You need to train your brain for every extra kick of exercise, that your body should be digging in. An extra push is what maintains a healthy lifestyle and a topping of good nutrition offers seamless health benefits simultaneously. However, despite having healthier options, we easily fall under the ambit of processed food products. These processed food products may be helpful to some extent but are not the best option for you to maintain optimal health.
The biomechanics of the human body is smarter enough to tackle all unfair means and poor eating habits that we do in our busy lifestyle, allowing us more exposure to germs, bacteria, oxidative stress, diseases, and viruses. Due to our uneven habits, many viruses like influenza or the recent COVID-19 gets much more vulnerable to a healthier human body.
Whatever we eat and do in our daily life is the general health and wellness that we carry for ourselves. It has been observed that various aspects of health such as mental, physical, and social health, impact our overall health. Genes, age, gender, relationship patterns, income, and occupation type, all of these factors altogether determine our health and wellbeing.
Keeping in mind all of these factors the basic necessity for a healthier and fit body is a portion of properly balanced food, nutrition so that we can keep ourselves disease-free. In the recent scenario, despite having good health, the world has been affected drastically by the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus. This is seemingly a warning sign to all the people out there, especially for those who do not focus on their health as much as they should.
As the future is uncertain and prone to pandemics and viruses, in such a scenario we cannot solely depend on our immune system to tackle all external hits. We should be responsible enough to draw an active lifestyle regards to what we eat and how we carry ourselves.
With the help of this article, we will try to evaluate the physical wellbeing of the human body, as it establishes a strong connection between our mind, body, and soul.
CHALLENGES WITH IMPROVING THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
It may come as a surprise that having an extremely well-functioning immune system is not ideal. Maintaining your immune system is a proper process, and too much of anything can have detrimental effects. There are various immune system challenges that must be considered while trying to improve the immune system in the human body.
- There is a risk of stroke in cases of “blood doping”, a process that involves pumping blood into the body with the intent to boost the body’s blood cell count.
- You never know what type of immune system cells you should boost because there are many different varieties of them with different functions.
- A hyperactive immune system can make your body vulnerable to allergies and can cause conditions like eczema and asthma.
- Taking too many vitamins and minerals especially through supplements to improve the immune system can be harmful.
For some health conditions, the immune system starts to attack healthy body cells, these include:
- Autoimmune disorders like Hashimoto’s disease, lupus, and diabetes.
- Allergic reactions from food products.
- Myeloma or leukaemia.
- Infections like HIV.
- Immunosuppressant medicines weaken the immune system.
- Hereditary disorders.
Maintaining your immune system is quite a complicated process and we need more scientific studies to determine the best treatments. Following a proper routine, providing your body with vital nutrients, regularly checking up with the doctor and being aware of the necessary precautions to be taken for certain infections can save you time when your immune system is under attack.
Benefits of Curcumin as an Antioxidant
If turmeric is taken as an antioxidant, then it helps in reducing chronic illnesses and ageing. These problems occur due to reaction between free radicals with substances like proteins, fatty acids, and other organic substances, leading to oxidative stress causing problems of ageing and other diseases.
- Oral Problems – Helps cure oral mucositis, gingivitis, and periodontitis, a gum infection.
- Valuable for diabetic patients – Treats irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, jaundice, anterior uveitis, and Parkinson’s disease.
- Prevents Ulcers and hepatitis – Beneficial in cases of ulcerative colitis, leprosy, AIDS, Crohn’s disease, stomach ulcers, and hepatitis.
- Good for nasal problems – Reduces symptoms of fibromyalgia, asthma, runny nose, coughing, nasal congestion and sneezing.
- Increases BDNF – It increases brain growth hormone which aids in working memory, alertness, depression, anxiety, and Alzheimer’s disease. There is unproved evidence that it may boost serotonin and dopamine levels.
Besides all, it also treats multiple sclerosis, hay fever, tuberculosis, cystic fibrosis, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
SIDE-EFFECTS OF TAKING IN CURCUMIN IN EXCESS
The following side-effects are noticed when taking curcumin in excess. This usually occurs when taking turmeric or curcumin in supplement form, so always take it according to the daily suggested intake limits.
- Headache or delusions.
- Kidney stones.
- Mild fever.
- Upset stomach.
- Skin rash.
- GI issues like bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, excessive gas, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain syndrome, gallstones, acid reflux, heartburn, etc.
If you notice any of the side effects listed above after overconsuming curcumin, you must visit a doctor.
DO NOT TAKE IN CURCUMIN AS SUPPLEMENT FORM IF YOU:
- Have gallbladder problems.
