19 Food to Boost the Immune System

 

A well-balanced diet full of nutrient-dense foods is your best line of defense against chronic and dangerous conditions like diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, according to a wealth of research throughout the years. 

Regularly eating a variety of nutritious foods rich in vitamins and minerals, such as citrus fruits, spinach, red bell peppers, garlic and ginger may help boost your immune system.

However, did you know that certain foods can aid in the defense against illnesses like the flu? Certain foods are recognized as helping to boost the immune system. Thus, they aid in the body's defense against disease. 

Let's examine your immune system in more detail and discuss the nutrients that impact your body's capacity to fight against infections.

What is the Immune System?

Your body protects itself from external threats through the immune system. This complex system of tissues, cells, and organs identifies the presence of foreign substances in your body, such as the flu virus. It then sets off an automated, coordinated response that uses your white blood cells to aid in your healing. 

A strong immune system makes your body more capable of fighting off sickness. You are more prone to illness when your immune system is weak. 

Immune System Boosters:

Your immune system may remain strong if you give your body certain foods.

Your local grocery store should be your first stop if you're looking for plans to avoid getting the flu, colds, and other illnesses. Include these 19 potent immune system boosters in your meal plans.

 To begin enjoying the advantages these nutrient-dense powerhouses provide for your body, try any or all of them.

1-Olive Oil:

Olive oil, an essential component of the Mediterranean diet, is a heart- and brain-healthy fat. Because it lowers inflammation in the body, it additionally boosts your immune system.

Also Read: 14 Health Benefits of Olive Oil

2-Shellfish:

For many people looking to strengthen their immune system, shellfish may not be the first food that comes to mind, but some types of shellfish include zinc, a vitamin that improves immune function.

Shellfish varieties that are rich in zinc include:

• Crab 
• Oysters
• Mussels
• Lobster

Remember that you should not consume more zinc in your diet than the daily recommended amount:

• 11 mg for male adults
• For the majority of adult women, 8 mg

An excess of zinc can inhibit immune system function.

3-Berries:

You can't go wrong and include these small, nutrient-dense sweet treats in your daily diet, especially because there is a large selection to pick from. These tiny little morsels, which range from international goji or açai to local blueberries and blackberries, are full of vitamins and nutrients that will give you the boost you need. 

4-Oats and Barley:

According to the study, these grains include beta-glucan, a kind of fiber that boosts immune cells to help fight disease. Moreover, fiber in general gives good gut bacteria the nutrition they need to flourish and strengthen the immune system. 

5-Egg:

egg You already know that vitamin D is important for your bones since it helps you absorb calcium properly—but it’s also essential for a healthy immune system. Vitamin D deficiency (which affects an estimated 1 billion people worldwide) may increase your chances of upper respiratory infections and even immune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, and Crohn’s disease, research shows. Why? Scientists have found that your immune cells have vitamin D receptors, which are important for regulating your body’s natural defense mechanisms.

Although vitamin D from the sun is hard to obtain naturally through diet, foods high in vitamin D, such as eggs, can help you get the recommended daily dosage. For most adults, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests taking it 600 international units (IUs) of vitamin D daily.

6-Almonds:

When it comes to preventing and fighting off colds, vitamin E tends to take a backseat to vitamin C. However, this powerful antioxidant is key to a healthy immune system.

It’s a fat-soluble vitamin, which means it requires the presence of fat to be absorbed properly. Nuts, such as almonds, are packed with vitamins and also have healthy fats.

Adults only need about 15 mg of vitamin E each day. A half-cup serving of almonds, which is about 46 whole, shelled almonds, provides around 100% of the recommended daily amount.

Also Read: 15 Benefits of Almonds

7-Kiwi:

Nutrients such as folate, potassium, vitamin K, and vitamin C are abundant in kiwis.

The other minerals in kiwis support healthy body functions, while vitamin C strengthens white blood cells to fight infection.

8-Garlic:

In addition to adding flavor to food, garlic has long been used for medicinal purposes.

Its importance in combating diseases was recognized by early cultures. Garlic is used to treat high blood pressure and may also slow down artery hardening.

Allicin and other sulfur-containing chemicals appear to be the primary source of garlic's immune-stimulating properties.

9-Sunflower Seeds:

Sunflower seeds are rich in minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamins B6 and E.

Immune system regulation and maintenance depend on vitamin E. Rich dietary sources of vitamin E are avocados and dark green vegetables.

Selenium levels in sunflower seeds are similarly high. The amount of selenium required daily by the average adult is over half found in just 1 ounce. Numerous investigations, the majority conducted on animals, have examined its potential in the fight against viral infections like the swine flu (H1N1)

Additions of sunflower seeds to salads or breakfast bowls can be tasty. They are a good source of the antioxidant vitamin E.

