Yes, its true, some foods can boost your immune system!
Eating certain foods to boost the immune system
Besides practising good hygiene and avoiding obvious sources of infection, the best thing you can do to fight infection is to keep a healthy immune system. You can give your immune system a boost every day with these 4 common foods:
Mushrooms
When thinking about foods to boost your immune system, mushrooms are not always top of mind. However, research shows that mushrooms boost your immune system by promoting the growth and efficiency of T cells in the blood. T cells are a type of white blood cell which actively hunt and “eat” viruses and bacteria. Do your T cells a favour by adding a cup of chopped mushrooms to whatever meat or vegetable dish you are planning to eat tonight! Calories per 100G: 20
Garlic and Onions
You probably knew that garlic would take a spot on this list,
because it has been used as a home remedy for generations. Perhaps the key
ingredient of garlic which boosts the immune system is a chemical called
Allicin. Some studies show that Allicin has a beneficial
effect against common colds and other infections. Some studies show that
onions have similar properties.
Calories per 100g: 124
Oranges and Lemons
Basically, all the citrus fruits and other high Vitamin C
foods like kiwifruit will give
your immune system a leg-up. Why? No one really knows exactly why and how Vitamin
C increases infection resistance, but it seems to promote the growth of white
blood cells. Your body cannot make or store Vitamin C, so make sure to include
a good helping in your diet. Calories
per 100g: 42
Yoghurt and other Fermented Foods
Fermented foods like yoghurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso and kefir contain high amounts of probiotics which, in addition to helping with gut health, reduce upper-respiratory tract infections. Existing problems with your upper-respiratory tract (nose, sinuses, throat and upper bronchial tubes) can quickly exacerbate virus infections, so look after yours with a bowl of yoghurt! Calories per 100g: 105
There’s an old saying which goes: “let food be your medicine” and another which says: “prevention is better than a cure”. We think that there is a lot of wisdom in these two distilled nuggets, so why not add some citrus, mushrooms, yoghurt and garlic to your meal plan this week for some extra peace of mind? You eat food every day, so eat foods to boost your immune system and stay healthy!