- Being pregnant or into breastfeeding.
- Being a diabetic patient.
- Have iron deficiency.
- Struggling with a bleeding disorder.
- Have a hormone-related condition.
- Facing infertility.
- Had a recent surgery.
- Have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Advantages of Combining Zinc and Curcumin
Zinc also supports the immune system, relieves oxidative stress, boosts T-cells, pneumonia, infection, supports the functioning of the thymus gland (an important immunity gland), and age-related macular degeneration.
The following are the benefits of Zinc:
- Zinc is important for maintaining proper thyroid function, vision, gene expression, cell signalling, and body growth and development.
- It reduces acne, body inflammation, cold symptoms, and has wound healing properties.
- Very helpful with protein and DNA synthesis.
- Shown benefits in case of pneumonia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and malabsorption syndromes.
- Decreases age-related chronic diseases and prevents agerelated macular degeneration.
- Supports treatment of diabetes, diabetic foot ulcers, osteoporosis, and enzymatic reactions.
DEFICIENCY OF ZINC
The deficiency of zinc leads to the following conditions.
- Atrophy (shrinkage) of the thymus gland.
- Impaired growth and development.
- Skin rashes, dry skin, thinning hair, and impaired wound healing.
- Risk of infections.
- Chronic diarrhoea.
- Behavioural issues like anxiety, irritability, and aggression.
- Loss of appetite or anaemia.
- Delayed sexual maturity.
If you are noticing these symptoms, consuming zinc is highly recommended. Around 67% of Americans do not take their recommended dietary intake of zinc.
WHO ARE AT A RISK OF ZINC DEFICIENCY?
People are at risk of zinc deficiency if:
- You have improper diet habits, malnourished, or facing eating disorders such as anorexia. bulimia, and sickle cell anaemia.
- There is poor absorption of essential vitamins and minerals in your body.
- Facing with a gastrointestinal disease like Crohn’s disease.
- You are pregnant and currently breastfeeding.
- Having a chronic kidney disease.
- You are a vegetarian or vegan.
- You have alcohol-related problems.
Older infants who are exclusively under breastfeeding are also at risk of zinc deficiency.
SOURCES OF ZINC
Below we have mentioned a few sources of Zinc which you can include as per your preferences.
- Zinc is found in various dairy products, poultry, whole grains, lamb, flounder, salmon, shellfish, nuts and seeds, mushrooms, asparagus, bison, sole, lentils, black beans, beet greens, peas, pork, sardines, kidney beans, chickpeas, legumes, and kale.
- Zinc is frequently added to cereals, lozenges, baking floors and snack bars.
Zinc is added in nasal sprays, but it is not considered safe. If used incorrectly, it may cause a loss of smell.
You can take in zinc through the food resources mentioned above or from the supplements for faster treatment, in case of anaemia and other health issues. Zinc can have harmful side effects if consumed in large quantities. Some side effects of overdosage include diarrhoea, headaches, loss of appetite, and abdominal cramps.
There has been an enormous benefit of using zinc and curcumin in combination as a supplement. This dual combo consists of rare chances of side effects if taken wisely. If you are suffering from any disease or chronic illness, you must take a doctor’s prescription.
If you are using multiple supplements to meet all your vitamin and mineral requirements, you need an account for each vitamin consumed to avoid an overdose. It is to make sure that you should not take more than 2000 mg of your total supplement count in one day.
Conclusion
A healthy mind lives in a healthy body and this can only be achieved if we choose to lead a healthy and disease-free lifestyle for us because an unhealthy lifestyle spoils the entire healthy environment of an individual and his family. Developing necessary habits to lead a healthy life is a right for everyone and a strict measure towards that will lead you till the end as you may ever know how much you have saved on your monthly medicinal bills.
We must tune our lifestyle in such a way that our body meets its basic requirements through proper food and supplements. Having said that, it has been widely seen that various supplements are in existence as they are not fit to consume. We should always be cautious of any type of supplement, whenever it comes to human consumption. For example, if curcumin is not absorbed properly, it does not help the body in the way it should.
To start with any health supplement, it is advised to consult a doctor, as they can easily help you to decide your diet schedule and which supplements you may need based on your tests. Taking in vitamins and minerals through natural, organic food sources are comparatively safer than using supplements. While making such efforts sometimes doesn’t work to evade various sickness, but it is highly important that apart from supplements we should have a strong immune system, which can lead us till the end to prevent future illness caused by vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and thus improve our quality of life and our overall health and wellness.
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a health advice. We would ask you to consult a qualified professional or medical expert to gain additional knowledge before you choose to consume any product or perform any exercise.