10-Citrus Fruits:

Most people who get a cold immediately start taking vitamin C. This is because it strengthens your immune system.

White blood cells are essential for combating infections, and it is believed that vitamin C increases their synthesis.

Vitamin C content is high in most citrus fruits. It's simple to squeeze in some vitamin C to any meal with the wide selection available.

Among the popular citrus fruits are:

• Grapefruits 
• Oranges
• Limes,
• Lemons, 
• Tangerines
• Clementines

You must consume vitamin C daily to maintain your health because your body cannot make or store it. For the majority of adults, the suggested daily amount is:

• 75 mg for women
• For men, 90 mg

If you decide to use supplements, try not to exceed 2,000 mg daily.

11-Green Tea:

The antioxidant flavonoids are abundant in both black and green teas. When it comes to the amounts of another potent antioxidant called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), green tea truly shines.

According to research, EGCG might have immune-supporting antiviral qualities. Much of the EGCG is destroyed during the fermentation process that black tea goes through. In contrast, green tea is steam-brewed rather than fermented, which preserves the EGCG.

12-Poultry: 

When you’re sick, and you reach for chicken soup, it’s more than just the placebo effect that makes you feel better. The soup may help lower inflammation, which could improve symptoms of a cold. Poultry, such as chicken and turkey, is high in vitamin B6. About 3 ounces of light turkey or chicken meat contains nearly one-third of your daily recommended amount of B6.

 Vitamin B6 is an important player in many of the chemical reactions 

that happen in the body. It’s also vital to the formation of new and healthy red blood cells. Stock or broth made by boiling chicken bones contains gelatin, chondroitin, and other nutrients helpful for gut healing and immunity.

Indeed, chicken soup is on the list of meals that have been shown by science to strengthen the immune system. It will help you recover from a cold or flu much more quickly and will also lessen your symptoms. Its secret is in the chemicals that stop mucus from being produced, which is triggered when a cold virus attacks our upper respiratory tract and white blood cells get involved. Experts even assert that your body's defense against the flu is caused by a specific chemical known as carnosine.

13-Papaya:

Papaya is a delicious and nutritious food that is highly effective in boosting your immune system. It has the same vitamin A content as its citrus siblings and is an excellent source of vitamin C. These two nutrients are essential for the proper functioning of the immune system in our bodies, which guards against the flu, colds, and other infections.

14-Ginger: 

Ginger is another ingredient many turn to after getting sick. A sore throat and inflammatory diseases may be reduced by ginger's potential anti-inflammatory properties. Additionally, it could help with nausea.

Gingerol, a relative of capsaicin, gives ginger some heat even though it's used in a lot of desserts.

Additionally, ginger may lessen chronic pain and possibly have the ability to lower cholesterol.

15-Leafy Greens: 

 Dark vegetables, including beta carotene, kale, and spinach, are known to provide high quantities of vitamin C, antioxidants, and other nutrients that aid in the prevention of illness. They are beneficial to your gut, brain, and heart as well.

Not only is spinach high in vitamin C, but it also contains an abundance of antioxidants and beta-carotene, which may boost our immune systems' ability to fight infection.

Like broccoli, spinach is healthiest when cooked as little as possible to preserve its nutrients. On the other hand, light cooking facilitates the absorption of vitamin A and releases other nutrients from the antinutrient oxalic acid.

16-Red Bell Peppers:

Red bell peppers provide nearly three times the amount of vitamin C (127 mg) per ounce as Florida oranges (45 mg). They also contain a lot of beta-carotene.

In addition to strengthening your immune system, vitamin C might support the upkeep of good skin. Your body uses beta-carotene to produce vitamin A, which supports healthy skin and eyes.

17-Yogurt:

such as Greek yogurt, that have the words "live and active cultures" printed on the label. These cultures might help fight diseases by boosting your immune system.

Choose plain yogurts over flavored, high-sugar varieties whenever possible. Instead, you can add some honey and some nutritious fruits to your plain yogurt to make it sweeter.

Additionally, yogurt can be a fantastic source of vitamin D, so look for types that have been fortified with this nutrient. It is believed that vitamin D strengthens our body's natural defenses against illness and helps control the immune system.

18-Broccoli:

Broccoli Packed with vitamins and minerals is broccoli. Broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat because it is full of vitamins A, C, and E, fiber, and numerous other antioxidants.

Cooking it minimally, or better still, not at all, is the key to preserving its potency. According to research, steaming or microwaving are the most effective methods for keeping more nutrients in food.

19-Turmeric:

Turmeric has been a mainstay in our diets, appearing in everything from curries to golden lattes. The spice is marketed as having antiviral and immune-boosting properties. This is because curcumin, which inhibits inflammation and fights free radicals, is included in the spice.