EatInEatOut Winter 2015 | Page 14

Want to dig a little deeper? These key nutrients help keep your body’s immune system in tip-top shape. Immune boosting nutrient Key food sources Vitamin A Vitamin B6 Vitamin B12 Vitamin C Vitamin D Vitamin E Zinc Folate Selenium sweet potato, pumpkin, carrots, spinach, butternut squash, cantaloupe, liver, soft goat cheese, milk, salmon, egg fortified cereals, beans, poultry, fish, and some vegetables and fruits, especially dark leafy greens, papayas, oranges, cantaloupe fish, poultry, meat, eggs, dairy products, fortified breakfast cereals and enriched soy or rice milk, Red Star nutritional yeast sweet peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, tomato, potato, strawberries, kiwi, oranges, papaya, guava, mango, pineapple, pink grapefruit milk, fortified soy and rice beverages, fortified orange juice, fish like salmon and sardine, egg yolks, fortified yogurts (check the label) nuts, seeds, avocado, vegetable oils, wheat germ, leafy greens, fish oysters, fish, seafood, beef, wheat germ, pumpkin seeds, baked beans, lentils, cheese fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, breakfast cereals, fortified grains and grain products mushrooms, nuts, liver, fish eggs, whole grains, pasta, dairy foods While these superstar foods contain immune-boosting nutrients, a vitamin D supplement is recommended during the winter months. We don’t get enough sun exposure to make the right amount of vitamin D. A 1000 IU supplement every day will do the trick. PRObiotics: Probiotics are good bacteria that help keep your immune system healthy. To fight colds, you need about 10 billion active probiotic cultures a day. This amount can be found in some yogurt with added probiotics. Check the label. Regular yogurt does not contain enough probiotics to see these effects. Probiotics can also be found in capsules and pills. To help fight colds, you have to take probiotics every day for at least three months before the cold season begins. There are many different types of probiotics. Look for products that specifically contain • Lactobacillus gasseri, CECT5714 or PA16/8 • Lactobacillus acidophilus, 74-2 or NCFM • Lactobacillus casei, DN 114 • Bifidobacterium longum, SP07/3 • Bifidobacterium bifidum MF 20/5 Probiotics are also found in fermented foods, which have been produced or preserved using 14 WWW.EATINEATOUT.CA good bacteria. Examples: yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi/kimchee (Korean pickled cabbage), miso, tempeh, injera, fish sauce, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. PREbiotics: Prebiotics are carbohydrates that cannot be digested but act as “food” for probiotics. Prebiotics can be found in: • Vegetables: artichoke, asparagus, bananas, garlic, leeks, onion, tomatoes • Grains: barley, rye, whole grains • Roots: chicory root, dandelion root A different group of prebiotics come from fermented foods like yogurt, buttermilk and kefir (fermented milk). Spices: Garlic, ginger and turmeric are known to have anti-inflammatory properties. One study showed that those who ate garlic every day for three months had fewer colds. Sources • Tips for Staying Well During Cold and Flu Season, PEN Handout (Practice-based Evidence in Nutrition), Dietitians of Canada • Immune System Background, PEN (Practice-based Evidence in Nutrition), Dietitians of Canada • Your Brain on Nature, Eva Selhub and Alan Logan • Three of the B vitamins: folate, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. Harvard School of Public Health • What you need to know about vitamin C, EatRight Ontario • What you need to know about vitamin A, EatRight Ontario • What you need to know about vitamin D, EatRight Ontario • What you need to know about vitamin E, EatRight Ontario • What you need to know about zinc, EatRight Ontario • The scoop on selenium, EatRight Ontario • Food sources of selenium, PEN handout (Practice-based Evidence in Nutrition), Dietitians of Canada • Prebiotics, EatRight Ontario • List of ferm