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By Priyanjana Pramanik, MSc. Nov 27 2023 Reviewed by Benedette Cuffari, M.Sc.

In a recent review in Food Science & Nutrition, researchers summarize current medical knowledge regarding the role of fruits, vegetables, spices, animal products, and other foods in strengthening the immune system.

Study:  Common foods for boosting human immunity: A review . Image Credit: Tatjana Baibakova / Shutterstock.com  Background

The human immune system protects the body from pathogenic invasion. Humans are born with innate immunity, with cells such as macrophages and neutrophils, while other forms of immunity, such as some types of white blood cells or lymphocyte cells, are acquired through exposure to pathogens.

A healthy diet is critical for maintaining and improving immunity. Immune cells require sufficient energy to function, while micro- and macronutrients maintain immune responses.

While the immunological function of specific nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and fibers has been reviewed in previous studies, the immune benefits of specific food items have not been explored. Immune system and nutrition

In humans, the immune response is primarily derived from active immunity, in which antibodies are produced within the body. In addition to immune cells, other components of the immune system include physical barriers such as the skin, physiological barriers such as saliva and stomach acid, and complement proteins.

Antibodies or immunoglobulins, which are produced due to exposure to pathogens, include immunoglobulin A (IgA), IgD, IgE, IgG, and IgM. T- and B-lymphocytes, such as suppressor T-cells, killer T-cells, and helper T-cells, are instrumental in identifying, attacking, and eliminating pathogens. Organs like the spleen filter infections and abnormal cells in the blood, whereas glands can trap germs and other foreign materials. Related StoriesDiet and sedentary behavior influence adiposity in obese children, study findsContrary evidence: Mediterranean diet may not influence cholesterol levels, study suggestsVegan diet with soy significantly reduces hot flashes in postmenopausal women

Making healthy lifestyle choices such as consuming a nutritious diet, following a regular sleep schedule, minimizing stress, and avoiding unhealthy habits like smoking can strengthen immunity and reduce the likelihood of suffering from certain health conditions.

In addition to plant- and animal-based foods, water has an important role in boosting immunity. Staying hydrated keeps mucous membranes moist, cells oxygenated, and various systems functioning.

Toxins are carried to the kidneys and then the urinary tract before being expelled from the body, whereas dehydration could lead to their accumulation and subsequent illness. Drinking sufficient quantities of water can also prevent urinary tract infections by preventing the formation of kidney stones.

Inadequate consumption of nutrients can weaken the development of the immune system and render the body more vulnerable to allergies, infections, and chronic inflammation. This underlines the significance of adequate nutrition in the optimal functioning of the immune system.  Foods and nutrients that boost immunity

Citrus fruits like oranges and lemons are rich in vitamin C, which promotes the formation of lymphocytes, strengthens the body’s epithelial barriers, and functions as an antioxidant by reacting with free radicals, which can damage the immune system. Other beneficial compounds found in citrus fruits include selenium, dietary fibers, folic acid, and flavonoids, which are antioxidative and anti-inflammatory agents.

Papayas contain folic acid, retinol, riboflavin, thiamine, niacin, potassium, iron, fiber, and calcium. Carotenoids such as beta-carotene can be converted to vitamin A and strengthen the immune response, while retinoic acid promotes lymphocyte growth.

Kiwis also contain vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, carotenoids, fibers, and antioxidants. Pomegranates have antiviral properties and can suppress germs such as Listeria, Clostridium, and Salmonella, while promoting healthy bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.

Indian gooseberries contain a powerful antioxidant called ellagic acid, while almonds are rich in vitamin E. Broccoli is rich in fiber and a number of antioxidants, as well as vitamins A, C, and E, phytochemicals such as polyphenols, minerals, and vitamins.

Ginger, in addition to being a promising immunomodulator, also enhances digestion and improves appetite, which can also be beneficial for the immune system. Garlic, turmeric, onion, mushrooms, and tea are also beneficial foods to include in regular diets for a healthier immune system. The role of animal-sourced foods (ASF)

An important characteristic of ASF is that they contain easily digestible and high-quality proteins, as well as essential amino acids and micronutrients. Prolactin, which is a hormone found in milk, promotes lymphocyte and thymocyte movement. Milk also contains immunoglobulins and whey proteins, which stimulate the synthesis of antibodies.

