Taking care of your health should always be your top priority. You must give your body what it needs and make sure it functions great.
Naturally, food is the number one tool for building a strong and healthy body. What you eat will determine the strength of your organism. This is because food and your immune system are closely linked together.
Boosting your immune system is always a great idea. Keeping your immunity strong is important. It will protect you from viruses, colds, and other health issues. To help you out with this, we’ve put together a list of 12 foods that boost your immune system.
Let’s break it down together.
Why Should You Boost Your Immune System?
First things first, let’s take a closer look at the importance of a strong immune system. Why is it crucial that you work on boosting it?
A strong immune system will:
- protect you
from disease-causing microorganisms - help you
get over a disease faster and easier - ensure
you’re always feeling energized - ensure
you’re ready for all types of unexpected situations
A strong immune system is the best way to
keep your body and mind at rest. Even when things aren’t going great, you’ll
find it easier to overcome them.
Now, let’s take a look at our list. Here
are the foods you should eat as often as possible, to boost your immunity.
1. Garlic
Garlic is truly amazing food, with so many health benefits.
It belongs to the onion family and you can
easily find it in almost all parts of the world. Apart from tasting and smelling
great, garlic is also extremely healthy.
The truth is, this food has been used as a
medicine since ancient times.
The best things about garlic are:
- it’s highly nutritious
- it has few calories
- it’s rich in vitamin C, B6, and manganese
People have been using garlic as a medicine
and prevention against various diseases. This is thanks to:
- its
anti-inflammatory features - reducing
symptoms of colds - reducing
blood pressure
Also, garlic prevents heart failure and
cancer. It lowers blood cholesterol, and even improves brain function.
If you want to boost your immune system,
take a clove of garlic every morning, on an empty stomach. You can swallow it
like a pill, just cut off both ends first.
2. Ginger
Another great immunity-boosting food is ginger.
The super-healthy food has a hard skin and
intense smell. It can make your body stronger and healthier.
It originates from China.
“You can use it as a spice, fresh, powdered, or blended. Whatever choice you make, you’ll be doing your body a huge favor,” says Peter Pearson, a nutritionist, and writer at Subjecto.
Ginger can help you to:
- decrease
inflammation - decrease
nausea - lower your
temperature
It’s also great for prevention, so try
making it a regular part of your diet.
3. Blueberries
Every healthy-foods list you look at, you’ll see blueberries on the very top.
This super-food is another great choice for
boosting your immunity.
You should eat it fresh but frozen
blueberries keep most of their nutrition as well.
Blueberries are rich in the antioxidant flavonoid called anthocyanin. It will:
- protect you
from inflammation - protect you
from the common cold
The best thing about blueberries is that
they taste great. You can eat them in your oatmeal, smoothie, or with toast.
4. Citrus Fruits
Good news for you citrus fruit lovers.
Think about oranges, lemons, limes,
grapefruit, tangerines, and other juicy citrus fruits. They’re all rich in
vitamin C. And vitamin C will:
- increase
the production of white blood cells - boost your
immune system - help you
get better and heal faster
“Just squeeze and drink
some fresh citrus juice, or eat the whole plant if you prefer. You won’t be
seeing your doctor for a long time,“ says Gordon Harris, an
immunologist and writer at Studyker.
5. Spinach
Eating your greens is never a bad idea, and spinach is the way to go.
This superfood is packed with:
- folate
- Vitamine A
and C - iron
- magnesium
- fiber
It’s nutritious but it’s best to eat it raw
or mildly cooked to preserve that nutrition.
It will boost your immune system, and improve cell division.
6. Turmeric
Like ginger, turmeric is a yellow spice people use to prepare all kinds of dishes. It’s also one of the main ingredients of curry.
Turmeric gives your meals a specific taste
and yellow color, but there’s more to it than that. It’s immensely healthy and
great for boosting your immunity.
This is thanks to curcumin. This ingredient can decrease inflammation and swelling. That will make it easier for you to overcome:
You can put it in your tea, add it to your
rice or scrambled eggs, or make a soup out of it.
7. Almonds
When it comes to nuts, almonds are among the most widely-used and popular ones.
They’re rich in fiber and protein, which
makes them great as a healthy snack. Apart from that, they’re also rich in:
- healthy fats
- antioxidants
- vitamin E
- minerals
All of the above makes them great for
boosting your immune system. Antioxidants and healthy fats will help your body
absorb the vitamins. That protects your body
from inflammation and stress.
8. Oily Fish
Fish is among the healthiest foods you can eat. Oily fish is especially healthy because it’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega-3 is an essential type of fatty acid,
necessary for reducing inflammation. You’ll find it in oily fish such as:
- salmon
- tuna
- herring
- sardines
- trout
- etc.
One portion of oily fish a week can help
you stay healthy and fight off many health issues that come your way. It’s a
great way to boost your immune system so make it a regular part of your diet.
9. Broccoli
Broccoli is among the healthiest foods you can eat. It’s low in calories but highly nutritious.
Also, it’s great for your immunity.
Here’s what makes broccoli so powerful:
- rich in
Vitamin C, A, and E - rich in
other antioxidants - rich in
fiber
Broccoli will feed your body cells, prevent
their damage and protect you from getting ill. If you do catch a cold, it will
help you get better faster.
You can eat raw broccoli or mildly cooked ones to get the most out of it. It’s the food you should never stop eating.
Your immune system will be thankful.
10.
Sunflower Seeds
You may not be aware of it, but sunflower seeds can work wonders for your body.
Here’s what makes them so great:
- they’re
extremely nutritious - great
source of Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant - rich in
phosphorous, magnesium, and vitamin B-6
Sunflower seeds will make a great addition
to a fresh salad. You can also eat them raw and mildly salted.
It will boost your immune system and
prevent cell damage. This will keep your body functioning properly.
11. Red Bell Peppers
Bell peppers are great for the kitchen since they can be made a part of any meal. They’re tasty, smell great, and have a beautiful thick texture that gives them extra credit.
But,
the best part about it is that it’s super-healthy and great for immunity.
The reason behind it is that red bell peppers are super-rich in Vitamin C and beta-carotene. That means that red bell pepper can:
- boost your
immunity - fight free
radicals - decrease
your stress level
If you like the taste of raw bell pepper,
knock yourself out. If you prefer to cook it, it’s best to roast it. That will
preserve the nutrients you need to keep your immune system strong.
12. Dark Chocolate
Finally, something for all you chocolate lovers out there. Dark chocolate is the best version of this delicious sweet we all love so much, and here’s why.
Dark chocolate and the cocoa found in it
are rich in:
- iron
- magnesium
- zinc
- flavonoids
It has less sugar and milk than the regular
type of chocolate and more cocoa. This makes it overall healthier and better.
The antioxidants found in the dark chocolate can:
- fight free
radicals - enhance
your immune system - duce
inflammation in the body
Don’t get too excited. You still need to
watch how much chocolate you eat.
A 20g bar a day will do the job just fine
so don’t go too crazy with it.
Final Thoughts
Boosting your immune system is not something you should only do when you catch a cold or get sick. It should be your ever-lasting health goal.
Use the list provided above and wisely choose what you eat. Try making the foods listed above a regular part of your diet. This will keep you healthy, strong, and safe.
