Discover these 11 foods that boost your immune system and help fight away the all the bacteria and germs your body is exposed to daily.
These days, it seems as though germs, sickness and other infections are constantly at the center of attention.
It’s not a surprise that 9% of the world’s population comes down with the flu each year and millions of others become victim to a cold.
In addition, the coronavirus has bought new fear and awareness of one’s health and all the viruses out there.
While exposure to germs are unavoidable, there are ways to make sure your body is as strong and healthy as possible to help fight off any germs that might come your way.
This post is all about the best 11 foods that boost your immune system!
Boost Your Immune System
During my first few years of college, I was sicker than I ever was in all of the previous years combined.
At that point, I was trying everything I could to help support my body and keep fighting for it’s health.
My immune system was under a lot of stress and barely holding on making it extremely hard to fight any infections or germs that the body is exposed to.
Therefore, I knew that if I was going to stay healthy, I had to find a way to strengthen my immune system.
I found that one of the biggest ways to avoid getting sick and boost your immune system is to eat foods that provide vitamins and nutrients that will naturally boost your immune system.
After all, a healthy, balanced diet should provide your body with all the nutrients it needs to be healthy. The key is to eat the right kinds of foods your body needs.
Recommended Read: How to Make a Healthy Grocery List that Lasts All Week
Vitamins and Minerals for Immune Support
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Zinc
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin D
- Iron
Vitamin C, E, A and D are some of the most beneficial vitamins to keep your immune system strong and make it stronger. Iron and zinc are two other vitamins and minerals that you want to incorporate into your diet and make sure you are consuming regularly.
Nutrition and the food you put into your body has such a big impact on your health and energy level. Learn more about healthy eating habits to lose weight.
Find out how to build a healthy relationship with food so you can have healthy balanced diet and still enjoy the foods you love without guilt.
Fun Fact: You can get enough vitamin C from a balance diet. Vitamin C is in almost every fruit and vegetable as well as a bunch of other food.
The average vitamin C intake for adult women: 75 mg per/day
The average vitamin C intake for adult men: 90 mg per/day
So…
If you’re looking for a way to improve and boost your immune system, first, you need to look at the foods you are putting in your body.
What food boost your immune system?
1. Citrus
Citrus food is one of the most well-known foods to support your immune system because of the high concentration of vitamin C.
Foods such as oranges, grapefruit, lemon, lime, and tangerines are among some citrus fruits that are really good for boosting your immune system.
2. Red Bell Pepper
While citrus is a classic staple for vitamin C, bell peppers are actually a better source of vitamin C. One cup of bell pepper contain about 3 times as much vitamin as one cup of oranges.
If you are looking for a snack, you can opt for some red bell pepper as they contain the highest concentrate of vitamin C compared to different color peppers.
I love to eat them with ranch or hummus. It taste so good and is the perfect snack. I also love cooking them in various dinner dishes for increased flavor and nutrients.
3. Sunflower seeds
Sunflowers are super good for boosting your immune system because they are a great source of vitamin E. Similar to vitamin C, vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant so is helps the body fight any infections.
Vitamin E is found in more fatty food such as most nuts.
4. Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt can be very beneficial at boosting your immune system because it contains zinc and probiotics. Zinc helps the production of new immune system cells. The probiotics found in yogurt may also help reduce inflammation, thus making the immune system stronger.
Inflammation in the body is caused when food particles enter the bloodstream. Those particles are detected by the immune system which causes it to become hyperactive and create an autoimmune response which attacks healthy tissue.
This is why anything with an anti-inflammatory properties are great for boosting the immune system. Some other foods mentioned later on also help reduce inflammation.
There are a ton of good Greek yogurt brands out there, like Chobani and Oikos. However, I think Light and Fit are super good! I find that some Greek yogurts give off a sour taste which I don’t like. Light and fit come in a variety of different flavors and are so good. If you aren’t a big fan of Greek yogurt, I highly recommend you try Light and Fit. It just might change your mind!
5. Spinach
Spinach is a green leafy vegetable with a ton of nutrients packed into each serving and one of the best foods to boost your immune system. It contains Vitamins A, B, and C as well as iron and calcium. It has anti-inflammatory properties which fight off diseases and germs.
All of these together, make one highly effective food that will most definitely boost your immune system if eaten on a regular basis.
Personal, I’m not a huge fan of plain, cooked spinach and usually end up eating it raw as my salad base, or mixing it into other foods such as a casserole or my eggs. Another great option would be to make a smoothie out of it.
6. Broccoli
Broccoli is filled with so many nutrients, it is sure to play a part in boosting your immune system. It is loaded with tons of vitamins including, vitamin A, C and K as well as a bunch of fiber and iron.
The Vitamin C and iron contents are a big reason why it boost your immune system. It also contains antioxidants which help neutralize cell damage and reduce inflammation.
7. Tea
Tea is an great anti-inflammatory. Most teas contain polyphenols, which is a type of antioxidant. It has been proven to decrease inflammation in the body. This type of antioxidant found in tea helps lower risk of infections and other diseases.
Green tea is one of the best teas to improve your immune system. Green tea has been scientifically proven to help with weight loss. This is because the antioxidants it contain helps to break down fatty acids and increase energy. Thus, it will reduce your body’s inflammation and receive a positive response from your immune system.
I love drinking tea and one of my all time favorite teas to drink is a mint tea from Sunrider. Sunrider has an array of different Chinese herbal products with insane health and wellness benefits.
8. Sweet potato
I was super excited to find that sweet potato is among one of the best foods at boosting your immune system. Sweet potatoes are so yummy and easy to spice and quickly put into the oven.
Sweet potatoes are super rich in vitamin A, which is another infection fighting vitamin.
Vitamin A is found in plants and vegetables with a hue of orange, red and yellow as well as animal foods and dairy products.
9. Garlic
Garlic contains alliin and when it is chewed or crushed, it turns into allicin. Allicin is the main active ingredient in garlic. Allicin then converts to other compound that contain sulfur.
Those compounds stimulate the disease-fighting response in your white blood cells. The boost in your immune system may help to prevent colds and sickness.
Garlic provides a bunch of health benefits in addition to boosting the immune system. Eating garlic can reduce heart disease risk and certain types of cancer, and improve cognitive health.
10. Bone Broth
When people get sick, they turn to soup for comfort and ease. Not only does it sooth the throat and calm the stomach, but it also has amazing health benefits to hopefully decrease the length of your sickness by boosting the immune system.
Bone broth is the key ingredient in soup that will help increase your body’s immunity. Bone broth is easy for the stomach and gut to absorb which is why it tastes and feels good to eat when we are sick compared to more dense food that causes an upset stomach.
It is also full of amino acids that help aid the immune system. Most of the immune system cells live in your digestive system. Because bone broth improves your gut health, it makes sense that it will also boost your immune system.
11. Chicken
Finally, chicken is great at boosting your immune system. Chicken contains a ton of protein and iron. Iron helps carry oxygen to your cells and plays a part in helping the immune system.
Now, combine chicken and broth to get chicken soup and your immune system will be dancing.
And that’s it!
This post was all about the best foods to boost your immune system and leave your body happy and healthy!
Incorporating these 11 immune-boosting foods into your diet can help fortify your body’s defenses and keep you healthier year-round.
From nutrient-packed fruits and vegetables to beneficial herbs and spices, each food offers unique benefits that contribute to a stronger immune system.
Make these foods a regular part of your meals to support your overall well-being.
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