Colds and flu are more common during autumn and winter because many of the viruses that cause these illnesses replicate faster in colder temperatures and lower humidity. So, it’s natural that at this time of year we start to think about our immune systems and how we might help them. So can a homemade ginger and turmeric shot boost your immunity? Let’s take a quick look at how the immune system works before answering how food (or those shots!) can impact it.
What is the immune system?
Your immune system is your personal defence system, constantly at work protecting you from pathogens (microbes that can make you sick), and disease-causing changes in the body. It’s an incredibly complex network made up of cells, tissues and organs.
It relies on billions of white blood cells, which travel around your body via a network of blood and lymph vessels, screening your blood, tissues and organs for potential threats. When they detect antigens - proteins on the surface of pathogens- an immune response is triggered, and a whole series of processes take place to fight the germ. For example, some white blood cells swallow pathogens, while others produce special proteins called antibodies to help eliminate them.
A specific type of white blood cell ‘remembers’ what pathogens look like, which means if you’re exposed to it again, your immune system will be able to respond more quickly. This is known as the adaptive immune response.
What role does the gut play?
Your gut is a key player in your immune defence, too, because it encounters more antigens than any other part of the body. Every day it’s exposed to millions of microbes from the external environment and your diet, so it’s essential that your immune system can correctly identify pathogens while tolerating food and non-harmful microbes that pass through.
Your gut lining acts as a physical barrier between your body and the outside world. It’s made up of a single layer of cells, covered by mucus and antimicrobial proteins. Just underneath this lining is the biggest concentration of lymphoid tissue in the body, packed with white blood cells. Beneficial gut microbes that live in your gut also support your immune system by communicating with immune cells and helping to regulate the inflammatory response.
Can I feed my immune system through my diet?
Yes! Just like other cells in your body, your immune cells need energy and a range of nutrients to function normally. For example, vitamin C- found in peppers, oranges, and tomatoes - is important for the production and function of white blood cells. It also acts as an antioxidant, protecting immune cells from damage. During periods of infection, vitamin C gets used up more rapidly. But research doesn’t support the idea that taking extra vitamin C in supplement form will prevent a cold. There is some evidence that taking vitamin C might shorten the duration of a cold, but only by 10%, which in real terms might be just a few hours.
Other nutrients important for normal immune function are shown below. As you can see, there’s quite a few! Rather than focus on any single nutrient, aim for a healthy diet made up of lots of different coloured fruits and vegetables, wholegrains, lean proteins, some dairy (or fortified alternatives) and healthy fats.
This should provide all the nutrients your immune system needs to function well:
Protein: Meat, fish, tofu, eggs, beans, lentils, dairy
Omega-3: Oily fish like salmon and mackerel, walnuts, flaxseed
Vitamin B6: Poultry, fish, bananas, avocados, walnuts, cashews and sesame seeds.
Vitamin B12: Meat, fish, milk, cheese, eggs, marmite, breakfast cereals and plant milks with added B12.
Folate: Green vegetables, chickpeas, oranges, berries, cheese, wholemeal bread.
Iron: Red meat, beans and lentils, nuts and nut butters, seeds, wholemeal bread, dried fruits like apricots.
Selenium: Nuts and seeds like Brazil nuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, eggs, poultry and fish
Zinc: Red meat, poultry, cheese, nuts and seeds, wholegrain breakfast cereals and breads
Vitamin D: Our main source is sunlight. But between October and April the sun isn’t strong enough for us to make sufficient vitamin D, so a supplement containing 10 micrograms a day is recommended.
Fibre: Wholemeal bread, oats, wholegrain pasta, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans peas and lentils
Vitamin A: Eggs, cheese, dark green leafy vegetables and orange-coloured fruits and vegetables like squash and carrots
So are there any benefits to a ginger turmeric shot?
OK, down to the nitty gritty. Ginger turmeric shots typically contain fresh lemon or orange juice, plus fresh ginger, turmeric and some water. There’s about 70 milligrams of vitamin C in a whole orange - enough to meet your daily needs - plus polyphenols (plant compounds) from the fruit, ginger and turmeric, which act as antioxidants and can feed gut microbes.
So what can they do?
What these shots can do: Contribute to hydration, provide vitamin C and polyphenols, which support the normal functioning of your immune system.
What they won’t do: Prevent infection, supercharge or ‘boost’ your immune system.
But can I ‘boost’ my immune system with specific foods?
The idea that we can eat things to ‘boost’ our immune system is an attractive one, because giving something a boost - like your beneficial gut bacteria or your fibre intake - is usually a good thing.
But immunologists agree that the idea of boosting your immune system is misleading - and more marketing than medical science. Not only is there no scientifically proven way to ‘boost’ the immune system, doing so isn’t actually something you’d want to do.
That’s because an over-active immune system can actually be harmful. In auto-immune conditions, the immune system over-responds and starts to attack the body’s own healthy tissues. So rather than boosting immunity, we want a balanced immune function.
Bottom line: no single food can ‘boost’ your immune system. Instead, consider a healthy diet, sufficient sleep and regular exercise as things that support normal immune function.
Discover more tips to help support your gut-immune connection.
