With the improvement of people's health and environmental awareness, more and more people are paying attention to a plant-based diet. Between 2014-2019, the number of vegans in the UK quadrupled.
The health and environmental benefits of a plant-based diet have been reported from time to time, but there is also evidence that a healthy plant-based diet may also benefit the immune system.
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This also includes flexitarian, Mediterranean, vegetarian and vegan diets, she said.
What are the immune benefits of plant-based nutrition?
A plant-based diet is rich in vitamins and minerals. Steiner said a healthy plant-based diet "is about eating a variety of plant-based foods, but not necessarily avoiding animal products entirely",
Meat and fish contain many micronutrients, including iron, zinc, B vitamins, vitamin A, and copper, among others, all of which directly help the immune system—though most of these nutrients can be obtained from a vegan diet.
Each micronutrient plays a different role in the immune system, so don't focus on just one, Steiner explained. No single nutrient, food or supplement can boost the immune system or prevent us from contracting a highly contagious virus, she said.
For more information on nutrition needs based on age and gender, go to BBC Food's Nutrition Calculations page.
Fiber and Phytochemicals for Gut Health and Immunity
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Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology in the United Kingdom, and director of the Zoe application software project for new crown symptoms research, also suggested that you should eat as many plant-based ingredients as possible to promote the growth of different beneficial bacteria in the gut.
Spector recommends eating 30 different types of plant-based foods each week. "A healthy gut microbiome is critical to a healthy immune system," he said because most of the body's immune cells live in the gut lining, and the microbes in the gut play an important role in maintaining a healthy immune system.
Plant-based diets are often high in fiber, an important nutrient required for a healthy gut microbiome. For example, gut bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids after they ferment or "eat" fiber, which is known to improve immunity against pathogens.
It is important to keep the recommended amount of 30g of fiber per day, but the average UK adult consumes only 18g of fiber per day.
Fiber-rich foods include berries, pears, oranges, and other fruits; vegetables including broccoli, carrots, and sweet corn; and pasta, brown rice, whole-grain bread, beans, lentils, chickpeas, nuts, etc.
Phytochemicals (also called phytochemicals) and compounds produced by plants including fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes are believed to increase certain types of beneficial gut bacteria.
Dietitian Medlin explains that a plant's color depends on the phytochemicals it contains, some of which are "good for the immune system."
She explained that the more variety of plant colors you eat, the more variety of phytochemicals you absorb. Red, orange, yellow, and green plants contain carotenoids, which have been linked to boosting immunity.
While the evidence on the immune benefits of phytochemicals remains inconclusive, eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day is definitely not harmful to health.
A healthy gut through diet is a long-term goal, and changing your diet to benefit your gut bacteria and immune system can show results within 3 months. But the changes did not "reflect the extent to which the long-term vegetarian diet has changed," the study found.
How to increase a plant-based diet?
It's important to note that there are benefits to a natural plant-based diet, but not processed foods. Zoe's research shows that highly processed foods are associated with "bad" gut microbes and poorer health indicators.
Steiner said there is no guarantee that "plant-based foods" are necessarily "healthy." When shopping for food, it's best to check nutrition labels and choose foods that are lower in saturated fat, salt, and sugar, and consider an overall balanced diet.
Eating more of a plant-based diet can be as simple as adding more vegetables or plant-based protein sources when shopping or cooking, for example, by eating more beans and lentils in place of meat.
Nutrition for Vegans
Meat, fish, and other animal products such as eggs and dairy are good sources for maintaining immunity. So, if you don't eat any animal foods, you need to find ways to ensure you get enough of the above nutrients, including protein, vitamin B12, calcium, iron, zinc, iodine, and long-chain fatty acids.
A lack of protein or amino acids can lead to abnormal immune function. But protein deficiencies are rare. Vegans need to ensure a complete protein source (that is, containing all 9 essential amino acids), including soy, quinoa, hemp (hemp), chia seeds, buckwheat, and vegetarian meat.
Alternatively, eat them with a complete protein intake, such as baked beans with toast or lentils with rice.
Note: This article is not intended to replace medical advice. If you are concerned about your immune system, you should still see a doctor.
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