Immune System Boosters
Feeding Your Body Certain Foods Can Help Maintain Your Immune System strong and optimal.
If you're looking for ways to prevent colds, flu, and other infections, your first step should be a trip to your local grocery store or supermarket.
Plan your meals to include these 15 powerful immune system boosters:
1. Citrus fruits
Most people go straight to the vitamin C after catching a cold. This is because it helps boost your immune system .
Vitamin C is thought to increase the production of white blood cells, which are essential for fighting infections.
Almost all citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C. With such a variety to choose from, it's easy to add a squeeze of this vitamin to any meal.
Popular citrus fruits include:
- Grapefruit
- orange
- Clementine
- The mandarin
- lemons
- The limes
Because your body does not produce it or store it, you have need vitamin C daily to stay healthy . The recommended daily amount for most adults is:
- 75mg for women
- 90mg for men
If you opt for supplements, avoid taking more than 2000 milligrams (mg) per day.
Also keep in mind that while vitamin C can help you recover from a cold faster, nothing does not yet prove to be effective against new coronavirus , SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19).
2. Red pepper
If you think citrus fruits contain the most vitamin C of any fruit or vegetable, think again. The Red peppers contain almost 3 times more vitamin C than an orange . They are also a rich source of beta-carotene .
In addition to boosting your immune system , vitamin C can help you maintain healthy skin . Beta-carotene, which your body converts into vitamin A , helps keep your eyes and skin healthy.
3. Broccoli
Broccoli is overloaded with vitamins and minerals. Filled with vitamins A, C and E, as well as fibers and many others antioxidants , broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables you can put on your plate.
The key to keeping its potency intact is to cook it as little as possible – or better yet, not at all. The _ steam cooking is the best way to keep more nutrients in food.
4. Garlic
garlic can be found in almost every kitchen in the world. It lifts your food a bit and is a must for your health.
Early civilizations recognized its value in fighting infections. Garlic can also slow the hardening of the arteries, and there are weak evidence that it helps to lower blood pressure.
The immune properties of garlic seem to come from a high concentration of sulfur compounds, such as allicin.
5. Ginger
Ginger is another ingredient that many turn to after falling ill. Ginger can help reduce inflammation, which can help reduce sore throat and inflammatory diseases. Ginger can also relieve nausea .
Ginger can also
6. Spinach
The spinach has makes our list not only because they're high in vitamin C — they also contain plenty of antioxidants and beta-carotene, both of which can boost our immune system's infection-fighting ability.
Similar to broccoli, spinach is healthiest when cooked as little as possible to retain its nutrients. However, light cooking aids the absorption of vitamin A and allows other nutrients to be released from oxalic acid , an antinutrient.
7. Yogurt
Look for the yogurts which bear the words 'live and active cultures' on the label, such as Greek yogurt . These cultures can boost your immune system to help fight disease .
Try to get plain yogurts rather than those that are flavored and loaded with sugar. You can sweeten plain yogurt yourself with healthy fruit and a drizzle of honey with square.
Yogurt can also be an excellent source of vitamin D , so try to select brands fortified with this vitamin. Vitamin D helps regulate the immune system and is believed to strengthen our body's natural defenses against disease.
clinical trials are even going to study its possible effects on COVID-19 .
8. Almond
When it comes to preventing and fighting the common cold , the vitamin E a tends to trump vitamin C. However, this powerful antioxidant is key to a healthy immune system .
It is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means it requires the presence of fat to be absorbed properly. Nuts, like almonds , are rich in vitamins and also contain healthy fats.
Adults only need about 15mg of vitamin E per day. Half a cup of almonds, or about 46 whole shelled almonds, provides about 100% of the recommended daily amount.
9. Sunflower seeds
Sunflower seeds are packed with nutrients, including phosphorus , magnesium and vitamins B-6 and E.
Vitamin E is important for regulating and maintaining immune system function . Other foods rich in vitamin E include lawyers and the leafy greens dark .
Sunflower seeds are also incredibly high in selenium. Miscellaneous studies , mostly done on animals, have looked at its potential to fight viral infections such as swine flu (H1N1) .
10. Turmeric
You may know the turmeric as a key ingredient in many curries. This bright yellow, bitter spice has also been used for years as an anti-inflammatory in the treatment of osteoarthritis and some rheumatoid arthritis .
Studies show that high concentrations of curcumin, which gives turmeric its distinctive color, can help reduce exercise-induced muscle damage. Curcumin shows promise as an immune booster (based on results from animal studies) . Further research is needed.
11. Green tea
The green and black teas abound of flavonoids, a type of antioxidant. There where green tea what really shines is in its levels of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), another powerful antioxidant .
In studies , EGCG has been shown to improve immune function . The fermentation process in black tea destroys much of the EGCG. Green tea, on the other hand, is steamed and unfermented, so the EGCG is preserved.
Green tea is also a good source of amino acid L-theanine . L-theanine can aid in the production of germ-fighting compounds in your T cells.
12. Papaya
papaya is another fruit rich in vitamin C. You can find the recommended daily amount of vitamin C in just one medium fruit. Papayas also have a digestive enzyme called papain which has anti-inflammatory effects.
Papayas contain decent amounts of potassium , magnesium and folate , all of which are beneficial to your overall health.
13. The kiwi
Like papayas, kiwi fruit are naturally packed with a ton of essential nutrients, including folate, potassium, vitamin K and vitamin C.
Vitamin C boosts white blood cells to fight infections, while the other nutrients in kiwifruit keep the rest of your body functioning properly.
14. Poultry
When you're sick and take chicken soup, it's more than the placebo effect that makes you feel better. The soup may help reduce inflammation, which could improve symptoms of a cold.
Poultry, such as chicken and turkey, is high in vitamin B-6 . About 3 ounces of light turkey or chicken meat contains almost a third of your recommended daily amount of B-6.
Vitamin B-6 is an important player in many chemical reactions that occur in the body. It is also essential for the formation of new Red cells healthy.
15. Shellfish
The crustaceans are not what comes to mind for many who are trying to boost their immune system , but some types of shellfish are packed with zinc .
Zinc doesn't get as much attention as many other vitamins and minerals, but our bodies need it for our immune cells to function as intended.
Zinc-rich shellfish varieties include:
- Oysters
- Crab
- Lobster
- molds
Keep in mind that you don't want to have more than the recommended daily amount of zinc in your diet:
- 11 mg for adult men
- 8 mg for most adult women
too much zinc can actually inhibit the functioning of the immune system .
More Ways to Prevent Infections
Variety is the key to good nutrition . Eating just one of these foods will not be enough to fight the flu or other infections, even if you eat them constantly. Pay attention to portion sizes and recommended daily intake so you don't get too much of one vitamin and too little of others.
