January 19, 2010
Cancer and our Life (2)
Improving immunity with vitamins and minerals
Immune system protects us from lots of enemies including cancers. One of the reasons why our immunity get weaken is that we get short of intake of vitamins and minerals mainly because we do not eat enough vegetables. National Health and Nutrition Examination survey in 2007 reports that average intake of vegetables is only 290g per a person in Japan and do not reach the national target level of 350g at all. Some say that nutrition levels of vegetables might be higher in their season. So we might be short of vitamins and minerals out of their season even when we positively eat vegetables.
Immune system against cancers
Cancer cells are generated even in bodies of healthy people every day. But immune system can usually destroy cancer cells if this system works properly. One of the immune cells is called NK cell. It is reported that the risk to catch cancer gets higher when NK cells are inactive and that NK cells become inactive through aging.
It is recommended to soak in a hot spring, to take well-balanced food, and to live life with laughing in order to activate NK cells. Some foods are reported effective to activate NK cells. Early detection and immune recruitment are important factors for cancer prevention. In addition to periodical cancer detection, you had better have relaxing life with laughing and without stress and take well-balanced food.
