Foods To Boost Your Immune System

It's cold and flu season, and it's important to make sure you're getting the right foods to keep your immune system strong. A healthy diet will help boost your body's ability to fight off illness and get you back to feeling well quickly. In this article, we'll go over some of the best foods that can help fight off colds and flus by boosting your immunity!

1. Citrus fruits

Mostly people tend to take vitamin C right away when they have caught a cold. The reason for this is that it strengthens your immune system. Vitamin C levels are high in almost all citrus fruits. With so many options, it is simple to add some of this vitamin into any meal.

Here are some popular citrus fruits that can be found in any grocery store:

• oranges
• limes
• lemons
• grapefruits
• clementines
  

2. Ginger

Another food that many people use when they are get sick is ginger. Ginger may help lessen inflammation, which can decrease inflammatory disorders and sore throats. Did you know that ginger may also help with nausea?

Despite being a common ingredient in sweet foods, ginger contains gingerol, a compound related to capsaicin that gives it considerable heat. Additionally, ginger may reduce chronic discomfort and may even have cholesterol-lowering qualities.

3. Garlic

Colds and other illnesses can often be prevented at home with the help of garlic. Yes, some people don’t really like this species. Although, it is worth noting that it not only enhances the flavor of food but also it is quite essential for good health (https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/garlic).

4. Green Tea

We all perfectly know that drinking green tea may help boost the immune system. Many people prefer green tea as an alternative for black tea or coffee because it has less caffeine than those beverages.

Both green and black teas contain flavonoids, a type of antioxidant. While green tea has another powerful antioxidant called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). It has been found in trials to improve immunological performance. The majority of the EGCG in black tea is destroyed during the fermentation process. The EGCG is maintained in green tea because it is steamed rather than fermented.

5. Dark Chocolate

Good news for chocolate lovers! Dark chocolate can also help you boost your immune system. The antioxidant theobromine found in it can assist to strengthen the immune system by shielding the body's cells from free radicals.

When the body digests food or comes into contact with contaminants, it produces molecules called free radicals. Free radicals may cause sickness and harm the body's cells.

Dark chocolate has some possible health benefits, but it should still be consumed in moderation because it contains a lot of calories and saturated fat.

Most of us might remember the time when our parents forced us to eat broccoli. Well, there was a reason for this. Broccoli is full of vitamins and minerals. It is considered as one of the healthiest veggies because it is rich in vitamins A, C, and E, fibre, and several antioxidants.

7. Spinach

Spinach made our list not just because it's high in vitamin C, but also because it's loaded with beta carotene and a tonne of other antioxidants that may help our immune systems fight off infections. Spinach benefits from being cooked as little as possible to preserve its nutrients. However, mild heating facilitates the absorption of vitamin A and permits the release of other nutrients from the antinutrient oxalic acid. Here are some recipes using spinach. 

8. Almonds

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means that in order to be absorbed properly it needs fat. The vitamin is abundant in nuts, like almonds, which also contain good fats. Adults equire about 15 mg of vitamin E daily.

9. Red Bell Peppers

Red bell peppers are a great alternate source of vitamin C for folks seeking to avoid the sugar in fruit. According to a study on cooking techniques, roasting and stir-frying red bell peppers keep their nutritional value better than steaming or boiling. 

10. Sunflower Seeds

Salads or breakfast bowls might benefit from the delightful addition of sunflower seeds. They are a great source of the antioxidant vitamin E.

Turmeric is a common curry ingredient that you may be familiar with. This bright yellow, pungent spice has also long been used as an anti-inflammatory in the treatment of rheumatoid and osteoarthritis. High levels of curcumin, the pigment that gives turmeric its unique colour, have been found to reduce the damage that exercise causes to muscles.

Conclusion

It's important to remember that your immune system is a complex and delicate mechanism. You can’t simply take vitamin C pills and expect them to work on their own. Instead, you need to eat a wide variety of foods rich in this nutrient, so it can work with all the other vitamins and minerals in your body. We hope that our list of foods will help boost your immunity and keep your body healthy and strong.