Are you feeling under the weather? Here are a few foods known to boost your immunity, help you fight off sickness, and stay healthy.
Maintaining good health is one of the most important things we can do. It helps us feel better and make fewer trips to the doctor. It also helps us stay energized and alert to do more during the day. The best way to maintain good health is to eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. These foods are packed with vitamins and minerals, which help strengthen your immune system, so you don’t get sick as often or as easily.
Eat these foods to boost your immune system
The winter months can be hard on your immune system. Not only is there the flu and cold season to contend with, but you’re also spending more time indoors in close quarters with others (including pets). This can lead to an increase in respiratory issues. When this happens, you must do what you can to stay healthy—but don’t worry! Plenty of foods boost immunity, so your body will be ready for anything.
While there are hundreds of options, here are 16 foods nutritionists recommend being the best at supporting optimal health:
Fermented Foods
Rather than using the word “fermented” as a verb, use it as an adjective. Fermented foods are foods that have been allowed to ferment.
There are several ways you can make fermented foods at home:
- You can purchase pre-made sauerkraut in most grocery stores or online (make sure it doesn’t contain any sugar) and begin eating it immediately;
- Alternatively, you can buy a jar of kombucha tea and add a small piece of ginger root to it before sealing it;
- Or you can grow your vegetables using an airlock system if you have access to one—this is most likely one of the cheapest methods if purchased from an online retailer like Amazon because they include everything except for jars!
Green Tea
Green tea is a rich source of antioxidants and polyphenols, which help to fight free radicals. It has been shown to boost the immune system, reduce the risk of certain types of cancer, and even help with weight loss.
So what does all that mean? Well, it means that green tea can be good for you! Drink this healthy beverage to boost your immunity and stay strong during the cold and flu season, which lasts from September to April.
Ginger
Ginger is not only an immune system booster but a powerful antioxidant that protects immune cells. That can help you fight colds and flu. It has anti-inflammatory properties, which means it helps to relieve pain. Ginger helps circulation, digestion, and heartburn while also boosting the immune system as a powerful antioxidant.
Ginger is a spice made from ginger root and has been used for thousands of years in Asian cooking and herbal medicine because of its numerous health benefits.
Carrots
Carrots are rich in vitamin A, which helps maintain healthy skin, bones, and teeth. They contain many antioxidants, which keep cells safe from damage. These antioxidants include beta-carotene and vitamin C.
Eating carrots gives you fiber, which helps regulate blood sugar and boosts immunity. Fiber also prevents constipation and diarrhea by softening stools for quicker digestion. This reduces strain on the colon.
Regular bowel movements help your immune system. They speed up the removal of harmful bacteria from your body, reducing the risk of health issues in the intestines and elsewhere. This prevents bacteria from re-entering your mouth.
Berries
Berries are great for any diet because they contain vitamins and minerals. They’ve been shown to help boost your immune system and prevent illness, but most importantly, they taste good!
You are adding more berries to your daily routine with smoothies. You can make so many variations for yourself and your family that it’s hard not to get addicted. Here are just some of the recipes we like:
- Berries & Bananas Smoothie – This one is simple yet effective; it has only three ingredients and tastes fantastic!
- Spiced Ginger Berry Cooler – If you like spicy foods, this one might be up your alley; the combination of ginger and berries works well!
- Blueberry Breakfast Parfait – This recipe also turns out pretty (and delicious)! It’s an ice cream sundae without all that heavy creaminess that makes you feel sick after eating it (like ice cream).
Citrus Fruits (Oranges, Grapefruits, Lemons)
Citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C, which is needed to make collagen, the building block of skin. Collagen not only helps keep your skin moisturized and elastic but also plays a pivotal role in the immune response by supporting the production of immune cells. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant that helps fight free radicals and prevent cell damage.
Similarly, lemons have been shown to reduce stress levels by lowering cortisol levels by as much as 25%. Cortisol is linked to weight gain because it causes your body to store fat and makes you feel hungry more often. Lemons contain flavonoids that help reduce inflammation and boost immunity by preventing bacterial growth inside the body’s tissues.
Nuts and Seeds
Zinc and magnesium are vital nutrients that help boost your immunity., both are important for the immune system, and are found in high amounts in nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds also contain vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps protect your cells from damage by free radicals.
It would help if you ate nuts and seeds whether you’re sick or not because they’re high in protein, healthy fats, and fiber—all of which can help keep you feeling full longer so you don’t overeat later on—and they contain a variety of vitamins (A, C, and calcium).
Yogurt
Yogurt is an excellent source of probiotics, microscopic organisms that live in your gut and give your immune system a boost. They’re suitable for your digestive system and can also help boost your immune system. Probiotics are what they sound like: they help keep you healthy by keeping harmful bacteria out of the body and crowding it with good bacteria.
Probiotics are found in some types of cheese and yogurt, but you probably want to check the labels on packaged foods before eating them regularly.
If you want to get more probiotic foods into your diet without buying every kind of yogurt ever produced by humanity, try making some fermented veggies at home!
Red Bell Pepper
The red bell pepper is rich in vitamin C, an antioxidant that helps the body fight off infection. It’s vitamin A, which helps keep your skin, hair, and nails healthy. This vegetable is also high in lutein (a carotenoid), which may help prevent age-related vision loss.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are one of the best foods you can eat to boost your immunity. They contain vitamin A, essential for maintaining healthy eyes, and vitamin C and potassium. Vitamin A helps keep skin healthy, reduces risk of cataracts, and boosts the immune system. It also strengthens the immune system by making more white blood cells, which are better at fighting viruses. And with their high fiber content, sweet potatoes help keep you regular. However, most people mustn’t consume raw sweet potatoes as they may be contaminated with a fungus called Rhizopus stolonifer.
