The traditional wisdom about the immune system is that it needs “boosting,” and that the way to be healthy is to fuel it with mega-doses of vitamin C.
That thinking is as last-century as powdered, imitation orange juice. New meta-studies have cast doubt on the efficacy of some supplements in preventing chronic disease, says Cindy Geyer, M.D., Medical Director at Canyon Ranch in Lenox.
“I personally think that supplements are helpful. But what we absolutely know, from one study after another, is that a varied, balanced diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables and other unrefined plant foods like whole grains and beans helps prevent cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
“And one reason for that, we think, is that the extremely complex combinations of nutrients found in these foods help calm the immune system down. An overactive, excited immune system is more of a problem than an underactive one for many people.”
Allergies and autoimmune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis are obvious manifestations of an over-reactive immune system, which also accelerates aging through a variety of more subtle effects.
Foods that are particularly helpful in quieting the immune system include apples and onions, which contain the anti-inflammatory quercetin, and turmeric, the spice that gives curries their bright-orange color. Turmeric has long been valued for its medicinal properties in South Asia and in China, where it is used to reduce inflammation, aid digestion and liver function, reduce the pain of arthritis, and heal skin lesions. According to Dr. Geyer, preliminary research suggests that curcumin, an anti-inflammatory found in turmeric, may also help prevent and treat some cancers and Alzheimer’s disease.
“So curries are not only delicious – they’re definitely good for you,” says Geyer. “The important thing about eating well, though, is not to concentrate on one particular food or type of food – it’s to eat a balanced, wide variety of whole foods, mostly plants, every day. While we don’t understand all the biochemistry of the nutrients in the foods we eat, we do know that they work together to keep us healthy.”
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