Finance
Your immune system is your body’s most effective protection against sickness. As a result, a compromised immune system can put you at risk for colds and the flu, digestive problems, lethargy, and recurring infections.
The good news is that you can boost your immune system with proper nutrition. While no single item contains all of the nutrients your body requires, consuming a variety of foods from all food categories will help guarantee you get everything you need to stay healthy.
Foods That Help The Immune System
Good nutrition – along with exercise and getting enough sleep – is key to keeping your body in peak condition so it can fight off germs.
Essential nutrients
Certain vitamins and minerals are essential to support a healthy immune system. Without them, your body is more prone to illness and infection. Essential nutrients include:
5 foods that are nutrient powerhouses
Get minerals through your diet rather than using supplements. Stock your kitchen with these five nutrient powerhouses:
Lemons
Lemons are loaded with vitamin C and bioflavonoids (an antioxidant that protects cell health). Vitamin C does a lot to keep our bodies healthy, including supporting the immune system. Because our bodies don’t make vitamin C, we have to rely on our diet to get the recommended amount of this vital nutrient.
An easy way to do that? Sip lemon water throughout the day. A quarter cup of lemon juice provides 31 percent of your daily needs. Or squirt it on vegetables or into salad dressings. You can also cook with it in recipes like this one for lemon dill salmon.
Garlic
Garlic contains a number of vitamins and minerals crucial to the immune system. But it also has a compound called allicin, which may be a powerful weapon against bacteria and viruses.
It’s not hard to find recipes that use garlic, but you can also eat it raw, which preserves more of its health-promoting qualities. Add fresh garlic to salad dressings, dips and marinades.
Almonds
These popular nuts are high in vitamin E, which fortifies the immune system. Keep a bag of almonds in the pantry and grab a handful to eat as a snack. They’re packed with protein, fiber and healthy fats to help you feel full until your next meal. You can also toss them into salads, homemade granola or trail mix.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms are filled with selenium, a mineral that protects the body from infection, as well as zinc and vitamins B and D. (The body makes vitamin D when skin is exposed to the sun, but most people need to get some of this nutrient through their diet, as well.)
Grilling portobello mushroom caps like steaks is a favorite recipe for vegetarians and for meatless Mondays. You can also include mushrooms in casseroles or roast them as a simple side dish.
Sweet potatoes
This sweet spud is a delicious immune booster, brimming with vitamin A, which your body needs to protect your cells and fight germs. One sweet potato is enough to meet your daily recommendation of vitamin A.
Just like regular potatoes, you can mash and roast sweet potatoes. You can also use them to make oven-baked fries, hash browns or creamy soup.
Phytochemicals
Phytochemicals, the substances that give fruits and vegetables their bright and varied colors, make our bodies strong and keep them disease-free.
Here are some of the benefits of all four color groups:
Red
Plants like strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes and red bell peppers possess some of the strongest antioxidants known to science. Antioxidants trap and absorb free radicals, those unstable oxygen molecules in the body that can damage cells and lead to cancer. Free radicals are also linked to heart disease.
Orange/yellow
Mangos, carrots and sweet potatoes are loaded with the antioxidant beta-carotene. They’re also packed with vitamin A, which boosts your immune system and is crucial to healthy eyes and strong bones. Besides being a powerhouse of vitamin C, oranges contain disease-fighting chemicals known as limonoids and flavonoids. (One flavonoid found in oranges, hesperetin, is thought to protect against cancer, heart disease and infections.) Bananas are full of potassium, which can prevent or reduce high blood pressure (and may help keep plaque from forming in the arteries).
Green
Chlorophyll, the phytochemical that makes plants green, is not a huge disease-fighter. Still, green vegetables are stuffed with other nutrients and substances essential to good health. Broccoli, for example, is the king of cancer-fighters, with its rich supply of vitamins C and K (used in photosynthesis), as well as specific cancer-preventing compounds like indoles (thought to be especially effective in fighting breast cancer). In addition, spinach is a rich source of vitamin K, folic acid and lutein, which help prevent age-related macular degeneration (and may reduce cataracts, as well).
Blue/purple
Blueberries are extremely rich in antioxidants and contain nearly 100 phytochemicals, which help protect against cancer, bacteria and ulcers, among other things. They may also help protect the brain against aging.
In addition to adding fruits and vegetables, such as citrus fruits, broccoli, peppers and garlic, to your diet, you can also add proteins, Dr. Othersen said. Choose beans, nuts, seeds, tofu, lean meats, fish, and dairy products that contain probiotics, like yogurt.
