Be safe naturally

Anjali Mukerjee

As you cross the age of 30, your immune functions start declining. If you are living in a big city -rushing out to work in the morning, travelling the length of the city ; irregular meal timings, too many meals out, partying and eating restaurant meals, drinking and leading a sedentary life style-this information should be of special interest to you.

Most people living in urban areas, especially metros, are exposed to auto exhaust fumes, pesticides, food additives, compounds emanating from cleaning products, new carpets, new constructions, open garbage, wood-working chemicals to name just a few. Many of these chemicals accelerate the aging process. These enter through the lungs and poison and damage body’s cells. These age your skin, attack your arteries, give stress to your body and stimulate the release of free radicals. Free radicals are bachelor molecules with a missing electron which promote cellular damage. These free radicals age us from within and the toxins we breathe in or swallow in through food, damage the body that passes for aging. But we don’t notice all this. Most of us don’t even think of fending off such an attack. We submit to these chemical damages that wear us down from inside and out without even giving a thought to it. When this happens our immune functions deteriorate and there is decline in the number of white cells which fight off infections. Whether you are disease prone or not, it depends upon your immunity levels. The amazing thing is that so much of this aging is needless and reversible. The good news is that much of this needless aging can be controlled and reversed by simple knowledge about nutrition and taking some vitamins and minerals. You don’t have to be complacent about being bombarded by chemicals and free radical from out and within.

Take Vitamin E supplements

The anti-aging effects of vitamin E are widely known. It is a super antioxidant. It helps combat free radical attacks and thus prevents cellular damage. As we grow older our arteries begin to harden and clog and cause atherosclerosis. The bad cholesterol or LDL gets oxidised by free radicals attack and enters the arterial wall and forms plaque which clog the arteries. Vitamin E blocks the oxidation of the LDL and thus prevents it from entering the arterial wall and prevents clogging and narrowing of the arteries.

Vitamin E also helps to rev up the immunity and infection-fighting capacity of the body. It prevents the fat in the body from being oxidised by free radicals. It is known to cut the risk of cancer. It can arrest the development of cataracts. Some scientists also believe that Vitamin E can help in delaying loss of mental faculties that occur with progressing age.

How much should you take?

You need a minimum dose of 100 IU to get some protection against heart attacks. But a dosage of 400 IU is preferred to block LDL cholesterol oxidation. If you are hypertensive or if you are on anti-coagulated drugs or if you have any type of bleeding problem then you must check with your doctor before taking Vitamin E supplements.

Natural sources

Since Vitamin E is fat soluble and primarily comes from plants it is concentrated in vegetable oils, groundnuts, almonds, soybeans, wheat germ, cashew nuts, coconut etc. It is advisable to take it in the form of a pill rather than bank on natural sources because one would have to eat two cups of peanuts daily to get the RDA (required daily allowance) for Vitamin E. The calorie value of the diet would then become unreasonably high.

Eat curd regularly

The bacteria in curd boost immune functioning. Eating curd or yougurt daily increases infection fighting capacity and also provides your body with valuable calcium.

Tips to preserve and increase immunity

• Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables, especially those rich in vitamin C. This vitamin is quite necessary to boost immunity. Fruits and vegetables also contain a host of other antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, etc. which work together to prevent aging and preserve immunity.
• Take a multi-vitamin pill daily.
• Take antioxidants like vitamin A, selenium, chromium, zinc, vitamins C and E daily either in the natural form or in a pill form. Antioxidants prevent aging by nullifying free radicals attacks.
• Avoid foods that are easily oxidised like all fried foods, processed foods, high-fat meats, cakes, etc.
• By feeding your cells with antioxidants you can easily slow down aging and preserve your immunity.

— The writer is a nutritionist, founder director, Health Total