Phytochemicals are bioactive, plant derived, non-nutritive, chemical compounds important for the growth and survival of the plant. They came about for the benefit of the plant world, but the body’s immune systems have also evolved dependent on phytochemicals for optimum functioning. Only in recent years has a true understanding of how these phytochemicals in the plants can support incredible defensive and self-reparative functions in the body. Vegetable and fruit consumption is the most important factor in preventing chronic disease and premature death. When we eat healthy food we become healthy and when we don’t we develop disease. The modern diet in America and much of the world today is not just deficient in a few of the micronutrients; it is immensely deficient in hundreds of these immunity building phytochemicals. Instead, it is rich in processed foods that have been stripped of almost all its nutrition. In fact, the American diet takes over 60 percent of its calories from processed foods, a number that has increased dramatically over the last couple decades. These foods are generally mixed with additives, coloring agents, and preservatives to extend shelf life as they are placed in plastic bags. Some of the worst (and most common) of these foods include white bread, bagels, soft drinks, cereals, breakfast bars, pasta, chips, and condiments. Adults can expect to catch a cold two to four times a year and children six to ten times. These colds alone sap $40 billion dollars from the U.S. economy in direct and indirect costs. These can be easily reduced by about 80% in just several years time if we all started making smarter eating choices now. Today we are exposed to more dangerous infections from around the world than ever before with the increased rate of travelling. Eating more fruits and vegetables like blueberries, raspberries, brussel sprouts, collard greens, spinach, tomatoes, pomegranates, cherries, carrots, broccoli, onion and mushrooms for example are some of the best immunity building foods. Eat these to help build a protective force field around the body that will help protect against not just acute illness but cancers and other diseases too.
Peptide Therapy can also be a great way to boost immunity including many benefits from using Thymosin Alpha-1 peptides.
