Tim Spector reveals three ‘important’ foods to eat to boost your immune system and protect against viruses
A food expert has advised people on the best types of food they can eat to help protect against nasty seasonal illnesses. Over the autumn and winter we become more vulnerable to colds, flu, Covid and other viruses.
The colder temperatures and the fact we spend more time indoors makes it easier for these kinds of bugs to spread.
With this in mind, Professor Tim Spector – the founder of Zoe Health – recommended ways you can give your bodies the best chance of staying healthy with your diet.
In a video shared to his Instagram page he said: “Winter’s approaching and with it viruses and infections and people ask me, what can I do to maximise my immune system? The number one weapon we have is the food choices we make.”
Tim referenced a study conducted in 2021 by Zoe Health that found that people who ate a plant-rich diet were less likely to experience a severe COVID-19 infection. “We showed in the Covid pandemic a couple of years ago with a million people, those that had a good diet with plenty of plants that were helping their gut microbes had the best responses for the virus,” he said. “They recovered quicker.
“So it’s really important for you to realise how important your food choices are as you go into the virus season. And the reason is, microbes interact all the time with our food and based on what food we eat they will produce chemicals that will stimulate our immune cells.
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“So if you give them the right things to eat, they will make sure your immune system is working in top form. So it will fight off the viruses and really reduce that infection to a minimal time. As we get into flu season, maximise your chances by helping your gut microbiome do the job.”
So what foods should we be eating more of? In the video caption Tim recommended three dietary choices to make.
30 plants a week
He said: “Our research with the American Gut Project showed that the wider diversity of plants you eat, the more diverse your gut microbiome tends to be. 30 seems to be the sweet spot and when you consider ‘plants’ includes nuts, seeds, pulses, wholegrains, spices, herbs, fruits and veg it becomes a lot easier.”
Eat the rainbow
According to Tim, fruits and vegetables get their bright colours from polyphenols, a type of defence chemical which protects the plant and feeds your good gut microbes. He said: “By eating a variety of brightly coloured fruits and vegetables you’ll be feeding a variety of different microbes who in turn support your health.”
Fermented foods
Tim advised eating a small amount of fermented food every day.
“The trick with fermented foods is little and often to get the maximum probiotic benefits, including an increase your gut microbiome diversity,” he said.
On top of this he advised reducing your consumption of ultra-processed foods. Tim said: “In the UK over 50 percent of our diet is made up of UPFs which is having a detrimental impact on our gut health. Try to swap to homemade alternatives wherever possible.”