Need To Boost Your Immune System? Check Out These Foods

Having a strong immune system is vital for optimal health. With a weakened immunity, you will make several trips to and from the hospital.If it persists, your body may give in, thus cutting your life short when you ought to be living your very best of days. Since we are what we eat, it is important to know the kinds of foods need to eat so that we may not just enjoy good health, but also our immunity may be boosted to help prevent most of the attacks we may face from pathogens and the disease-causing organism we keep on interacting with. Here are some of the foods highly recommended if you desire to improve your immune system-:

Citrus Fruits

Citrus fruits are one of the best sources of vitamin C, and there are very good reasons why they are recommended on a regular basis and not just when you have a cold. They are incredibly powerful in building and improving the immune system because they help and encourage the production of white blood cells in the body. Since the body doesn’t produce or store vitamin C, it is important to eat citrus fruits every day for continued and sustained health. Almost every fruit belonging to the citrus family is rich in vitamin C, and this gives you a huge variety to choose from. Some of them include oranges, limes, lemons, tangerines, and grapefruits.

Sunflower Seeds

Sunflower seeds are packed with nutrients, including magnesium and other trace minerals vital for granting the body a good health. They are also extremely rich in vitamin E – one of the vitamins recommended for daily intakes. Vitamin E is one of the best antioxidants out there and it plays a vital role in regulating and maintaining all the functions of the immune systems. Other than sunflower, some of the foods you will find with a higher concentration of vitamin E include dark leafy greens and avocado.

Poultry

For sick people, chicken soup is not just another delicacy with a placebo effect. The delicacy is known to help reduce the symptoms of cold and it is also packed with vitamin B-6 which is a known booster to the immune system. Other than boosting the immunity, the vitamins and the trace elements in poultry also aid the formation of red blood cells which is necessary for the transportation of oxygen and nutrients to all parts of the body. As such, poultry should not just be taken for their heavenly feeling in the mouth, but also for the myriad of health benefits they have.

Papaya

Papaya is another fruit full of vitamin C. With just one papaya, you can find over 220% of your daily requirement of vitamin C. The fruit is also known to contain digestive enzymes that have anti-inflammatory properties which will help the body fight different kinds of inflammations. Papaya is also known to have a generous amount of B vitamins, folate and potassium all of which are needed for a good overall health.

Turmeric

Turmeric is a key ingredient in many delicacies, but in addition to giving our foods the beautiful color and taste, it is also a great consideration if you are looking for foods to help you boost your immunity. Turmeric is loaded with a huge range of anti-inflammatory properties and because of this, it has been used for years to bring relief for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Additionally, curcumin – the yellow substance that gives turmeric the distinctive color, is known to bring relief for pains caused by muscle damage resulting from exercises.

Almonds

When it comes to the prevention of colds, vitamin C is always viewed as superior to vitamin E. However, vitamin E is a vital element not just for fighting colds but also for the general health of the immune system. Vitamin E is fat soluble, implying the need of fats for its absorption to happen successfully. Almonds have a higher concentration of vitamin E as well as soluble fats. As such, it is one of the best nuts you should consider if you want to boost your immune system naturally.

Yogurt

Yogurts, such as the Greek yogurt, are very powerful in boosting the immunity. The live and active cultures in yogurt are designed to stimulate the immune system and enhance its ability to not only fight infections but also prevent infections from happening. If you want to get the most from your yogurt, you should always go for the plain ones, instead of the flavored ones that are loaded with lots of fats and sugars. If you need to sweeten the plain yogurt, you can always do so using healthy fruits.

Ginger

Ginger is not your ordinary superfood. It is one plant most people turn to when they are plagued by health complications and this is rightly so because of the active ingredients it has. For those suffering from inflammation such as a sore throat or any other inflammatory disease, ginger is a wonderful treatment. For pregnant mothers, ginger is usually the go-to plant when they want to deal with nausea. It may also help to reduce chronic pain and lower the levels of cholesterol in the body.

Garlic

Garlic is always featured in most of the delicacies around the globe and this is not because it is the only herb that can make foods have that little zing. It is a must have food for good health as well for boosting the immune system. Several studies suggest that garlic may help to lower blood pressure, slow down the process of hardening of the arteries, and reduce the chances of opportunistic infections. Garlic’s tremendous immune-boosting properties are believed to be due to its high concentration of sulfur compounds such as allicin. If you haven’t been including garlic in your meals, then you haven’t been just missing the great taste it brings to foods, but also on a chance to boost your immunity with every meal you take.