Detoxify and Immunify your Diet - Top Medicinal Foods to Boost your Health and Cuisine

OK, I realize immunify isn’t technically a word, but you get the idea – this is about foods with serious immune boosting and detoxifying action. How does a single food do all of this, you might ask? The secret to the double-action health benefits lies in the interconnection between these crucial body functions. In a past article, I discuss the link between immune function and digestion and explore the
benefits of fiber rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and prebiotic foods. While these foods also help to detoxify, check out these amazing “detoximmune” foods to super charge your health.

“Vamp” up your immunity – Garlic’s status as a super food is no secret, and here’s just one more reason to add to its long list of health benefits. Although commonly known for its cardioprotective effects due to its cholesterol-lowering and circulatory benefits, garlic’s true colors shine in its long history of use for battling infections in traditional herbal medicine1. Garlic not only works as a potent immune modulator, it also has broad spectrum antibacterial and antiviral effects and effectively fights infections ranging from the common cold to influenza to serious infections such as Kaposi’s sarcoma, a tumor-causing herpes virus2. As icing on the cake (or more appropriately, cheese on the pizza?), allyl sulphur compounds found in garlic enhance cellular detoxification systems and have potent anticancer activity, both on their own and in combination with other antitumor drugs. So whether you are using it to ward
off evil blood-sucking creatures of the night or diseases lurking in the air or in your cells, garlic is a great addition to any healthy diet.

Good Bugs vs. Bad Bugs – The fight is on. Long gone is the concept of a completely sterile environment to keep your immunity at its best. The use of probiotics (good bacteria that naturally occur in the digestive tract) to fight off pathogens and increase immunity is on the rise. These microscopic helpers keep us healthy through multiple immune enhancing mechanisms including increasing the number ofrndisease fighting white blood cells and stimulating phagocytosis in white blood cells - which sounds scary but actually means enhancing the ability of white blood cells to “eat” harmful materials they come in contact with3. Beyond their direct immune stimulating effects, taking probiotics either in a supplement or a probiotic containing food such as yogurt promotes a beneficial microflora balance in the gut. Because both “good” probiotic and “bad” pathogenic bacteria naturally exist in the digestive tract, you can tip the balance in favor of beneficial bacteria by adding probiotics to your diet, and win the battle between good and evil.

Spice up your Immunity – Curcumin (or its complicated chemical name, diferuloylmethane) is the orange-yellow pigment turmeric, a characteristic spice in curry powders. In India’s ancient medicinal system (called Ayurvedic medicine), turmeric has been used as a tonic for the liver and stomach and for its blood purifying properties. Modern clinical research confirms the potent medicinal properties of this pungent spice, and has pushed curcumin into the spotlight of food-derived phytochemicals to combat and prevent human diseases. Its medicinal benefits are now known to span far beyond purification and tonic applications, with medicinal applications ranging from chemoprevention to use as a therapeutic agent in wound healing, diabetes, Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, and arthritis4. These modern applications are credited to its surprisingly vast curative properties, ranging from antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects to immune stimulation to cancer-fighting action resulting from its direct effect on carcinogen detoxifying enzymes5. Although turmeric has achieved super-“detoximmune” food status, many other spices such as cinnamon, cumin,
fenugreek, nutmeg and chile peppers from have a similarly impressive scope of medicinal benefits. So if your palate is not yet accustomed to this delicious and nutritious array of exotic spices, consider acquainting yourself, to supercharge your health as well as your culinary diversity.

Wherever your food preferences lie, there are always great choices to enhance your health and your flavor profile alike. Even the foods within this article present an interesting combination of flavors for those with a zest for exotic tastes and health. The moral of the story (at least one of them) - be adventurous with your food choices, you never know what culinary or health mysteries you will uncover.

References:

1. Natural Health Product Directorate (2008). Garlic Monograph. Accessed Oct 25, 2010.
Available at: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/prodnatur/applications/licen-prod/monograph/rnmono_garlic-ail-eng.php

2. Abdullah T. A Strategic Call to Utilize Echinacea-Garlic in Flu-Cold Seasons. journal of ther
National Medical Association (2000). 92 (1): 48-51.

3. Isolauri E, Sutas Y, Kankaanpaa P, Arvilommi H, Salminen S. Probiotics: Effects on Immunity. AmrnJ Clin Nutr 2001; 73(2 Suppl): 444S -450S

4. Goel A, Kunnumakkara AB, Aggarwal BB. Curcumin as "Curecumin": From Kitchen to Clinic.
Biochem Pharmacol—Aug 19, 2007 [Electronic publication]

5. Surh YJ, Chun KS. Cancer Chemopreventive Effects of Curcumin. Adv Exp Med Biol—
2007;595:149-72