Fighting Influenza and Pneumonia with a Whole Food Plant-Based Diet
The previous blog post focused on Outsmarting Alzheimer’s Disease with a Whole Food Plant-Based Diet. This week’s topic is about another one of the Top 10 Killers of Americans—influenza and pneumonia. According to the United States National Center for Health Statistics, Influenza and pneumonia are the eighth highest cause of death in the United States. Over 80,000 people in the US die from these illnesses each year. [1]
This artist’s illustration, from respectfulinsolence.com, depicts the influenza virus.
The American Lung Association describes influenza (flu) as “a highly contagious viral infection that is one of the most severe illnesses of the winter season.” It is usually spread easily from person to person when an infected person coughs or sneezes. [2]
On the other hand, pneumonia is a serious infection or inflammation of the lungs in which the “air sacs fill with pus and other liquid, blocking oxygen from reaching the bloodstream.” Lack of oxygen can result in improper function of the body’s cells and ultimately lead to death. [2]
Most cases of flu never lead to cases of pneumonia, but those that do are very severe and deadly. However, the chance of catching the flu, or its intensity if caught, can be decreased significantly by building a stronger immune system. Therefore, the remainder of this blog will focus on building a better, stronger immune system.
As people grow older their immune systems begin to decline. That is why elderly people are often at greater risk of catching the flu. They are to some extent, immunocompromised. Researchers in Belfast investigated into “the possibility that inadequate diet may be a contributing factor” to immunological aging. [3]
This picture from CNN shows various fruits and vegetables to superpower your immune system.
In the study, half of the volunteers, between ages 65 to 95, were placed in the control group. The participants in the control group consumed less than two servings of fruits and vegetables a day. The other half of the volunteers made up the experimental group. The participants in the experimental group were told to follow a diet in which they would consume at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. [3]
The subjects followed their respective diets for a month before being injected with a pneumonia bacteria vaccine. Well, the experimental group attempted to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day but fell short. At the very least, they were consuming more servings than the control group that consumed less than two servings of fruits and vegetables a day. [3]
Figure 1. The red, lower line shows the immune response, in total IGg, of those eating less than 2 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. The green, upper line shows the immune response, in total IGg, of those eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. The immune response of those eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day is drastically higher than those eating less than 2 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
After receiving Pneumovax®️, the immune response in the control group increased from baseline as shown in Figure 1. Their immune systems should have gone crazy making antibodies to fight off the perceived invader. However, because of the low amount of fruit and vegetable intake in their diet, their immunes response paled in comparison with the immune response of the group eating more fruits and vegetables. This trend is shown in Figure 1. [4]
This is just one of many studies in a compilation of others which demonstrates that a whole food plant-based diet is the best diet for a healthy life. Take a look at Dr. Gregor’s video compilation on the topic of immune function for more studies and information. His videos clearly show that a plant-based whole food diet greatly improves immunity and help fight against other illnesses such as asthma, seasonal allergies, hay fever, and even cancer. [5] The number of videos and the plethora of evidence is truly impressive! Thanks to Dr. Gregor for making this amazing set of videos freely available. So once again, to live healthily and avoid both common uncommon infectious illnesses go WFPB!
Sources:
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm
[4] https://nutritionfacts.org/video/boosting-immunity-through-diet/