Fast food fever: reviewing the impacts of the Western diet on immunity
Here's another of the recent scientific reports I promised. This one, from the current issue of the Nutrition Journal, shows a direct connection between the western fast-food-laden diet and poor immune function. We have known for years that the presence or absence of specific whole food nutrients in the diet determines the power of the immune system. Carotenoids are a perfect example. Without them the immune systems ability to protect us is compromised. With them the immune system can keep us healthy in the face of the many disease risks around us and within us. No news here. This is something the SAB and NeoLife have been saying for decades.
I think there are three important points of this research that everyone should be aware of. They are: 1, The modern western / industrial diet provides too much of the bad stuff that pushes us toward disease. 2. At the same time that diet blocks us from getting the good, whole food nutrients our body's need to to keep us healthy. 3. The result is compromised immunity and unnecessarily high risk of disease and premature death.
A comment by one of the researchers, Dr. Ian Myles of the US National Institutes of Health, sums it up pretty well. "Most (people) are aware that this type of eating (western diet), if not in moderation, can damage the heart, kidneys and waistlines; however, it is becoming increasingly clear that the modern diet also damages the immune system."
If you weren't aware of this, you are now. If you haven't taken action, you should. Assuring your body receives an abundance of whole food nutrients every day should be Job#1 for all of us.
For those of you who are interested, here's the link the article abstract;