The foods were not exotic, nor were they your usual “natural offerings,” nor did they sound about as appetizing as eating grass. These were common food items…and some of them are rarely mentioned in terms of “overall nutritional/immunological health.”

So here’s my summary of the list. This link will take you to Prevention’s homepage for those who wish to explore healthy eating in more depth, and those who wish to develop a “eating plan:”

1 – Yogurt. By now you should have heard that yogurt contains “active cultures,” or probiotics. Think of these as “good bacteria.” The kind that kills germs in your intestinal tract…some kinds of probiotics even stimulate your white blood cells. Oh, and guess what? Eating just a plain, old, everyday container of yogurt is just as good as taking any of the pills or other supplements. Cool.

2 – Sweet potatoes. I love those things! I guess I knew that things like carrots have beta-carotene…I just didn’t know that sweet potatoes had the same thing. Beta-carotene is a good source of vitamin A, which is good for skin…which is your first line of defense against germs!

3 – Tea. Black tea or green tea will work just fine. Check this out: people who drank, “five cups of black tea a day for 2 weeks transformed their immune system T cells into ‘Hulk cells’ that pumped out 10 times more cold and flu virus-fighting interferon – proteins that defend against infection.” WOW. Now…I doubt that I’ll ever drink FIVE CUPS A DAY…but certainly regular consumption would still grant SOME benefits.

4 – Chicken soup. Whoa…mom was right. Well, I doubt that mom knew that chicken soup produces the amino acid, cysteine…and that cysteine is chemically similar to acetylcysteine (a drug used to treat bronchitis)…and that this chemical restricts the migration of “inflammatory white cells.” But hey…she KNEW IT WORKED.

5 – Beef. Yeah…suck it, vegetarians! No seriously, beef gets a pretty bad rap. But beef has ZINC, and unless you’ve been living in a cave, you’ve learned that zinc has properties that are beneficial to your immune system. Perhaps more importantly, if you develop a zinc deficiency…your immune system takes a nosedive. So vegetarians…you might want to look into “oysters, fortified cereals, pork, poultry, yogurt or milk.” Vegans…I guess it’s cereal and pills for you…sorry.

7 – Mushrooms. I once heard that all people are either “mycophiles” or “mycophobes.” You either love them…or they scare the crap out of you. Well, mycophiles rejoice! They’ve been used for centuries to boost immunity…and now we know why. They boost white blood cell count, and make your white cells go into “butt-kicker mode.” They say that Shiitake and maitake mushrooms are the most effective.

8 – Fish and seafood. Selenium, which is found in oysters, lobsters, crabs, clams, and others…boosts immunity cells and proteins called cytokines, the latter of which do a lot towards fighting flu. Fish with omega-3′s, such as salmon, aid with the production of “T cells and interferon-gamma cytokines” which will also help you to fight off the flu.

9 – Garlic. Mmmm…garlic. I had heard that garlic had some sort of “heart healthy” properties…but I didn’t know that it contained allicin. Apparently, allicin is a bacteria/infection fighter. And some studies…show that if you are willing to eat a whole bunch of it…it might even prevent certain types of CANCER. Amazing…good for your heart…fights infection…kills bacteria…and prevents cancer. Now if they could only make it “breath friendly.”

10 – Oats and barley. Ok…of the whole list, these are probably the most boring…until you hear this: they contain “beta-glucan, a type of fiber with antimicrobial and antioxidant capabilities more potent than echinacea.” And studies show that animals that ingest it…are more resistant to influenza, herpes, and anthrax. ANTHRAX…who knew that oats and barley packed such a punch?

I imagine you were shocked by a few of these items, the same as I was…but isn’t it nice to be told that some normal, tasty food might actually be…gasp…good for you? Anyway, stay healthy…and I’ll be back with something else tomorrow…