5 Nutrition Tips to Support Your Immunity

Winter is here, and with it, the yearly concerns of how to support your immune system to fight off infections. Along with a good night sleep, managing stress and washing your hands, nutrition has a vital role to play in supporting immunity. If you’re an athlete, long hours of training, low energy availability and oxidative stress could be putting extra strain on your body and immune system, so it is important to take a proactive approach to preventing illness. I constantly get asked questions like: What foods will support boost my immune system? Do I need a supplement? What do I eat when I am sick?

Here are some key considerations for the season ahead.

1)      Your everyday nutrition needs to be on point! This is the basis from which strong immunity is built, like the part of the iceberg that remains unseen. Please ask yourself; will a supplement help if your fundamental nutrition is lacking? Likely not. Make sure you’re fuelling your body every day with a variety of fruits, vegetables, wholegrains and quality protein sources. This provides the required energy, phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals your immune system needs.

2)      Vitamin D is key. We are constantly learning of the benefits of adequate Vitamin D for bones, mental health and even immunity. Firstly, try to ensure you are getting outside for 20-30 minutes a day in winter so the sun can do its job. If this is difficult, talk to your GP about a Vitamin D supplement for the cooler months. Foods high in Vitamin D include eggs, oily fish, margarine and some dairy (look for fortified milk options).

3)      Look after your gut. A healthy gut microbiome is linked to a strong immune system. Remember to add lots of wholegrains and high fibre foods to your diet to feed your microbiota. It is vital to include sources of probiotics and fermented foods such as yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, and miso. 

4)      Carefully consider your need for supplementation. Zinc and Vitamin C supplements are commonly taken in the winter months, however, may not be of benefit. If your regular diet is good, it is highly likely you are meeting your requirements for these nutrients. Supplementation of Vitamin C and Zinc does show some benefit in reducing the frequency and duration of illness if taken after the onset of symptoms. Although, long term supplementation is not recommended as high dose antioxidant (Vitamin C) supplementation could interrupt training adaptations. Also, supplementing Zinc when not deficient does not show any benefit in preventing illness, and may interfere with iron absorption.

5)      Garlic and Ginger? There is some evidence that garlic and ginger have antimicrobial effects, meaning they could be beneficial in prevention and treatment of cold and flu infections. There are no concrete scientific recommendations around this, but they are certainly worth incorporating into your everyday diet, at least from a flavour perspective!