Foods That Help Boost The Immunity
Various foods can help you maintain your health and boost your immune system, so you can better fight with the illnesses and infections.
While these foods can complement your body’s natural defense mechanism and help fight diseases, your first move should be to visit a doctor or take an over-the-counter medicine if you are not feeling well. These are not a cure for the disease. Instead, these are the preventative measures that you can take to protect yourself from the risk of getting sick.
If you want to increase your immunity in these trouble times, the best thing you can do is head out for your local grocery store to find the following food items that you may try to incorporate into your diet.
These immune boosters can help you strengthen your body’s response to illnesses and infections like the common cold, flu, etc. Increased immunity can also decrease your chances of catching viral diseases.
Shellfish
Shellfish might not even cross your mind while thinking about foods that boost your immunity, but a variety of seafood contains elements like zinc.
People might not consider zinc to be as essential as vitamins and minerals, but our bodies require it to maintain the proper functioning of the immune cells. An adult male needs 11mg of zinc, and an adult woman requires 8mg of this element daily.
Following are the excellent sources of zinc:
- Mussels
- Crab
- Oysters
- Lobster
It is vital to remember that consuming excess zinc can have adverse effects on the functioning of the immune system.
Poultry
Drinking chicken soup when you are sick can make you feel better. The chicken contains substances that can help lower the inflammation and improve the symptoms of a cold.
Poultry like turkey and chicken are high in vitamin B6. 3 ounce of it contains one-third the amount of vitamin B6 of your daily requirement. B6 is essential for many chemical reactions that take place in the body. It also helps in the formation of red blood cells.
You can also get gelatin, chondroitin, and other nutrients to boost immunity and gut healing by consuming stock or broth made by boiling chicken bones.
Kiwi
The vitamin C present in Kiwi helps increase the white blood cell production to fight infection while the other nutrients help the rest of your body function with full efficiency to fight other illnesses.
Papaya
Papaya contains a lot of vitamin C. A single medium-sized fruit has enough of this vitamin to fulfill your vitamin C requirement for two days. This fruit also has papain, an active digestive enzyme that can cause anti-inflammatory effects in the body.
Papaya also contains decent amounts of folate, magnesium, and potassium, all of which your body requires to fight off illnesses and other infections.
Green tea
Both the black and green tea contains flavonoid that is an antioxidant. The main area where green tea surpasses black tea is in the level of EGCG it contains. Studies show that the EGCE or epigallocatechin gallate is a powerful antioxidant that helps boost the immune system.
The green tea is better for your immune system because the fermentation process of the black tea destroys a lot of the EGCG. The green tea goes through the process of steaming and not fermentation, so EGCG remains in it.
Green tea can also provide a decent amount of amino acid known as L-theanine. L-theanine can help the body to produce germ-fighting compounds in the T cells.
Turmeric
Turmeric is the main ingredient in several curries. This bright yellow color spice, which is bitter to taste, is the thing that gives those curries their color. People are using it as a medicine for years. The anti-inflammatory effects of this substance can help treat conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
Researches concluded that the high levels of curcumin in turmeric, the substance that is responsible for its distinctive color, can also help repair exercise-induced muscle damage.
Researchers also found that turmeric has the properties of an immune booster and an antiviral, though we might need more research to determine its effectiveness in boosting the immune system.
Sunflower seeds
Sunflower seeds contain plenty of nutrients, like vitamins B6, vitamin E, magnesium, and phosphorus.
Vitamin E plays a critical role in maintaining and regulating the functions of the immune system. Avocados and dark leafy greens are some of the other rich sources of vitamin E.
Sunflower seeds also have high levels of another essential substance selenium. One ounce of seeds can fulfill nearly half the daily requirement of selenium of an average adult. Several studies conducted on animals also show that it is also helpful in combating viral infections such as H1N1 or swine flu.
Almonds
Almonds can be a rich source of vitamin E that is a powerful antioxidant and essential for your immune system to work correctly.
Vitamin E is also a fat-soluble substance, meaning your body will require fat to absorb it properly. Nuts like almonds contain the perfect combination of healthy fats and vitamin E, which makes it an excellent supplement to boost your immunity.
Adults require about 15mg of vitamin E in a single day. Around 45 whole almonds or a half-cup serving is capable of providing the daily recommended amount.
Yogurt
Yogurt with live and active culture helps stimulate your immune system and assist in fighting diseases. When buying it from the store, look for the phrase “live and active cultures” printed on the label.
Try to avoid flavored yogurts that contain sugar. Get the plain yogurt to achieve maximum benefits. If you want, you can easily sweeten it by adding healthy fruits and honey instead of harmful sugar.
It can also provide the right amount of vitamin D, which can help regulate your immune system and enhances the body’s natural defenses against illnesses and infections. Some clinical trials are underway that are studying yogurt’s positive effects on COVID-19 patients.
Spinach
Spinach contains a high concentration of numerous antioxidants, beta carotene, and vitamin C. These substances help increase the infection-fighting capabilities of the immune system.
Cook spinach as little as possible to get its best effects because overcooking destroys the essential nutrients present in it. When you cook it lightly, it becomes easier to absorb the vitamins, and it also releases oxalic acid, which is an antinutrient when cooked for a short period.
Ginger
Ginger helps people during sickness. It can decrease inflammation and provide relief from sore throat and other inflammatory illnesses. Ginger can also be beneficial to use if you are feeling nauseous.
Though ginger is an ingredient in many sweet desserts, it also contains gingerol, a relative of capsaicin that packs some heat.
Ginger might possess cholesterol-lowering properties, and it can also provide relief from chronic pain.
Garlic
Garlic is an indispensable ingredient of various cuisines around the world. It adds a zing to food and helps you maintain your health.
Everyone knows about its value as an anti-infection substance. It also helps slow the hardening of the arteries, and there is evidence of its working to lower blood pressure.
The immune-boosting properties of garlic are a result of a high concentration of sulfur-containing compounds like allicin.
Broccoli
Broccoli has an immense amount of minerals and vitamins. It has a high concentration of vitamins A, C, & E, fibers, and other antioxidants. Broccoli is among the healthiest vegetables that you can buy right now.
Try cooking it as little as possible to keep the nutrients from getting destroyed. It is also fine to eat it uncooked. Studies find the best way to keep all the nutrients in the food is to steam it, so steam your broccoli and enjoy a healthy meal.
Red bell pepper
Red bell poppers contain 127mg of vitamin C per ounce. These peppers are also an excellent source of beta carotene.
It not only helps enhance the functioning of the immune system but also helps maintain healthy skin. Your body converts the beta carotene present in the red bell pepper into vitamin A that keeps the skin and eyes healthy.
Citrus fruits
These fruits are full of vitamin C that helps fight the common cold. Vitamin C helps boost the immune system by assisting in the production of white blood cells vital in fighting infections.
All citrus fruits contain at least some amount of vitamin C, and it is easy to consume them or squeeze their juice.
Some of the popular citrus fruits include:
- Limes
- Lemons
- Tangerines
- Clementines
- Oranges
- Grapefruit
You need to consume your daily dose of vitamin C because your body cannot store it. An average adult male requires 90mg of vitamin C per day, and the requirement for females is only 75mg in a day.
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