Your Immune System is like your firewall. It defends your body from foreign threats like parasites, infections, and diseases. Without it, you wouldn’t hold a chance of surviving the onslaught of threats that the human body is subjected to on a daily basis.
To ensure your body is capable of defending itself against viruses and infection, it is necessary to have a strong immune system. A weakened system means you are more likely to fall ill or take way too long to recover from your illness.
A variety of reasons can cause one to live with a weaker immune system. They can be;
1. Not getting enough sleep
2. Not getting enough exercise
3. A poor diet
4. Excess Alcohol
5. Smoking
6. Medications
Whatever the reason may be, one thing is for sure. It completely hinders your quality of life. But, we are not here to bother you with a list of gloomy causes. In this article, you will learn of some of the best foods available in your grocery store that can easily help you build a strong immune system.
So without much further ado, let’s get started.
10 Foods to Boost Your Immune System
1. Bone Broth
Bone broth is an extremely delicious liquid that is in rich minerals and nutrients. It is made out of brewed bones and connective tissues of cows, fish, or chicken. Bone broth is great when it comes to healing conditions of inflammation and immune health issues.
It derives most of its benefits from the bone marrow that helps in building healthy blood cells that constitute an individual’s immune system. As a common remedy for flu, it can be taken at any time of the day or you can even substitute it with your regular meal.
2. Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits like lime, oranges, grapefruits, etc. are rich in Vitamin C. Vitamin C foods have been a strong ally of ours when it comes to overcoming flu and the common cold. It is known to increase the count of white blood cells in the body, thus helping build a strong immune system.
Vitamin C isn’t produced by the body; hence, it is crucial to incorporate vitamin C-rich food and fruits into our daily diets. Citrus fruits make for a potent source of Vitamin C to fulfill its daily recommended requirement.
3. Garlic
Garlic has been an important part of many cuisines all around the world, enhancing the flavors and consigning many dishes to the delicious reputation they enjoy today. Apart from that, garlic is a phenomenal immunity booster. Garlic adds a little bit of zinc to your food and can help the body overcome a number of health conditions like high blood pressure and the hardening of the arteries. Garlic’s immune-boosting properties can be credited to its heavy concentration of sulfur compounds like allicin.
4. Ginger
Ginger is the go-to food for many who suffer from cold and flu. It can significantly reduce inflammation, help with a sore throat, and also decrease nausea. It is extremely useful against cases of flu because of its gingerol composition. Ginger makes for a delicious spice, and more importantly, a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory food that boosts your immune system.
Both garlic and ginger are easily available in your nearest grocery store
5. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is the most versatile food you will find in your kitchen cabinet. It is created from the unrestrained, fermented juice of crushed apples. It is a highly acidic substance with a unique smell. It is high in vitamin E, Vitamin C, antioxidants, and has been proven to boost the body’s immunity while also helping with cold and congestion.
6. Turmeric
Turmeric is a now trending superfood, whose health benefits to our body are proving to be limitless. As such, it was only obvious it would make it to this list as well. Turmeric’s curcumin composition makes it a potent anti-inflammatory food that can help heal osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. You can try the very popular Golden milk, or Turmeric latte is the best way for the body to consume turmeric for maximum benefit. Have it daily to see results.
7. Almonds
When it comes to fighting cold and flu, vitamin C tends to steal the limelight from vitamin E. However; vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps in the easy absorption of fat and significantly boosts the immune system. One of the richest sources of vitamin E comes in the form of almonds. You can get 100 % of your body’s daily recommended dose of vitamin E with 46 whole almonds.
8. Sunshine (or a vitamin D supplement)
While sunshine is not a food, you can take it as a food supplement if you need to address low vitamin D levels. If you are lucky enough to live in the southern states where the sun is abundant most of the year, get outside if you can and get some sun. Exposure to our sun causes amazing and beneficial chemical reactions in our bodies that keep us healthy. One such chemical reaction that occurs with sun exposure is the production of vitamin D (which is actually a hormone, not a vitamin!). Healthy amounts of vitamin D in our body are essential for a healthy immune system and most people are actually severely deficient in their vitamin D levels. If you are fair-skinned, getting around 15 minutes of sun per day can really help boost your vitamin D levels. If you are darker skinned you may find that longer exposure, up to 30 minutes, maybe the most beneficial to help boost your vitamin D levels.
9. Green Tea
Green tea is loaded with potent antioxidants and other nutrients that can help one’s immune system. Green tea also has high levels of EGCG that is known to enhance the immune system.
Green tea is also a great source of L-theanine, an amino acid that helps in the production of germ-fighting compounds in the T-cells.
10. Broccoli
Broccoli is packed with a number of minerals and nutrients, mainly Vitamin A, C, and E, as well as fibers and antioxidants. To consume broccoli with all of its richness, you can saute or steam it to make sure you can absorb as much of the nutrient content in the broccoli as possible.
The Bottom Line
A strong immune system defines a healthy, happy life impervious to diseases and infections. Incorporating some or all of the above diets into your diet will help you maintain a strong immune system that helps you fight diseases and recover from illnesses over time.
Do not follow a monotonous diet, which includes three-course meals every day. Try to switch up to include a diverse range of fruits and vegetables with your meals. This will ensure you are not missing out on any key nutrients your body needs.
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