Diabetes Support Group

The influence of food & nutrition on our immune health

Hannah & Carol Anne
April 14th, 2016 6:30-7:30pm

Introduction: (both)
Introduce selves (remember to say if cant hear/see ask us to speak up/move
closer)
Overview/outline presentation
Icebreaker- (both)
Hand out pennies
Ask participants to look at the dates on the pennies and share something they
remember about that year.
Can be a personal life experience, historical event, favorite song/movie, anything
they remember about that specific decade, etc.
Transition into objectives:
What do you know about nutrition and immune system?
Have you heard of any particular foods to eat that help the immune system?
Hopefully through this lesson you will be able to:

Objectives:
1. Participants will be able to identify at least 1 specific food that helps to boost the
immune system
2. Participants will gain strategies to incorporate immune boosting foods into their
daily diets

1.

Lesson Content
Our immune system: (Hannah)
Bodys protective network to fend off invasion of harmful substances (bacteria,
viruses, chemicals)
Multiple key components: skin, inflammatory response, immune cells that destroy
pathogens.
As you can tell, our immune system is not just one single entity
To function well it requires balance and harmony
Still much researchers dont know about the interconnectedness of the immune
response- until we know more, general healthy living is the best way to give your
immune system a boost.
Remember: Each persons immune system is unique and responds to active
substances differently.
Today we are going to talk about two main nutrients that relate to the immune
system and may potentially help combat sickness and disease
Antioxidants
Probiotics

2. Antioxidants: (Carol Anne)

Antioxidant overview
Definitions:
Free radicals molecules produced when the body breaks down food or is exposed
to pollutants such as tobacco smoke or radiation which may damage cells, may
contribute to diseases like heart disease, cancer
Antioxidant: a chemical compound that protects cells against the effects of free
radicals
Take it back to highschool free radicals need to be neutralized - steal electrons
from cells/cell membranes.
Antioxidant is what comes in
Overview Chart: A Handy Guide to Antioxidants - Todays Dietitian
Often hear about superfoods or specific antioxidants having health benefits, like
those found in blueberries - BUT there is so much more than this!
There is still a lot of research in each of these areas - while most are associated with
lower risks of some disease & have been associated with benefits, more research
needs to be done to determine causality. Research can be tricky!
Supplements: If you arent able to get it from your diet. Need to be careful,
purchase trustworthy supplements that MD may recommend (often the USP! should be on label)
Review that there is still ongoing research on mechanisms of how many antioxidants
function/what their specific role may be in our immune health
Benefit

Get it from

Beta
Carote
ne

Eye health - more research

is needed

Orange & yellow

fruits/veg (carrots, dark
leafy greens, cantaloupe)

Lutein

Eye health - cataracts,

macular degeneration

Leafy greens, corn,

carrots, squash, egg yolk

Lycope
ne

Maybe heart disease

Tomato, watermelon

Seleniu ?Prevent cancer per

m
research

Seafood, lean meat,

whole grains

Vitami
nA

Vision, teeth/skeletal/soft
tissue/skin

Eggs, meat, dairy

Vitami
nC

Tissue growth/repair,
adrenal gland function,
wound repair. Immune
boost?

Citrus fruit, oranges,

grapefruit, bell peppers,
broccoli

Vitami
nE

Prelim. Research
delay/prevent CHD

Wheat germ, nuts, MUFA

oils

 Eat food! Antioxidant rich foods are packed with other powerful benefits (vitamins,

minerals, fiber) - As you can see there have been health benefits associated with
TONS of the healthy foods that we consume.
Remember: No single food/nutrient is a wonder-cure Important to include
a variety in our diet and follow an overall healthy eating pattern!
Anthocyanins- (Hannah): Compounds that gives food their purple color, fight off

radicals and soothe inflammation.

