Canada 
Alberta 
British Columbia 
Manitoba
New Brunswick 
Newfoundland Labrador 
Nova Scotia 
Ontario 
Prince Edward Island 
Quebec 
Saskatchewan 
United States 
Belgium
France 
Italy 
Switzerland
Elsewhere
Elsewhere
×
Elsewhere
Elsewhere
What Should You Eat to Help Strengthen Your Immune System?
The immune system is complex, and its proper functioning is influenced by several factors such as stress level, exercise, age, diet, tobacco, sleep… If we want it to be as effective as possible to protect us from pathogenic microorganisms, we must support it with a healthy lifestyle, which includes a balanced diet. Eating well is one of the key points because deficiencies in certain nutrients can weaken our immune defenses. The main nutrients to watch for are vitamins A, C, E, zinc, selenium, iron, copper and folic acid.
Dietary tips to help maintain the health of your immune system:
Stock up on vegetables and fruit
Canada’s new food guide recommends filling half of your plate with fresh fruit and vegetables at every meal. Following this good advice will help you to fill up on vitamins and antioxidants, which promotes healthy immune function. Small tip: Also try to vary the colors on your plate!
Eat protein at every meal
To support the proliferation of immune cells and the synthesis of compounds important to the body’s defense in the event of an invasion by pathogenic microorganisms, it is important to consume enough protein.
The best way to meet your needs is to consume good-sourced protein at every meal. Prioritize proteins that are low in saturated fat such as legumes, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts and seeds. Legumes are also rich in fibre and antioxidants, and contain little fat.
For more information, I invite you to read this article.
Incorporate a healthy amount of good fats
Consuming too much fat would reduce the effectiveness of your immune response. It is therefore important to limit your fat intake to 30% of the calories consumed and to focus on healthy fat sources.
Author
Jennifer is a Registered Dietitian graduated from the University of Montreal in December 2018 and is a member of the Ordre professionnel des diététistes du Québec (OPDQ). She believes that the quality of our food choices has a direct impact on our health and energy level. Her goal? To help people improve the quality of what they put in their plates, for their better well-being and greater pleasure.
Can you please share your reference that one needs to limit one’s fat intake to 30% to avoid reducing the effectiveness of the immune response? Thank you.
Hello Elke,
Thanks for your question. According to the following study: Kelley, DS, and PA Daudu. “Fat intake and immune response.” Progress in food & nutrition science 17.1 (1993), a high fat diet would reduce the effectiveness of your immune response. The 30% of calories from lipids comes from the official Health Canada recommandations https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/hc-sc/migration/hc-sc/fn-an/alt_formats/hpfb-dgpsa/pdf/nutrition/dri_tables-eng.pdf