Eating what you like (not what you really need) cheerfully at the Holiday table and/or eating poorly on the road are hazardous for your physical and immune health.
In this holiday season, I’d like to emphasize the importance of dietary vitamin A and vitamin D. Why?
First, it serves an update on some new knowledge of their role in gut health and immunity. Second, it is critical at this time, with ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, yet emerging a new variant “Omicron”. Finally, it is also significant for public health because micronutrient deficiency in children is a serious concern around the world.
Let’s start with the immune health.
Essentially, our immune responses to harmful invasion comprise two types of protection: one is from B cells, they generate antibodies to neutralize a virus or bacteria; and the other is from T cells, they kill virus-infected cells.
Consider this—if T cells can eliminate the human cells infected by the coronavirus, then they help prevent or stop the progression of COVID-19. That’s why your immune function is vital at this time for indulging the holiday season and fending the new variant in COVID transmission.
Now, we move to the gastrointestinal (GI) system.
GI tract is a large, important organ/system of immunity. T cells, in fact, represent one of the most abundant immune cell population in the gut. In addition, the gut microbiota may be regarded as crucial troupes or team players of the human defense because fundamentally they regulate our GI immune system.
Gut microbiome play an important role in both health and many illnesses such as infection, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and etc., just to name a few.
Another example is functional dyspepsia (upset stomach), which is a common gastrointestinal disorder characterized by recurring symptoms of indigestion without obvious cause; it can be long-lasting, and hard to treat. And disturbance of the gut microbiota has been implicated in this problem, so has the immune cells.
Next, what these matters have to do with vitamin A and vitamin D?
A great deal. Diet is a principal regulator of the gut microbiota. Vitamin A and D play an indispensable role in this function and far beyond.
Vitamin D can be obtained from exposure to sunlight through outdoor activity and then followed by biological reaction and conversion in the body, whereas vitamin A is only acquired through diet. They have immunomodulatory effects on controlling acute and chronic inflammations.
Both vitamin A and vitamin D normalize the gut epithelial and mucosal immune functions by regulating gut microbiota, and consequently maintain homeostasis of the body. Deficiency in either one brings about less diverse, more imbalanced microbial communities, weakened defense by mucosal barrier, and increased susceptibility to injury or infection of the GI tract. In other words, the condition alters the microbiome and integrity of the GI epithelial barrier. It’s like the dam—once the gate is broken, the flood can rush in.
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Diet and Deficiency of the vitamins influence changes in your body.
Vitamin A deficiency, especially in childhood, may result in increased mortality related to GI and respiratory infection, cause anemia and blindness, and impair GI immune and/or vaccine responses.
People with autoimmune diseases share a tendency of vitamin D deficiency. A recent finding showed that over 80% of COVID-19 patients (out of 216) had a status of vitamin D deficiency. Evidently, vitamin D deficiency, old age, and obesity—though as independent risk factors, the combination contributed to COVID-19’s severity and unfortunate outcome.
How to turn this knowledge into health benefits for you and yours
Practical advice:
- Have fun with colors and immune boosters, along with creativity for flavor or taste in the holiday meals, whether as side dishes, desserts or smoothie. If you and yours are on the road, make sure to integrate carrots, mushrooms, green veggies, colorful fruits, and salmon or tuna into your food.
- Pay attention to your daily diet, esp. whether vitamin A and D are insufficient in your food. A healthy and balanced diet should provide you the adequate amount you need.
- It’s important that if vitamin A and/or D from foods are insufficient, ensure your infants or kids (6 months to 5 years) have adequate intake of dietary supplements, based on WHO’s recommendation. Keep in mind that liver (e.g., beef liver) is a rich source of both vitamin A and D.
- People with some diseases (e.g., those of digestive tract) or with very poor diets may need to take a vitamin A supplement, but it’s wise to consult with your doctor.
- If you need to take a supplement for vitamin A or D, make sure to take it with food, because vitamin A and D are fat-soluble.
- Don’t take these supplements to prevent or treat cancer. There is no clear evidence; in fact, some evidence suggests harmful effects.
In summation
When you and your family celebrate the holiday time, enjoy the “life-essential vitamin” (=vitamin A) and “sunshine vitamin” (=vitamin D) too!
Additionally, tampering down or subduing your appetite for certain food (i.e., high fat, high sodium, and high sugar) and holding back for another plate or portion, all can go a long way to protect your health and immunity. After all, your immune strength depends on more than antibodies or food alone.
Have a happy, healthy, and safe Holiday season!