We all know that nutrition is important, but have you ever wondered how it specifically impacts health and illness?  Nutrition plays a critical role in promoting wellness and preventing and managing chronic disease.  

Often the development of disease is related to genetics and our environment which may negatively affect the immune system function. Obviously, these factors are beyond our control. The good news is, however, that nutrition can be an effective tool to normalize and balance the immune system. This may help offset genetic and environmental factors.  

Health Foods v. Unhealthy Foods

Generally, an overall healthy diet consists of mostly whole foods. What are whole foods?  The answer - a wide variety of high-fiber fruits and vegetables, high in fiber, sufficient lean protein, nuts, seeds and legumes, and healthy sources of fats, such as olive oil and avocados.  Eating nutritious foods leads to the consumption of an array of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and polyphenols. All of these are needed for optimal health.  An unhealthy dietary pattern usually contains processed meats, packaged foods, high sugar, and poor sources of fats. It also lacks fiber, fruits and vegetables.  

Nutrition and Chronic Illness

An unhealthy dietary pattern contributes to illness in many ways including promoting obesity, cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, inflammation and cognitive and depressive disorders. These conditions may also contribute to hormone imbalances, gut issues and liver dysfunction. The primary reason that poor-quality diets increase the risks of these chronic conditions is that they can cause the body to respond by inappropriately activating the immune system leading to immune system dysfunction and inflammation.  

Immune system dysfunction and inflammation are the precursors for many diseases and conditions.  Immune system dysfunction that results from dietary intake often shows up as food intolerances, food allergies and intestinal permeability, or “leaky gut.”   Intestinal permeability occurs when harmful substances from food by-products cross the lining of the gut into the rest of the body causing inflammation and imbalances in the immune system.  

The immune system reacts as though these substances are invaders, and it mounts a response to fight it off.  If immune system imbalances persist over long periods of time, it can trigger long-term inflammatory diseases or autoimmune diseases.   Additionally, excess body weight may be caused by overconsumption of foods and is associated with the numerous chronic diseases mentioned above. This is because fat tissue itself can increase inflammation and immune system response leading to illness or a general lack of well-being.   For these reasons, nutrition is an important part of maintaining overall health and wellness.

If you’d like to explore how nutrition can improve your health and wellness reach out to me!