Check out these seven foods that provide those key immune-boosting nutrients to support your immune system...
health
The immune system is your body's great defender. It helps stop incoming attacks from viruses and bacteria. It helps your cells bounce back after illness. It can even help reduce the severity of an illness. That's why, especially when viruses and bugs are making the rounds in your community, you should pay a little extra attention to your immune system.
As the coronavirus spreads across the country and the world, you might be wondering how to stop the virus. Washing hands and social distancing are key to stopping the spread of infectious diseases like COVID-19, but a healthy diet plays a role, too. One of the best ways to care for your immune system and help make it stronger is with food. Certain nutrients in foods are vital for healthy immune functioning. There is evidence that nutrition and other lifestyle measures influence immune strength and susceptibility to infectious diseases. Check out these seven foods that provide those key immune-boosting nutrients to support your immune system.
Ginger: Ayurvedic medicine has relied on ginger's ability to boost your immune system for centuries. Antioxidant compounds in ginger root have potent anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and immune-boosting properties. It has been shown to decrease inflammation, which can help if you get swollen glands or a sore throat or any inflammatory ailment. This gut friendly spice stimulates digestion, gut motility and bowel function, while helping to relieve bloating, cramping and nausea. Grate some fresh ginger and steep it in hot water to make tea. Fresh grated ginger also makes a great addition to healthy stir fried veggies.
Garlic: Garlic is also an immune system warrior, protecting the body from infections and illness.
Garlic has antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal properties. The bulbs are rich in antioxidants that quench free radicals that play a role in Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, cancers, and other conditions. The antiviral properties may be helpful in reducing the severity of colds, flu or COVID-19 infections. Historically, cloves of garlic have been used in food for an assortment of health-related reasons. Reach for fresh garlic cloves rather than a supplement. Add it to cooked veggies, soup, or broth.
Yogurt: Not only is yogurt packed with vitamins and protein, it’s also a source of lactobacillus, a probiotic (or beneficial type of bacteria) that helps fight off the bad guys and also gives your immune system a boost. Nutrition guidelines recommend adults consume 3 servings of dairy products per day. Low-fat yogurt provides 11 grams of protein, 250 calories, and almost 400 mg of calcium per 8-ounce serving. Low-fat yogurt can also help meet your daily requirement for vitamin B12, vitamin D, and vitamin B2 (riboflavin). Studies have shown that the live cultures in yogurt such as lactobacillus can protect the intestinal tract against gastrointestinal illnesses and increase resistance to immune-related diseases and may help prevent colds and other infections.
Spinach: Spinach is a major superfood that is great for your overall health - thanks to its high content of folate, vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber, magnesium, and iron. The nutrients in spinach boost immune function and provide the body with necessary nutrients for cell division and DNA repair. Vitamin C, a powerful nutrient, can assist in preventing the common cold and help reduce symptoms of sickness. Vitamin A is considered essential to normal immune functioning, and leafy greens like spinach are packed with beta-carotene, a form of vitamin A that is also an antioxidant. Reap maximum benefits from spinach by eating it raw or lightly cooked to preserve nutrients.
Broccoli: Broccoli is a nutrient-packed powerhouse to support your immune system. One cup of broccoli provides as much vitamin C as an orange. The veggie is also high in beta-carotene, potassium, magnesium, zinc, and iron. Broccoli supplies an array of B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, and B6). Together, these vitamins and minerals help the immune system to run in top form. Another healthy compound offered up by broccoli: glutathione, the master antioxidant in the body. In terms of immune support, glutathione works by attacking free radicals to minimize their potential damage. Whether you prefer broccoli steamed, roasted, or riced, it's one of the best foods for supporting immune health.
Watermelon: Watermelon is an immune-boosting fruit. Like other fruits, watermelon is packed with vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, but what makes it a super food is its large concentration of lycopene. Lycopene gives watermelon flesh its red color and offers an array of health-building benefits, including reducing respiratory inflammation, which helps prevent infection. Calories in watermelon aren't much at all. Watermelon also provides vitamin B6 and glutathione. The body needs these vitamins, nutrients, and compounds like glutathione for proper immune function.
Cherries: Cherries are another inflammation fighter. Cherries are packed with nutrients. Their rich red colour comes from anthocyanin, a super anti-in ammatory and antioxidant agent. They also contain plenty of ellagic acid and vitamin C. Not only a potent antioxidant, it can reduce muscle soreness and, being a natural source of melatonin, promote restful sleep. The high antioxidant content in cherries is tied to a bolstered immune system, including a reduced risk of upper respiratory tract symptoms. Cherries taste great with yogurt and can fight metabolic syndrome and chronic diseases.
Tea: Whether you prefer green tea or black tea, you will benefit from the compounds called flavonoids, powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants in tea called polyphenols and flavonoids are credited with boosting immune function. These compounds may also reduce the risk of heart disease. Drinking green tea favourably affects blood lipids, increasing good HDL cholesterol and decreasing LDL bad cholesterol, triglycerides, and total cholesterol.
Sleep; Our bodies need sleep to rest and recharge. Without a sufficient amount of sleep, we increase our risk for developing serious health problems - like heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and obesity. Inadequate sleep has also been linked to suppressed immune function. One study found that those who sleep fewer than five hours per night are more likely to have recently suffered a recent cold compared with those who sleep more. Get your nightly eight hours and you’ll be boosting your health while you sleep. Not only important for repairing muscles and aiding growth hormone it can also improve the efficiency of your immune system.
Exercise: Regular exercise is one of the pillars of healthy living. It improves cardiovascular health, lowers blood pressure, helps control body weight, and protects against a variety of diseases. But does it help to boost your immune system naturally and keep it healthy? Just like a healthy diet, exercise can contribute to general good health and therefore to a healthy immune system. It may contribute even more directly by promoting good circulation, which allows the cells and substances of the immune system to move through the body freely and do their job efficiently.