Yogurt is similar in composition to milk; however, calcium can be absorbed more easily from yogurt than milk. In addition to proteins, vitamins, and minerals, eggs contain choline, which breaks down an amino acid called homocysteine, which has been linked to cardiovascular disease. Conclusions

While medicine has a critical role to play in healing from health conditions, maintaining a nutritious diet provides a first line of defence against infection and illness. Incorporating whole foods and beneficial fruit, vegetables, dairy, and eggs can reduce the risk of developing various conditions and lessen their severity if they do occur. Journal reference: Singh, D.N., Bohra, J.S., Dubey, T.P., et al. (2023). Common foods for boosting human immunity: A review. Food Science & Nutrition. doi:10.1002/fsn3.3628,

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Yungblud pays tribute to his hero Ozzy Osbourne as he opens up about ‘raw’ documentary Are You Ready, Boy?

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Yungblud pays tribute to his hero Ozzy Osbourne as he opens up about 'raw' documentary Are You Ready, Boy?

Yungblud has told Sky News he hopes he can keep Ozzy Osbourne’s “spirit and energy” alive after performing at the metal legend’s final gig.

The singer-songwriter paid tribute to his hero at the premiere of his upcoming documentary, Are You Ready, Boy?, which he admitted had been an “uncomfortable” watch as it shows him at his most vulnerable.

It gives fans a glimpse behind the curtain during the process of recording live tracks from his fourth studio album, Idols, which topped the charts in June.

On stage at Back To The Beginning. Pic: Kazuyo Horie
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On stage at Back To The Beginning. Pic: Kazuyo Horie

Just a few weeks later, he was on stage at Back To The Beginning – Ozzy Osbourne‘s “final bow” reunion gig with Black Sabbath, held at Villa Park in Birmingham. The metal pioneer died less than three weeks later.

Yungblud, whose real name is Dom Harrison, performed a cover of Osbourne’s song Changes, and went on to release his version as a single, raising funds for the same charities as the concert.

Afterwards, Ozzy gifted him a cross which he keeps around his neck.

Ozzy on stage during his final performance. Pic: Ross Halfin
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Ozzy on stage during his final performance. Pic: Ross Halfin

Ozzy is everything to me, always has been,” he says. “And to be able to go on stage and honour my hero and sing that song to him, without knowing that they were his final days, was everything to me.

“I will try my best to keep that spirit and keep that energy alive. I love that guy. I got to know him personally at the end and I love that family. I’ve got nothing but love, always.”

Now, Harrison is getting ready for the release of Are You Ready, Boy?, which was filmed at the famous Hansa Studios in Berlin, the birthplace of albums including David Bowie’s Heroes and U2’s Achtung Baby!.

Are You Ready, Boy? is released later in August
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Are You Ready, Boy? is released later in August

Making music and all of his creative output he sees as “life or death”, he says in the film. “I mean, 100%,” he adds while on the red carpet. “I think that’s how I like to play, you know? I mean, red or black, every time.

“I love taking risks and this film is the most vulnerable I think I’ve ever been. It’s pretty uncomfortable for me to watch. I’ve seen it once, I’ll watch it tonight and probably never watch it again…

“I think in this day and age, it’s very easy for us to cut around things and make them palatable and digestible. I wanted to do something that would be raw and uncomfortable, and this is what came out.”

The film comes during an intense period for the star, who has just opened his own music venue and shop in London, and is also planning a world tour and the return of his own festival, Bludfest, in 2026.

Read more:
Metal, reality TV, and bats: The wild life of Ozzy Osbourne
Fans flood streets to pay respects to Ozzy in Birmingham

“I think it’s important for [fans] to know who I really am,” he says, of why he wanted to make the film. “I think 30 seconds on an Instagram video doesn’t quite cut it. It’s a fly-on-the-wall documentary… we didn’t have an overarching narrative at the start of it.

“I said, come with me for two weeks, roll the cameras and see what happens.”

The star also spoke about Bludfest, which he launched in 2024. The third event next year will be “bigger and better,” he says.

The festival was set up as he felt prices had become too expensive and he wanted to show it could be done differently.

