Looking for natural ways to boost your immunity?
A strong immune system can protect you from several illnesses.
You can prevent flu, cold, and other infections just by switching up your diet.
In today’s, we’re going to talk about 15 immunity-boosting foods you should include in your daily diet.
Of course, citrus fruits are on the top of our list. But why did we recommend red bell peppers? Is broccoli really good for your immunity?
What about the health benefits of ginger and garlic?
Is green tea as good as people make it out to be? We’ll be discussing all of these AND more…
1. Citrus Fruits
Vitamin C works as an immunity booster. It increases the number of white blood cells produced in your body.
The best way to get your vitamin C is through citrus fruits.
Some of the more common citrus fruits include oranges, lemons, and grapefruit.
Your body does not produce vitamin C or store it, so you have to get it from another source.
The recommended amount for women is 75 milligrams a day.
For men, it’s 90. Wondering how much that is? Well, just one cup of grapefruit will meet 120% of your daily recommended intake of vitamin C.
Not just this, citrus fruits like grapefruit offer you lots of antioxidants as well.
These antioxidants fight off free radicals. Before you get confused, let me explain to you what these free radicals are.
These free radicals are produced in your body as a result of biological processes like aging or upon exposure to pollution and sun rays.
Free radicals damage your body’s cells. Antioxidants fight off these free radicals, as a result, protecting your body cells from harm.
Grapefruit also offers other immunity-boosting nutrients like vitamin A.
Vitamin A has proven to help protect against inflammation and several infectious diseases.
Which is your favorite citrus fruit? Which do you prefer more, grapefruit or oranges? Do you eat them on their own or in a mixed fruit salad?
Share your preferences with us in the comments below…
2. Red Bell Peppers
While citrus fruits do have a good amount of vitamin C, there’s no comparison when it comes to red bell peppers.
For instance, when you compare red bell pepper to a Florida orange ounce for ounce, bell pepper has three times the vitamin C than the orange.
Along with that, red bell peppers also have beta carotene, which your body can convert into vitamin A.
This particular vitamin can help keep your eyes and skin healthy.
3. Broccoli
Not everyone likes the taste of broccoli. But that shouldn’t discourage you from making it a regular part of your diet.
Broccoli is a rich source of vitamins A, C, and E. It also comes packed with fiber and powerful antioxidants.
When you eat broccoli, the best way to get all the nutritional benefits is to cook it as little as possible.
Research suggests steaming broccoli will keep most of the nutrients intact.
You can eat broccoli on its own, whether raw or steamed.
Lightly sauteed is also okay as well. Broccoli soup is another way to include this cruciferous veggie in your diet.
You can also add broccoli to your noodles and pasta.
My favorite way to eat broccoli is to lightly saute it with cottage cheese and tofu. Season with black salt and ground pepper, and BAM! Your delicious protein-packed broccoli salad
is ready!
4. Garlic
Garlic is an ingredient used in almost all diets around the world. It’s popular because of the flavor it adds to the food.
But more importantly, garlic comes with a number of health benefits.
Garlic can help fight infections, and also slows down the pace at which your arteries harden.
There is also evidence to suggest garlic could be helpful in lowering your blood pressure.
Garlic has allicin, the key compound that can help boost your immunity.
5. Ginger
Ginger is also a popular food for people who become sick. This particular food can bring down inflammation, which in turn reduces illnesses like a sore throat.
Ginger can also assist when you’re feeling nauseous. If you’re suffering from chronic pain, ginger can help decrease that as well.
It also has properties that can bring down the cholesterol levels in your body.
6. Spinach
Everyone already knows that eating spinach is good for their body. This isn’t just because of the vitamin C.
Spinach is also rich in antioxidants and beta carotene. These help your immune system fight off any infections you may be exposed to.
Just like with broccoli, the best way to get all the benefits of spinach is to cook it as little as possible.
7. Yogurt
Yogurts with the label “live and active cultures” are the good ones you should eat. This is especially true for Greek yogurt.
These cultures help stimulate your immune system so that it can fight off diseases.
Yogurt is also packed with vitamin D, which also helps strengthen your immune system.
It’s better to choose yogurts that are plain and do not have any flavors, as they may come loaded with sugar.
8. Almonds
If you’re looking for the best way to prevent colds, vitamin E is more effective than vitamin C.
But since vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, it requires fat for your body to be able to absorb it properly.
This is where almonds come in. Almonds are packed with vitamin E, and also have healthy fats in them, making them the perfect food for fighting off colds.
You will need about 15 milligrams of vitamin E in a day, which translates to half a cup of almonds.
9. Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds are another food packed with vitamin E. Along with this vitamin, it’s also a good source of phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamin B-6.
Sunflower seeds are also rich in selenium. Even one ounce of sunflower seeds will give you about half the selenium you will need on a daily basis.
Research is still needed on whether they can also help fight viral infections like swine flu.
10. Turmeric
Turmeric is one of the important ingredients in curries. It has been in use for centuries, and.
These properties are particularly helpful in treating osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Studies have shown that turmeric can also reduce muscle damage caused by stressful exercise.
This is because of the presence of curcumin, which gives turmeric a distinctive yellow color.
There is evidence to suggest curcumin can also work as an immunity booster.
11. Green Tea
Green tea is already quite popular for its various health benefits, especially related to weight loss.
But its main benefit is from the presence of antioxidants such as EGCG.
Research has shown that EGCG can significantly improve your immune system. Although black tea also has EGCG, the fermentation process it goes through destroys most of it.
Green tea, on the other hand, is steamed rather than fermented. This ensures the EGCG is preserved.
12. Papaya
Papaya is one of the fruits packed with vitamin C. Eating one medium-sized fruit is enough to give you twice the amount of vitamin C you would need on a daily basis.
Apart from vitamin C, papayas also come with a digestive enzyme known as papain (pa-pay-in).
This particular enzyme is also known to have anti-inflammatory properties.
Papayas are rich in potassium, magnesium, and folate.
13. Kiwi
Similar to papaya, kiwis are also rich in vitamin C. Along with that, kiwis have other essential nutrients such as vitamin K, folate, and potassium.
While the vitamins can produce the white blood cells your body needs to get rid of infections, the other nutrients present in kiwis.
make sure that all the other functions in your body are in proper condition.
14. Poultry
It’s common to turn to chicken soup whenever you feel ill. Some might think it’s just a placebo effect, but that’s certainly not the case.
The chicken soup can reduce the inflammation in your body, which in turn can reduce your symptoms.
Poultry foods, such as chicken and turkey, are rich in vitamin B-6.
Just three ounces of light turkey chicken is enough to give a third of the vitamin B-6 your body would need on a daily basis.
When you make broth by boiling chicken bones, you also get essential nutrients such as gelatin and chondroitin (chron-dro-ee-tin).
These nutrients ensure your gut remains healthy and also boost your immunity.
15. Shellfish
While shellfish may not be the first food that comes to mind when you’re looking for immunity boosters, they are still an important source of zinc.
Although zinc does not get enough attention, it’s a vital nutrient that ensures your immune cells function properly.
Shellfish that are rich in zinc include oysters, crabs, and lobster.
Men need 11 grams of zinc every day, while women need about 8. Your immunity is so important to your health.
Are you planning to include these immunity-boosting foods in your daily diet? Let us know in the comments below!
Leave a Reply