Our immune system performs physiological functions that fend off pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and other foreign substances that cause sickness or infection. An immunological response is triggered when the immune system such as T cells (part of the immune system, created from stem cells in the bone marrow) comes into contact with a pathogen. But what if your immune system is weak or you have fewer T cells in your body? It can bring some serious consequences for your health. But including some items in your diet may help you have a stronger immune system and may lead to the increased development of T cells.
Table of Content
Highlights
- T cells, also referred to as T lymphocytes, are crucial components of the body’s immune system.
- They not only kill the infected host cells directly but also produce cytokines, activate other immune cells, and regulate the immune response.
- Affected individuals suffer from long-lasting, recurrent infections that start in infancy without healthy T cells.
- Knowing the health benefits of T cells, it is crucial to control their levels through diet choices like turmeric, ginger, spinach, dark chocolate, oily fish, garlic, almonds, and citrus fruits.
- It is also critical to be aware of other lifestyle decisions like smoking and exercising that may affect the health of the immune system and the level of T cells in the body.
Discover what foods can increase T cells and strengthen the immune system by reading on.
About T cells
- T lymphocytes, commonly known as T cells, are important elements of the adaptive immune system.
- In addition to directly killing infected host cells, they also produce cytokines, stimulate other immune cells, and control the immune response.
Why are T cells important for your body?
- While immunity cells like T and B cells are necessary for practically all adaptive immune responses, helper T cells are arguably the most significant cells in adaptive immunity.
- They aid in the activation of cytotoxic T cells, which kill infected target cells.
- These cells also help to activate the synthesis of B cells which generate antibodies and macrophages and kill ingested microorganisms.
What happens if you have a deficiency of T cells?
- Without healthy T cells, affected people experience recurrent infections that last for a long time, beginning in infancy.
- Most affected people only survive up to infancy or early childhood without adequate treatment since the illnesses cause sluggish growth and can be fatal.
How can you boost your T cells with food?
Since you know how beneficial T cells are for our body, therefore regulating their levels through diet is really important.
Following is the list of food to boost your T cells in the body.
1- Utilize the yellow spice turmeric to increase your T cells
- Many people utilize yellow spice turmeric in their cooking. The immune system may respond better after consuming turmeric. This is a result of the properties of the turmeric component curcumin.
- Curcumin has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, according to a 2017 review. So including turmeric in your diet can boost your T cells as a result.
If you or anyone from your family gets recurrent infections without knowing a certain reason, contact an immunologist right now to know the details.
2- Ginger contain many healthy antioxidants to increase T cells
- Ginger is a popular ingredient that can be found in a number of foods, sweets, and teas.
- A review found that ginger contains anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and is probably a healthy option to boost your immunity cells
- To confirm whether it can effectively prevent sickness, more research is still required.
3- Flavonoids in spinach can boost your immunity cells too
Several critical nutrients and antioxidants found in spinach may help the immune system too as per research.
These elements are
- Carotenoids
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Flavonoids
Do you know? According to a study, flavonoids may help to reduce the chances of having a cough.
If you are experiencing symptoms of cough, then contact a doctor for cough right now.
4- Dark chocolate contain theobromine which strengthens the immunity
- Theobromine, an antioxidant found in dark chocolate, helps to strengthen the immune system by shielding the body’s cells from free radicals.
- This process eventually helps the body to increase the production of T cells.
Beware – Dark chocolate is known to have many health benefits, but it may have different percentages of saturated fat and sugar, so choose an option with a lower calorie content.
5- Omega 3 fatty acids in oily fish promote levels of T cells
- Omega-3 fatty acids are abundant in oily fish such as salmon, tuna, pilchards, and others.
- These fatty acids work to develop a strong immune system as reported by researchers.
- According to a 2014 study, long-term use of omega-3 fatty acids may lower the chance of developing rheumatoid arthritis (A joint disease caused by an unhealthy immune system )
You may consult the best doctors for rheumatoid arthritis through Marham.
6- Garlic contain allicin, a compound to increase T cells
- Garlic contains allicin which is a compound that helps to boost the functioning of T cells in fighting against pathogens as per researchers.
- Colds and other illnesses can often be prevented at home with the help of garlic too.
Did you know? It was examined in one review to see if consuming allicin-containing garlic supplements decreased the likelihood of having the flu or not. And the results showed a significant positive relationship.
7- Vitamin E in almonds promotes the growth of T cells
- Vitamin E is found in abundance in almonds. Additionally, almonds have fiber, magnesium, and manganese. All these substances work together to promote the immunity of your body.
- Vitamin E is especially associated with the production of T cells in the body.
- A quarter cup or a modest handful of almonds is a nutritious snack that may strengthen the immune system.
8- Vitamin C in citrus fruits can enhance the performance of the immune system
- Vitamin C is the vitamin that many people reach for when they sense a cold coming on for boosting their immunity.
- This vitamin is abundant in all citrus fruits like lemon, oranges, kiwi, etc
- Moreover, this vitamin may shorten the length of common cold symptoms and enhance immune system performance, according to several types of research.
Final Notes
Consuming the T cells-boosting foods listed in this article may help people fight off infections and increase their immune systems.
Having said that, it’s critical to keep in mind how intricate the immune system is. A healthy, balanced diet is only one method for promoting immunological health.
It is also crucial to be aware of other lifestyle choices, including exercising and quitting smoking, that could influence the health of the immune system and the production of T cells.
Moreover, you may consult a physician if you are experiencing any unusual symptoms.
FAQs
1. How can you increase your killer T cells naturally?
Regular aerobic activity, weight training, and consuming foods rich in antioxidants have the ability to raise the amounts of natural killer cells.
2. Which vitamins help make T cells?
Vitamin B6 help in the production of T-cells and white blood cells in our body.
3. Are T cells better than antibodies?
T cells give the immune system a longer-lasting “memory” than antibodies do. As a result, while an individual’s antibodies may wane in the weeks and months following a viral infection (or vaccination), T cells retain information about how to react to a virus, allowing them to mount an attack more quickly the next time.