“I had something to prove,” he says. “I think this festival was important… It made me sick, the price of tickets. And a lot of promoters, I don’t think, took me seriously.

“We made a massive statement and I will continue to do that. I love my community, I love my fanbase. They’re all I care about.”

Are You Ready, Boy? is out in cinemas on August 20 and 24

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Jeremy Clarkson joins backlash as JD Vance holidays in the Cotswolds

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Jeremy Clarkson joins backlash as JD Vance holidays in the Cotswolds

Jeremy Clarkson has joined a backlash in the Cotswolds after US vice president JD Vance arrived at a picturesque hamlet in the region for his summer holiday.

Mr Vance and his family are staying at Dean Manor, a Grade II-listed country home in the tiny hamlet of Dean, during a trip where they also stayed with the Foreign Secretary David Lammy in Kent and will later travel to Scotland.

Local residents reportedly expressed their frustrations after Mr Vance’s enormous motorcade, consisting of 18 vehicles, caused a lockdown in the countryside on Monday.

People in the Cotswolds faced road closures and security checkpoints overseen by police with sniffer dogs as Mr Vance made his way to Dean Manor on Monday, according to GloucestershireLive.

It came before a “Vance Not Welcome Party” protest was organised by the groups “Everybody Hates Elon” and the “Stop Trump Coalition” in Charlbury, close to where Mr Vance is staying, today.

People attend the 'Vance not welcome party' protest as  JD Vance spends his holiday nearby. Pic: Reuters
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People attend the ‘Vance not welcome party’ protest as JD Vance spends his holiday nearby. Pic: Reuters

Pic: Reuters
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Pic: Reuters

The demonstrators held banners mocking the US vice president and calling him a “war criminal”, in an apparent reference to America’s support for Israel.

Several protesters held images of a widely shared meme depicting Mr Vance with a bald head. The meme went viral after a Norwegian tourist claimed he was not allowed into the US after immigration agents saw it on his phone.

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One protester in Charlbury held a banner reading “JD Vance’s Netflix password is ‘password'”, while another held a sign which said: “JD Vance claps when the plane lands.”

Pic: Reuters
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Pic: Reuters

Meanwhile, a van displaying the image of a bald Mr Vance was seen driving through Charlbury.

A large sign outside a property in nearby Chipping Norton read: “Gaza starves, Vance not welcome.”

Pic: Reuters
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Pic: Reuters

Pic: Reuters
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Pic: Reuters

The demonstrations took place as former Top Gear presenter Clarkson shared an image on Instagram which highlighted how his farm is under a no-fly zone over the Cotswolds areas of Chadlington and Spelsbury.

In an apparent reference to filming for the fifth series of his show Clarkson’s Farm, the 65-year-old wrote: “The JD Vance no fly zone. We are the pin. So on the downside, no drone shots today. On the upside, no annoying light aircraft.”

However, he later sarcastically shared a video of a peaceful Cotswolds scene and wrote: “Utter chaos caused by Vance. How will we ever manage?”

Read more:
Vance doesn’t want UK to go down ‘dark path’
The ungodly history of Lammy’s grace-and-favour mansion

Kaleb Cooper, a farmer who is Clarkson’s co-star on the Amazon Prime show, said some of his “wheat got wet” after he got stuck behind Mr Vance’s convoy.

He wrote: “I could have easily went on my way and got it in the shed without getting in the way.”

Cooper also joked that if Mr Vance simply “drove around in a VW Polo nobody would know who he was”.

Clarkson’s “Diddly Squat Farm” in Chadlington is around three miles from the hamlet of Dean where Mr Vance is staying.

Well known for being popular with members of the British elite – former UK prime minister David Cameron lives in Dean – the Cotswolds is also becoming increasingly popular with wealthy Americans.

Some of them moved to the region after the election of Donald Trump last year. TV presenter Ellen DeGeneres is among those who has relocated to the area.

Not all of Dean’s residents appreciate its growing popularity. Jonathan Mazower, the head of communications for NGO Survival International, who owns one of Dean’s 15 homes, said he had to speak out against Mr Vance’s presence, adding: “It’s a massive intrusion and it’s not just the fact our lives are disrupted but it’s who he is.”

