The immune system is the set of sophisticated mechanisms that defend our body from the onslaught of potentially hostile “external invaders”, such as viruses or bacteria. Numerous studies show that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, therefore antioxidants and vitamins, determines a lower risk of inflammation associated with pathologies such as obesity or chronic intestinal diseases. So a natural, varied and balanced diet, like our precious Mediterranean diet, combined with healthy lifestyles, certainly helps the overall balance of the organism. In practice, eating healthy enhances our resistance to disease. «We must absolutely pay attention to what we eat – Roberto Colombo underlines, medical specialist in microbiology – because poor nutrition can alter the bacterial composition of the microbiota (dysbiosis) and trigger inflammation. We have the biggest problems when inflammation becomes chronic, that is when we open the doors to diseases such as irritable bowel syndromes, diabetes, heart disease and even rheumatoid arthritis ».
But man is a complex being: even the psychological component has its own weight on natural defenses. Stress and depression act negatively. So serenity is also “good medicine” for the immune system.
