Nutrition and Diet Specialist Zülal Yalçın, who drew attention to the fact that the immune system of the body may decrease especially during the seasonal transitions, said that the immune system can be strengthened with vegetables and fruits with high antioxidant content to be added to the daily diet every period. Especially the foods with high antioxidant content that we will add to the diets of school-age children; He explained that it has a strong effect as a shield against diseases in the long term, that antioxidants are an essential substance for the human body, that some of them are produced by our body and that we need to get the rest through food from outside.
“Red fruits protect from disease”
Yalçın, “Red red fruit with high antioxidant content that strengthens the immune system If we examine the fruits, red fruits protect from many diseases such as heart disease and cancer thanks to the proanthocyanidins they contain.In addition, pomegranate, strawberry and blackberry contain ellagic acid.Ellagic acid is a natural herbal agent that fights cancer.Bilberry contains components that protect cognitive functions.The daily fruit you will give your child You can choose the majority of its portion from forest fruits. Especially pomegranate will be a good choice. You can add our daily fruit right as pomegranate to yogurt, use it in salads or use it as a snack. It contains grapes, resveratrol and quarcetin. Thanks to its components, it fights free radicals, protects the vascular structure, reduces the risk of developing atherosclerosis. Resveratrol is known to be protective against cancer, reduce inflammation, reduce the risk of gastric ulcer, osteoporosis and stroke. It is possible to be protected from many diseases thanks to a daily tea glass of black grapes that you will consume in the season” .
Yalçın; He listed the vegetables that strengthen the immune system as follows:
Tomatoes
Emphasizing that lycopene in tomatoes is twice as strong an antioxidant as beta carotene, Zülal Yalçın said that when looking at the content of nutrients, tomatoes are the most abundant. He said it was found in grapefruit and watermelon. “According to recent studies, the risk of prostate cancer is lower in men who consume tomato or tomato juice every day. Lycopene is also protective against lung, colon and breast cancer in addition to prostate cancer. Tomatoes increase the lycopene ratio with cooking. Tomatoes, apart from lycopene, glutathione You can consume tomatoes in their most natural form as cold cuts in salads or in your meals before the season passes.
Broccoli
Broccoli and other sulfur containing Vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts are protective against cancer and heart diseases thanks to the antioxidants they contain.These vegetables show high antioxidant activity thanks to the component called indole-3 carbinol, they suppress estrogen and protect against breast cancer, especially cervical cancer and ovarian cancer. Also high in broccoli There is also a lot of carotene. Beta carotene is a vitamin A derivative that protects against cancer and heart diseases. Including these vegetables in your daily diet, whether in soups or as a meal or salad, will strengthen your immune system.
Garlic
The key point in garlic is the sulfur component it contains. These components reduce the risk of many diseases beyond the taste and smell they give. As with other antioxidant vegetables and fruits, garlic is protective against heart diseases and cancer. It is a natural antibiotic. It helps to limit salt consumption with its use in meals. It removes the signs of aging from the body.
Spinach
Thanks to the lutein it contains, it protects our eye health and reduces the risk of cataract development. In addition, lutein reduces the damage of sunlight to the retina. In this way, it protects from free radicals. It should be added raw to salads and detox drinks.
Green tea
The protective effect of green tea against stroke, heart diseases, cancer and many other diseases has been proven by scientific studies. In addition to its high antioxidant activity, it is one of its very important features to accelerate metabolism in slimming diets and help fat burning.
2 pieces should be preferred and consumed during the day.
Carrot
Carrot, which stands out with its orange color, is a storehouse of beta carotene. In a study, it was determined that beta carotene reduces the risk of cancer by 30% and the risk of arthritis by 70%. Antioxidant activity in carrots boiled or cooked for 10 minutes increases even more. Adding carrots to vegetable dishes and soups will increase the antioxidant intake in the meal.
Whole grains
Whole grains contain vitamin E, which has a high antioxidant effect. Studies show that vitamin E protects against prostate cancer. It has also been proven to be effective in the treatment of infertility, cure arthritis, reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s development and strengthen the immune system.
Wheat bran, oat bran, whole wheat rye flour, whole wheat flour, brown bulgur and brown rice, whole wheat pasta can be preferred for whole grains.
