How Plant-Based Diets Can Boost Your Immunity

Looking to Boost Your Immunity With Food?

If you are wondering how to eat to boost your immunity, the good news is a whole-food, plant-based diet not only nourishes you, it’s also superb for building up your body’s immune defenses! And with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, it doesn’t hurt to boost our immunity naturally through food whenever we can.

One of the key benefits of plant-based eating is its positive impact on our gut or gastrointestinal (GI) system. 

Did you know that our GI system is the largest immune organ in our body? When combined together, the small intestine and the large intestine can stretch at least 15 feet (or about 4.5 meters), and it is home to trillions of microbes known collectively as the gut microbiota.

Plant-Based Diet and Gut Health

Plant-based foods supply our gut with a rich supply of nutrients and fiber that feed the beneficial microbes in our gut and build a stable and diverse microbial ecosystem inside our digestive tract.  

Not only does a plant-based diet help promote a more stable and diverse gut microbiota, it also increases levels of beneficial bacteria that protect and defend the human gut barrier against pathogens and diseases. Plant-based diets also increase short-chain fatty acid production in our gut boosting immunity against pathogens, and increase the acidity of the colon, preventing the growth of pathogenic bacteria.

Importance of Gut Health

Our gut health MUST be maintained because it can positively impact the health of the rest of our bodies in so many ways. Not only are there interactions at the gut-brain, gut-lung and gut-liver axes, but research has also found that changes in the microbial composition of the gut are closely associated with changes in central neural chemistry, inflammatory lung conditions, and the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Studies also show that being on a whole food plant-based diet improves body weight, insulin sensitivity, metabolism and cholesterol levels. For those who are eating plant-based foods, many existing health conditions can also be significantly improved such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and high blood pressure.

Let’s Build Your Health & Boost Your Immunity

So here’s the great news: eating fiber-rich, nourishing whole plant-based foods can really build your body’s immunity and health! One of the key ways it does this is by optimizing your gut health.

Take a step today in making the decision to integrate more whole plant-based foods into what you are eating. Reach for colorful vegetables or dark green leafy greens at the farmer’s market or your favorite grocery store, add a can of black beans into your recipe, or try roasting a winter squash as a side dish. I am here to help guide and support you in plant-based eating. Remember,  a happy gut makes a happy – and more immune – body!  

(Sources:

Tomova A, Bukovsky I, Rembert E, et al. The Effects of Vegetarian and Vegan Diets on Gut Microbiota. Front Nutr. 2019;6:47. Published 2019 Apr 17. 

Chassaing B, Kumar M, Baker MT, Singh V, Vijay-Kumar M. Mammalian gut immunity. Biomed J. 2014 Sep-Oct;37(5):246-58. 

Rinninella E, Cintoni M, Raoul P, Lopetuso LR, Scaldaferri F, Pulcini G, Miggiano GAD, Gasbarrini A, Mele MC. Food Components and Dietary Habits: Keys for a Healthy Gut Microbiota Composition. Nutrients. 2019 Oct 7;11(10):2393.)

Before You Go, Grab this FREE Resource

If you’re wanting to learn how to start plant-based eating or to begin a whole food plant-based diet, grab this FREE resource “Beginner’s Quick Guide to Must-Know Plant-Based Diet Basics” to help you on your journey.

This FREE guide gives you the essentials you need to get started, including key terms to know about, rich plant-based sources of nutrients, and some top budget money-saving tips. This guide is perfect for all beginners interested in transitioning to a plant-based diet. So grab this guide if you’re looking for tips for eating a plant-based diet for beginners!