Important antioxidant that we hear a lot about
May have beneficial effects on some diseases, such as cardiovascular disease,
cancer.
Also may help cognitive function
NHANES study: Adults who eat purple and blue fruits and vegetables have reduces

risk for both high blood pressure and low HDL cholesterol, and they are less likely to
be overweight.
(National Health and Nutrition Exam Study)
Effect on:

Cardiovascular disease:
Iowa Womens Health Study: Followed 34,498 postmenopausal women without CVD,
had their diets assessed for 16 years. Researchers found that consuming
anthocyanin-rich strawberries and blueberries once per week was associated with a
significant reduction in death from CVD or coronary artery disease.
Nurses Health Study & Health Professionals Follow-Up Study: Found that
participants with the highest anthocyanin intake (mostly from blueberries and
strawberries) had a significant 8% decreased risk in developing HTN compared to
those with a low anthocyanin intake.
Twins UK Study: Study of 1.898 women aged 18-75. Researchers found that a higher
intake of anthocyanins was associated with significantly lower central systolic blood
pressure and arterial pressure.
Cancer:
Anthocyanins are anticarcinogenic (exact mechanism for how these compounds
prevent cancer is unclear)
Anthocyanins have been tested against esophageal, colon, skin, and lung cancer
and have been effective against the development and progression of these cancers.
Cognitive Function:
Anthocyanins may have the ability to enhance memory and help prevent agerelated declines in mental functioning.
Only animal studies, as of now there are no human studies that prove causal
relationship between consumption of anthocyanins and cognitive functioning.
In plants anthocyanins acts as sunscreen protecting plant cells from light damage
by absorbing blue-green and UV light, inhibiting oxidative stress
Plants produce anthocyanins as a protective mechanism against environmental
stressors (UV light, cold temps, drought)
Same protective measures happen in our bodies when we consume anthocyanins.

 The anthocyanins in foods vary greatly:

Red Delicious have more than Fuji (apples

Black raspberries have more than red raspberries
Concord grapes have more than red grapes
Blueberries, plums, purple grapes, purple cabbage, black currants, eggplant

Probiotics (Carol Anne)Gut: largest immune organ: 25% of immune cells providing 50% of bodys immune
response.
Constantly exposed to foreign antigens, toxins (foods, microbes)
400+ species of bacteria in the gut - symbiotic (interdependent relationship)
relationship with our body
Flora influenced by diet, stress, fatigue, aging, antibiotic use, exercise,
contaminated food
Hypothesis that Intestinal imbalance impaired gut barrier increase susceptibility
to gut disease/overall disease
Probiotic: live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer
a health benefit on the host (ISAPP)
Good intestinal bacteria: take up the space, minimize space for bad bacteria to
colonize.
Roles/influence on health can differ: probiotic is defined by genus & strain
Known that certain gut bacteria influence development of immune system aspects like correcting deficiencies, increasing # of T-Cells. (Harvard Med School)
Precise mechanism of influence is unknown.
Need to be careful of quality if purchasing any sort of probiotic supplements &
foods: clinically proven on label
Choose by strain, amount, safety (talk to your doctor before use)
Probiotic Prebiotic: prebiotics are food for our gut. Food indigestible by human
enzymes and thus serve as food in our gut for the beneficial colonizing microbes
Research still happening on the benefits of prebiotics
Aim to get your probiotics from food! (segway to Fermented Foods)
Fermented Foods: (Hannah)
Fermented foods with live/active cultures - good source for probiotics; more easily
digested
Ex: Fermentation changes indigestible lactose to digestible lactic acid
Ancient method of preserving food- been around for +10,000 years
Fermentation is the process in which food is exposed to either bacteria or yeast
(either via inoculation or air) and the good microorganisms beat out the not so good
ones, and eat up the carbohydrates in the food
Good reference: AskmaryRD.com (Mary Hartly)
Start with what youre comfortable with
Maybe yogurt, pickled vegetables
Try something new!
Kimchi- Lacto-fermentation of cabbage