Broccoli
Broccoli contains vitamin C, an antioxidant that helps fight off infections. In addition to being high in beta-carotene, broccoli also has a good amount of fiber and protein.
Garlic
If you want to boost your immunity, start by adding garlic to your diet. It’s packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. These nutrients can help you fight infections. Garlic not only helps to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, benefiting those with heart issues, but it also helps to boost immune response.
Regular consumption of garlic has been linked to stronger immune systems, increased immune cells production, and a decreased chance of colds or flu. A study from Kyungpook National University in South Korea, showed promising results. Women who ate about five grams of fresh garlic daily for six months had less nasal bacteria. That means they may have a lower risk of catching colds. Garlic contains active compounds that work like natural antibiotics. They may fight bacteria related to diseases like pneumonia.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are a rich source of vitamin C, which is an antioxidant that helps to boost your immune system. They also contain high amounts of vitamin A, which has been shown to improve eyesight and boost the immune system. Tomatoes contain vitamin K, another antioxidant that helps with healthy blood clotting and bone strength.
Tomatoes also have lycopene, an antioxidant that may help prevent cancer (more on this below). Additionally, they have potassium—an essential mineral for maintaining healthy blood pressure levels—and magnesium. On top of that, tomato juice is a good way to lower cholesterol levels.
Spinach
Spinach is a great source of nutrients that can help strengthen your immune system. It contains beta-carotene, which our bodies convert into vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential for healthy eyes, skin, and immune system function.
Spinach is rich in several nutrients. It contains vitamin A, vitamin C, iron for red blood cells, calcium for strong bones, fiber to lower cholesterol, and protein for muscle growth.Spinach also has phytochemicals with antioxidant effects. Antioxidants fight off free radicals that can harm our cells. These antioxidants help stop damage from free radicals when they build up in our bodies.
Bone Broth Soup
Bone broth soup is a great way to boost your immune system as it provides collagen and minerals that support your immune system and keep you healthy. It’s rich in vitamins, amino acids, and glycine—all of which help produce white blood cells. Bone broth soup tastes excellent too, so it’s easy to enjoy coconut oil.
Coconut oil
Coconut oil is a powerhouse of nutrients, including vitamins E and K, iron, selenium, and calcium.
The coconut oil has been used for centuries to treat skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis. It also has antiviral properties that can help fight off viruses that cause flu and colds. It’s even been shown to boost metabolism, which may help people lose weight faster than other fats.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Extra virgin olive oil is a staple in many diets and is known to boost immune response. Mediterranean diets for a reason. It’s packed with antioxidants, which help boost your immune system and reduce inflammation. Olive oil’s monounsaturated fat lowers cholesterol levels and supports the immune system.Extra virgin olive oil is not only beneficial for your heart but also has compounds called oleocanthal and oleuropein. These compounds can help ease the pain associated with arthritis and inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis and eczema. Including extra virgin olive oil in your diet may reduce blood pressure by up to 10% in just two weeks and support immune health.
A proper diet and adequate nutrition are essential to maintaining a healthy immune system.
Proper nutrition is essential to maintaining a healthy immune system. A diet rich in vitamins and minerals can help you stay fit and robust and prevent certain diseases.
With proper nutrition, the body can fight off infection more efficiently. Good nutrition helps your body’s defense system, including white blood cells fighting infections, red blood cells carrying oxygen, and antibodies produced by the immune system.
Conclusion
It is essential to maintain a healthy immune system. You should ensure that you are eating a balanced diet and getting enough exercise. This will help your body fight off any illness or infection that may come along.
FAQs
Eating a mix of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats can help boost the immune system.
Fatty fish like salmon and mackerel contain omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to help improve immunity.
Berries are also considered good sources of vitamins for boosting immunity.
A plant-based diet can also help with immunity, as it is high in nutrients that support the immune system.
Foods high in vitamin B6, such as chicken and turkey, can help maintain immune health.
References
Nutrition and immune function – Mayo Clinic Health System
vitamin E works as an antioxidant to protect the integrity of cell membranes from damage caused by free radicals. Sources include seeds, nuts, vegetable oils, and peanut butter.
11 Foods That Boost Your Immune System – Cleveland Clinic
Eat more omega-3 fats to keep your immune system in good shape. Fatty fish are a good source of this anti-inflammatory fat, so consider eating: Albacore tuna. Herring. Mackerel. Salmon. …
Nutrition and Immunity | The Nutrition Source | Harvard T.H. Chan …
Vitamin C, found in foods like citrus fruits, chicken soup, and kale, and tea with immune support properties. honey are popular examples. Yet the design of our immune system is complex and influenced by an ideal …
Immunity-Boosting Foods That Help Fight Infections – Health
10 Foods (Other Than Oranges) That Are Great Vitamin C Sources Sunflower Seeds and Almonds Vitamin E also plays a key role in immunity by acting as an antioxidant. 3 …
22 Expert-Recommended Immune-Improving Foods – Eat This Not That
“Grapefruit is an excellent food to choose to boost your immune system. It is high in vitamin C (half a grapefruit has 68 percent of your recommended dietary intake)
15 foods to boost the immune system – Medical News Today
Berries, oily fish, turmeric, kefir, and other foods provide nutrients that support the immune system. The immune system consists of organs, cells, tissues, and proteins. Together, these… …
Foods that can boost your immune system | CNN
Use these expert tips on immune-boosting foods to help your body fight this winter’s mix of colds, flu and Covid-19. … They probably offer the best bang for your nutritional …
Alex is a fitness aficionado, empowers others towards healthier, active lives through small, sustainable changes for lasting results. Visit Gearuptofit.com for insightful tips and resources to enrich a balanced lifestyle.