A police officer and a member of US security man a checkpoint and where a road closure was in place as JD Vance spends his holiday nearby. Pic: Reuters
Pic: Reuters
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A police officer and a member of US security man a checkpoint and where a road closure was in place as JD Vance spends his holiday nearby. Pic: Reuters
Pic: Reuters

Pic: Reuters
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Pic: Reuters

Vance’s UK tour

The US vice president is expected to host shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick during his holiday – but not Tory leader Kemi Badenoch.

Mr Jenrick has been invited to meet Mr Vance before a drinks event on Tuesday, it is understood.

A Conservative spokesman said the party leader’s team had spoken to Mr Vance’s but that “scheduling” had proved difficult.

Both sides have played down the notion of a snub, the Telegraph reported.

It comes as the US vice president will travel to Scotland later this week in a trip that could see up to 1,000 police officers deployed as part of security efforts.

Sky News understands the Vance family are likely to visit Ayrshire but are not thought to be planning to stay at Mr Trump’s Turnberry resort in the area.

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Lammy-Vance Bromance: Will it last?

In Kent, Mr Vance said he had a “love” for the UK but joked he had committed a diplomatic faux pas as he began his holiday.

“Unfortunately, the one strain on the special relationship is that all of my kids caught fish, but the foreign secretary did not,” he said.

He also said he doesn’t want the UK to go down a “very dark path” of losing free speech.

Mr Vance described Mr Lammy as a “very, very gracious host”.

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US accuses UK of ‘significant human rights issues’ and restricting free speech

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US accuses UK of 'significant human rights issues' and restricting free speech

The US State Department has accused the UK of having “significant human rights issues”, including restrictions on free speech.

The unflattering assessment comes via a new version of an annual Human Rights Practices report, with its publication coinciding with Vice President JD Vance’s holiday in the Cotswolds.

Politics Hub: Follow latest updates and analysis

It says human rights in the UK “worsened” in 2024, with “credible reports of serious restrictions on freedom of expression”, as well as “crimes, violence, or threats of violence motivated by antisemitism” since the 7 October Hamas attack against Israel.

On free speech, while “generally provided” for, the report cites “specific areas of concern” around limits on “political speech deemed ‘hateful’ or ‘offensive'”.

Sir Keir Starmer has previously defended the UK’s record on free speech after concerns were raised by Mr Vance.

In response to the report, a UK government spokesperson said: “Free speech is vital for democracy around the world including here in the UK, and we are proud to uphold freedoms whilst keeping our citizens safe.”

Keir Starmer and JD Vance have clashed in the past over free speech in the UK. Pics: PA
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Keir Starmer and JD Vance have clashed in the past over free speech in the UK. Pics: PA

The US report highlights Britain’s public space protection orders, which allow councils to restrict certain activities in some public places to prevent antisocial behaviour.

It also references “safe access zones” around abortion clinics, which the Home Office says are designed to protect women from harassment or distress.

They have been criticised by Mr Vance before, notably back in February during a headline-grabbing speech at the Munich Security Conference.

The report also criticises the Online Safety Act and accuses ministers of intervening to “chill speech” about last summer’s murders in Southport, highlighting arrests made in the wake of the subsequent riots.

Ministers have said the Online Safety Act is about protecting children, and repeatedly gone so far as to suggest people who are opposed to it are on the side of predators.

Read more politics news:
Is Keir Starmer falling into booby trap?
What is ex-minister Tulip Siddiq on trial for?

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Why do people want to repeal the Online Safety Act?

The report comes months after Sir Keir bit back at Mr Vance during a summit at the White House, cutting in when Donald Trump’s VP claimed there are “infringements on free speech” in the UK.

“We’ve had free speech for a very long time, it will last a long time, and we are very proud of that,” the PM said.

But Mr Vance again raised concerns during a meeting with Foreign Secretary David Lammy at his country estate in Kent last week, saying he didn’t want the UK to go down a “very dark path” of losing free speech.

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Lammy-Vance bromance: Will it last?

The US State Department’s report echoes similar accusations made by the likes of Nigel Farage and Elon Musk.

The Trump administration itself has been accused of trying to curtail free speech and stifle criticism, most notably by targeting universities – Harvard chief among them.

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