Foods that Interfere with Immunity

Foods that Interfere with Immunity - How Foods Fight Cancer

In contrast to these healthful immune boosters, some parts of the diet
interfere with immunity. Fatty foods, in particular, impair your immune
cells’ ability to work. Researchers have fed fatty foods to volunteers,
dripped fatty intravenous solutions into volunteers’ bloodstreams, and
mixed fats with cancer cells. In each case, immune strength is noticeably
reduced.19,20 Simply put, your white blood cells don’t work very well in an
oil slick. While many people avoid animal fats—which is a good idea—
they give themselves free rein with vegetable oils. But when it comes to
boosting immunity, you’ll want to minimize all fats and oils. This includes
fish oils. Several research studies have suggested that fish oils can interfere
with immunity.21,22

Fatty foods probably affect white blood cells directly. But they also
tend to cause weight gain, and that can further impair immune function.23
Studies show that overweight individuals are at increased susceptibility to
various infections and to certain forms of cancer, especially postmeno -
pausal breast cancer.

Cholesterol also seems to interfere with immunity. In case you are confused
about the difference between fat and cholesterol: Fat is visible as a
yellow layer under a chicken skin or white streaks marbled through a cut
of beef. Cholesterol, on the other hand, resides as tiny particles inside the
cell membranes that surround each cell in an animal’s body, and it is primarily
in the lean portion. Essentially all animal products contain
cholesterol, while plant products never do.

When researchers add cholesterol to white blood cells in the test tube,
it clearly interferes with their ability to function. Because your liver makes
all the cholesterol your body needs for normal function, there is no need for
any cholesterol in the diet.