The pandemic situation has made this fact more evident than ever. There is no silver bullet for immune system health.Your immunity is your best friend when it comes to keeping diseases at bay. “A balanced diet consisting of a range of vitamins and minerals, combined with healthy lifestyle factors like adequate sleep and exercise and low stress, most effectively primes the body to fight infection and disease.” “The design of our immune system is complex and influenced by an ideal balance of many factors, not just diet, and especially not by any one specific food or nutrient,” say researchers at the Nutrition Source, at Harvard University’s T.H. After 16-weeks, the 5-serving group had a better immune response than the 2-serving group. One group was instructed to maintain their typical diets, averaging two servings of fruits and vegetables per day while the other group was instructed to maintain their typical diets, averaging at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Researchers in Northern Ireland conducted a randomised experiment with 83 healthy volunteers, ages 65 to 85, split into two groups.

White blood cells, that produce antibodies to combat viruses and bacteria and other invaders, have been found to be more effective among vegetarians. An even smaller number have surpassed the rigorous standard of “significant scientific agreement” required by the FDA for authorisation of a health claim.” It appears that the efficacy of functional foods in boosting immunity should be assessed on a case-by-case basis.Īt the risk of being boring, there is a great deal of medical evidence to show that low-fat, plant-based diets are the best for immunity. Nielsen statistics reveal that retail revenue for products containing turmeric has grown by 179% over the past three years.īut how helpful are functional foods in boosting immunity?Ī 2002 article in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition confirmed that “micronutrients incorporated into foods contributes to an enhancement of immunocompetence,” but according to the American Council on Science and Health, “only a small number of have substantive clinical documentation of their health benefits. More than half of consumers are trying to increase their consumption of fiber, protein, vitamin D, calcium, nuts/seeds, and whole grains while more than 40 per cent are adding antioxidants, omega-3s, green tea, and probiotics to their foods (Hartman 2019a). Some of the functional food trends identified by food intelligence startup, Tastewise include the use of elderberry and pickled vegetables for immune system health, melon for sickness treatment and kombucha for gut health, while Datassential reveals that almost 60 per cent of adults are interested in eating more superfoods. In February 2020, global sales of functional foods topped $267 billion, and naturally healthy food sales were $259 billion during the same period (Euromonitor, 2020). before and during the pandemic reveal that COVID-19 has affected consumer perceptions of health and wellness, creating a renewed interest in functional foods or foods that are fortified, enriched or enhanced, providing health benefits beyond the provision of basic nutrients. Global consumer surveys conducted by InsightsNow, Inc. Farmi Piimatoostus Ltd., an Estonian dairy company, launched fermented buttermilk with strawberries, fortified with vitamins B6 and B12, while a number of packaged snacks with probiotic, GanedenBC30, have been appearing on shelves. Recently a number of global brands in the functional food and beverage sector have been launching innovative probiotic-fortified products.

Since the onset of the pandemic, Danone North America has reported an uptick in sales of its Activia Probiotic Dailies and this month, Chiobani launched a fruity plant-based beverage by the name of Chobani Probiotic. The most popular form of probiotic consumption is via yogurt. Probiotics are medically proven to have therapeutic value in the treatment of a number of immune response-related conditions such as allergies, eczema and viral infections, and a recent study published in Frontiers in Pharmacology found that widespread use of probiotics could result in 2.2 million fewer antibiotic prescriptions, 54 million fewer annual sick days and $919 million in avoided annual productivity losses. The market for probiotics is estimated to reach $136.5 billion by 2024- and with good reason. Probiotics are “good” bacteria found in fermented foods such as yogurt that stimulate the immune system through interactions with the gastrointestinal tract.

Immunity boost drink