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Day 3 of 14

Immune Support with Carotenoids

Your skin (inside & out) is your first immune system defense. Carotenoids keep skin strong & viruses out

-Black Oaks Center x Byte Wellness Text

Today’s recipe meets the daily recommended amount of vitamin A:

Check out Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash from Jessica In The Kitchen

What Are Carotenoids?

• Think of your immune system as an army. COVID-19 is the enemy. The immune system’s first job is to keep COVID out.
  
  

• The layers of your skin (inside and out) are like the walls to the fortress of your immune system, or the borders of your body. It’s easy to see and touch your outside skin. But, what’s your inside skin? It’s called mucosa. This is the soft, slimy, skin-like lining that starts in your nose and mouth and travels along your GI tract ALLLL the way down to your rectum. These walls keep the outside world (food you eat and viruses and bacteria, too) from entering the inner sanctum or your body.
  
  

• Carotenoids are types of nutrients found in plant foods. Some of them turn into Vitamin A in your body. These are called “pro-vitamin A” chemicals. They keep these walls strong, so it’s harder for a virus to slip through the cracks between the bricks.
  
  

• Carotenoids are also strong antioxidants that reduce the level of inflammation in your body.

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How can you get enough pro-vitamin A carotenoids to feed your immune system?

Beta-carotene is one of the most common pro-vitamin A chemicals found in food. You can usually get enough from colorful veggies and fruits without taking a vitamin supplement.

The Institutes of Medicine recommends women eat at least 700 micrograms RAE of vitamin A (retinol) and men eat at least 900 micrograms RAE of vitamin A.

OTHER PLACES TO RESEARCH CAROTENOIDS

• Linus Pauling Institue

• Black Oaks Center
  

The following text is re-printed with permission from Dr. Jifunza Wright- Black Oaks Center for Sustainable Living Blog.

“Carotenoids (alpha and beta carotene, lutien, zeaxanthin, lycopene) are found in yellow, orange & red foods (sweet potatoes, carrots, winter squash, pumpkins, tomatoes) & have antioxidant properties that boost the immune system in a number of ways. It is a precursor for vitamin A which protects mucous membranes. They increase intercellular communication which is crucial to reducing the amount of cellular damage from a viral infection.

Jifunza C.A. Wright-Carter M.D., M.P.H is a family physician practicing the “art of medicine” using food & plant medicines to improve the health and well being of patients through self care for over 30 years. In addition to studying herbs and natural medicines since she was a child, she is a graduate of Case Western Reserve Medical School, an alumni of Cook County & Montefiore Family Practice Residency Programs. She received public health training at Johns Hopkins, University of Pittsburgh and University of Maryland. She has a private practice in Chicago and does organic farming in Pembroke Twp. Illinois. If you have any questions or need support, please contact her at drjhfm@gmail.com”