You’ve probably heard of these components of food before, never realizing their importance to immune cell rejuvenation. They are: specific phytonutrients, specific probiotic bacteria, and omega-3 fats.

What these specialized food nutrients do for rejuvenation of aging immune cells is remarkable. Here’s what some studies tell us:

POLYPHENOL PHYTONUTRIENTS: Polyphenols like those in grapes, cocoa, and tea enhance the efficiency of immune cells, yet prevent them from becoming overactive (implicated in undesirable “inflamm-aging”). Others like quercetin, rutin, fisetin, luteolin, and curcumin help trigger cell rejuvenation, and quercetin, hesperidin, and rutin can act as prebiotics that feed a healthy gut microbiome—so critical for immunity.

PRE- and PROBIOTICS: For good immune health, we need to consider the role of prebiotics (food for our gut microbes) and probiotics (the microbes themselves). Prebiotics include dietary fiber as well as plant phytonutrients including polyphenols, and have been linked to improved immune balance. Probiotics have demonstrated impressive effects along the entire spectrum of immune function. 

OMEGA-3s: Omega-3 fatty acids (especially eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, EPA and DHA) get woven into the fabric of immune cells, aiding their interactions with other cells and even influencing which types of immune cells multiply the fastest—for a powerful impact on how well the immune system meets threats. Omega-3s have also been associated with greater telomere length in immune cells, an important measure of how successfully they are aging. In addition, fish oil bolsters the effectiveness of the immune response in older people, simultaneously bettering immune offense AND defense. Ideal modulation of immunity like this is rarely seen in research, yet it comes up repeatedly in omega-3 studies!

Full episode on The Doctor’s Farmacy.