1. Cabbage is soaked in a salty brine that kills harmful bacteria

2. Remaining bacteria (lactobacillus) converts sugars into lactic acid which preserves
the vegetables and gives them the wonderful, tangy flavor
Also serves as a natural antioxidant, high in vitamin A and C
Sodium content in Kimchi- there is sodium, not an extreme amount of but
something to watch. If you cut out all the processed foods with sodium, youll have
room for sodium from fermented foods.
Kefir:
3x the amount of probiotics than yogurt
Can make your own by getting kefir grains or starter powder, allowing it to culture in
milk (talks about 12-48 hours)
Easier for some people to digest than yogurt, helps with digestive problems
Protein: single serving has 10.5g
Kombucha

Other examples of probiotics:

Aged cheese,
Miso- paste made from fermented soy beans
Sauerkraut,
Tempeh
Buy at the store or easy DIY!

Food Activity: (Both)

Build your own antioxidant rich salad
http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/recipes/mega-berry-antioxidant-spinachsalad/
Discussion:
Does anyone have any ideas for how to incorporate more of these foods into their
daily diet?
Has anyone tried a new foods today?

Other Ways to Be Well: (Both)

Segway in: Talked about why overall healthy, balanced diet is important Does
anyone have other immune boosting techniques, other than food?
Exercise
CV Health, blood pressure, healthy weight general good health, keeps us well.
Promotes good circulation- allows the immune cells to move through the body freely
and do their job efficiently.
Clearing bad bacteria from airways
Rest
NSF: recommends about 7-9 hours for adults & older adults

 Sleep is a natural reset button for our bodies - lets our body catch up.
Relaxation
Some research being done with relation of gut health/ mental health (tying it all
together! - still not conclusive on mechanisms here)
Harvard: Ohio State research team speculates that long-term stress releases a
long-term trickle of stress hormones mainly glucocorticoids. These hormones
affect the thymus, where lymphocytes are produced, and inhibit the production of
cytokines and interleukins, which stimulate and coordinate white blood cell
activity...

Questions to be prepared for:

Wine antioxidants and cancer:
Study from University of Rochester Medical Center showed that the natural
antioxidant in grape skins and red wine can help destroy pancreatic cancer cells.
Red wine consumption during chemotherapy/radiation treatment has not been well
studied, but it is not contradicted.
Herbs/Supplements:
Be skeptical of supplements claiming to boost immunity- there is no evidence that
they actually bolster immunity to the point where you are better protected against
infection and disease.
Each persons immune system reacts differently to different substances, cannot
generalize.

Prebiotics:
The special form of dietary fiber that acts as a fertilizer for the good bacteria in the
gut.
Nourishes the good bacteria everyone has in the gut
May be helpful for chronic digestive disorders or IBS
Ex: Onions, asparagus, banana, leeks, garlic
Cocoa antioxidant function and cancer
Cocoa > Dark Choc > Milk Choc (dont need too much)
CV Health: Has been shown to improve blood vessel function & decrease BP may
slow LDL oxidation (Michael Greger, Nutrition Facts.org - 2014)
Cancer AIRC, limited but SUGGESTIVE evidence. Need more research!
Age & Immunity
Harvard Health: As we age immune health decreases (more prone to illness and
infection)
Why nutrition is so important: Micronutrient malnutrition, in which a person is
deficient in some essential vitamins and trace minerals that are obtained from or
supplemented by diet, can be common
Eat less often, eat less at meals: Why its important that most of our diet consists of
nutrient dense foods!
Supplementation: Need to talk with your physician!
Diabetes related to immune system
T1DM our immune system backfires attacks insulin secreting cells

High sugar Can make pathogens more virulent (harmful) to us, increased risk of
infections
Delayed wound healing especially if high sugar; Neuropathy More likely to get
wounds & not realize.
Good example of explaining immune system:
Layer 1: Physical Defense - skin and mucous membranes
Layer 2: Innate immune system: broad-acting, short-term, non-specific immune
response to pathogens. Microbes that evade the innate system encounter a third
layer of protection
Layer 3: Adaptive immune response. WBC (lymphocytes B cells and T cells
mount a powerful, highly specific attack on specific pathogens)