[Kim Jae-ho's Life Story]<198> Foods That Boost Immunity

As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic prolongs, people's fatigue increases, and there are occasional reports of backlash against social distancing policies. While our country has consistently managed the situation well, many countries in Africa and Latin America are experiencing rising case numbers, and in the US and Europe, some regions where the spread had subsided are seeing a resurgence. There is still no definite timeline for when reliable vaccines and treatments will be available.

Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and its high fatality rate, many people have come to understand the important role immunity plays in preventing and curing infectious diseases. Reflecting this social awareness of the importance of immunity, foods that claim to boost immunity are frequently discussed, and many people seek to profit from this trend. But how much can these foods or supplements actually enhance immunity?

Immunity is the fortress and the best physician that protects the body when immune cells, such as white blood cells, encounter pathogens like viruses or bacteria entering the body, or cancer cells formed by the mutation of normal cells. Immune cells have a perfect system to accurately identify, attack, and eliminate these threats, and if this system functions normally, it can remove any pathogen, whether it is the COVID-19 virus or super bacteria, without any problem.

To maintain high immunity, first, immune cells must be maintained in an appropriate number and optimal condition. Immune cells generally have a short lifespan of 2 to 3 days, so to keep the number of white blood cells constant, healthy white blood cells must be produced in the bone marrow to replace those that have expired or been damaged. This process is controlled by the body's expert, existing in the form of genes, which are programs that produce special proteins.

To maintain high immunity, immune cells must also identify whether substances they encounter are friend or foe, attacking and eliminating the latter. Genes within immune cells play an important role in this process. Genes switch on when certain lifestyle habits or conditions are met, enabling immune cells to perform their roles, but if these conditions are not met, the immune cells cannot function properly.

Foods or supplements rumored to boost immunity may help to some extent, but expectations should not be too high. For immune cells to maintain high immunity, the genes within them must be properly switched on. While some components in such foods or supplements might turn on switches that were previously off due to deficiency, immune cells have more than just those switches.

All cells in our body contain about 6 billion DNA molecules forming around 20,000 genes, and between these genes are DNA sequences that act as switches?50 times more numerous than the DNA that makes up the genes themselves?that can turn genes on or off. When genes are switched on, they produce necessary substances to perform bodily functions, but if the switches do not activate the genes, the genes do nothing.

For immunity to be high, genes related to immune function in immune cells must be properly switched on, and there are many switches involved in this. Eating just a few specific foods or supplements cannot turn on all the necessary genes, and to activate all genes related to immune function, one must live a life that turns on life switches?a bio-friendly lifestyle known as NEWSTART (see Life Story Part 6).

NEWSTART stands for Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sunlight, Temperance, Air, Rest, and Trust, with love added. Here, Nutrition means eating a variety of foods including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to supply sufficient nutrients, while limiting sugar, saturated fats, trans fats, salt, and alcohol (see Life Story Part 33).

Eating a few specific foods known to be good or favorite foods in excess is not a healthy diet, as it can cause deficiencies or imbalances in certain nutrients. Quitting smoking, engaging in appropriate exercise (see Life Story Part 39), getting enough rest and sleep (see Life Story Parts 47 and 48), and managing stress well (see Life Story Part 52) are also important.

Living according to NEWSTART does not only boost immunity. Since genes play a role in everything that happens in our body, NEWSTART not only switches on genes in immune cells but also activates necessary genes in other cells, making a decisive contribution to maintaining health. Relying on special foods or supplements that claim to boost immunity has limited effectiveness and is not a wise strategy.

Jaeho Kim, Independent Researcher