Your baby gurgles with delight as he gnaws at his teething toy. You call out his name. He turns and gives you a heavenly smile. A perfect picture of good health and vitality, for which Junior has his immune system to thank.

Working unceasingly day and night, Junior's immune system protects him from the millions of disease-causing bacteria, viruses and parasites which lurk in the environment, ready to invade his little body.

Unfortunately, this complex immune system, which involves various parts of Junior's body, from his soft skin to his delicate intestine, is fallible after all. It sometimes mistakes harmless substances as dangerous ones and over-reacts, wreaking havoc in the body as in the case of allergy.

A good example is food allergy where the immune system mistakes a food component, usually a protein, as a harmful invader and attacks it.

In doing so, the body releases certain chemicals that result in symptoms like hives, rashes, sneezes, coughs, vomiting and diarrhoea. In rare cases, food allergy may be fatal. Clearly, a healthy immune system is essential for protection and good health.

So, let's see how we can help junior build up his immune system to stave off the two major childhood health complaints - infections and allergies.

GOOD NUTRITION, GOOD PROTECTION

While foods have the potential of challenging our immune system, ironically, it is also foods that help to strengthen our immune functions.

Studies have shown that poor nutrition due to insufficient calories or nutrients in the diet, impairs the immune system and increases our susceptibility to infections.

NUTRIENTS that help the immune system to function efficiently have been identified as vitamins A, B6, B12, C and E, folic acid and minerals like zinc, copper, iron, and selenium.

For infants, breast milk is a highly nutritious food that not only ensures optimal growth and development but also offers protection against infections and allergies.

Then, as babies enter the weaning stage, where breast milk alone is insufficient to meet their energy and nutritional needs, mothers should feed their babies solid foods that form a balanced and varied diet. Go through your child's menu to make sure that he is getting his requirements of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals.

IMMUNONUTRIENTS IMPROVE

IMMUNE RESPONSES

As the name suggests, IMMUNONUTRIENTS are simply nutrients that boost our immune system. These include nucleotides as well as zinc and selenium which we mentioned earlier. Nucleotides are needed to build cells in our intestine, which incidentally is our largest immune organ. Although nucleotides can be made in our body, they can be used immediately if they are supplied through foods. Breast milk contains nucleotides. Foods that also offer this nutrient are sardines, liver, ikan bilis and legumes.

Zinc and selenium are required in the production of immune cells and antibodies respectively. These two minerals are found in seafood, meats, eggs and poultry.

FATS FOR PROPER IMMUNE FUNCTIONS

DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and ARA (arachidonic acid) are two beneficial fats that further enhance our immune system. ARA plays an important role in inflammation, which is part of the normal immune response to infection or injury. However, if inflammation gets out of control, disease follows.2 This is where DHA comes in with its strong anti-inflammatory characteristics to balance the effects of ARA. In a nutshell, a good balance of ARA and DHA in the diet is needed for proper immune functions. Again, breast milk has both. ARA can also be obtained from meats and poultry while fish is a good source of DHA.

FRIENDLY BACTERIA - ALLIES OF THE INTESTINAL IMMUNE SYSTEM

The friendly bacteria, BIFIDOBACTERJA, that set up home in Junior's intestine play an important role in the maturation and functions of his intestinal immune system, which protects him against infections and allergies. However, to carry out its duties effectively, the Bifidobacteria population in Junior's gut must be healthy and flourishing.

Breast milk is great when it comes to promoting the growth of Bifidobacteria. The low protein and phosphorus content in breast milk help to maintain an acidic environment in the intestine that is favourable for Bifidobacteria but inhibits the growth of other disease causing bacteria. Breast milk also contains slowly digested carbohydrates like lactose and oligosaccharides, which are food for Bifidobacteria. To help mature and activate an infant's immune system, exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life is recommended.

When Junior starts weaning, his population of Bifidobacteria dwindles.

You can stop this decline by introducing Bifidobacteria directly into Junior's diet. Friendly bacteria incorporated in food products are also referred to as PROBIOTICS.

Bifidobacteria which are added to yogurt and other foods for children, such as milk , work just as well in protecting against intestinal infections and allergies.

You feel a small hand grasping yours. You know he depends on you for protection. So, take the first step and help Junior enhance his immune system.