7 Best Foods To Help Boost Immunity

Asides from the satisfaction you get from eating, food provides so many benefits to the body. One of those is the ability to boost your immunity. Your immune system is always active, trying to figure out what cells belong to your body and expelling the foreign cells. It needs all the help it can get to continue to function optimally.

Food provides nutrients that enhance the immunity properties of your body. So, if you are looking for a natural way to prevent flu, cold, and other infections, your best bet is to eat foods that boost your immunity.

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Some examples of those foods include:

1. Citrus Fruits

Most people instinctively know to consume more vitamins, especially vitamin C, when they catch a cold or flu. Vitamin C has been tried and tested to work in those cases. That’s because it increases the production of white blood cells, which is important for fighting infections. However, the body does not produce or store this important nutrient, so you would need to consume some daily portions for continued health.

Citrus fruits are a rich source of vitamin C. Some examples of such fruits are oranges, tangerines, lime, lemons, grapefruit, and clementines.

2. Broccoli

Rich in minerals and vitamins, Broccoli is an excellent food to boost immunity. You will get plenty of nutrients to protect your body from diseases. It is packed with vitamins A, C, & E, as well as fiber and the antioxidant glutathione.

Easy to find and nutritious, it is one of the healthiest vegetables available to humankind. The key to preserving these abilities is to cook as little as possible or avoid cooking at all – if possible.

3. Garlic

Garlic is used in cuisines worldwide to punch up the flavor of food. Asides from its flavor, raw garlic also has a lot of health benefits. It can help beat infections due to its antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral properties.

It can also slow down the hardening of the arteries, and there is some evidence that it can help lower blood pressure. Its immune-boosting property comes from a heavy concentration of sulfur-containing compounds like allicin.

4. Spinach

Spinach is a superfood rich in so many nutrients that boost immunity. It is rich in folate, which assists the body to make new cells and repair DNA. It also has fiber, vitamin C, beta carotene, and numerous antioxidants.

As with broccoli, it is best to cook spinach lightly so it doesn’t lose its nutrient. However, light cooking helps absorb vitamin A and release other nutrients from oxalic acid, an anti-nutrient.

5. Ginger

Ginger adds a spicy kick to many foods and sweet desserts. It reduces nausea, vomiting, chronic pain, and cholesterol levels. Ginger also has anti-inflammatory properties, which can help reduce inflammatory illnesses and a sore throat.

Ginger is a good source of antioxidants. You can take ginger in any form to enjoy its rich antioxidant properties. However, antioxidants work best when you get them straight from the source like fruits, roots, and vegetables. So, no supplements.

6. Yogurt

Yogurt is an excellent source of probiotics, which boosts the immune system to fight diseases. Look for yogurts with “live and active cultures” on the label, like Greek yogurt.

Try to get plain yogurt instead of flavored ones. You can sweeten your yogurt with a drizzle of honey and healthy fruits, instead of sugar. Also, look for added vitamin D as it helps to boost your body’s natural defenses against diseases.

7. Tea

Whether green, black, or white, tea is rich in antioxidants like flavonoids and polyphenols. Additionally, green tea contains high levels of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), another antioxidant that enhances immune function. However, the fermentation process that black tea undergoes destroys most of the EGCG present. These antioxidants look for cell-damaging free radicals and destroy them.
Green tea also contains L-theanine, an amino acid that helps to produce germ-fighting compounds in the T-cells.