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8 Foods That Help Boost Your Immune System

8 Foods That Help Boost Your Immune System

By Sarah Edwards
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Published on December 13, 2023

Photo Courtesy: Adobe Images

Your immune system is a complex network of cells, organs, and proteins that strengthen your body against harmful things in the environment. These include germs like fungi, bacteria, viruses, and parasites, as well as disease-causing agents in the body, like cancer cells. Antigens, or substances that the body doesn’t recognize as its own, activate your immune system by attaching to special receptors.

You can find antigens as proteins on the surface of fungi, bacteria, and viruses. Ensuring that your immune system is working at its best is crucial for staying healthy, but how can you improve its function? Immune-boosting foods are a great way to improve the efficiency of the immune system because they provide the nutrients that all of your cells — including immune system cells — require.

1. Garlic: More Than Flavor

Although most people think of garlic as a way to add flavor to a dish, it also offers a range of immune-boosting benefits. This is because garlic has high concentrations of sulfur-containing compounds. The sulfur in garlic makes it easier for your body to absorb zinc, which improves your immune system’s function.

To add garlic to your diet, you can include it in pesto for pasta, grind it into your favorite guacamole recipe, or add it to salad dressings. Raw garlic is always more nutritious than processed options. Some people also turn to garlic tea. To do this, you might steep a few cloves of raw garlic and allow it to sit for about 15 minutes before drinking.

2. Broccoli: Brimming With Vitamins

Broccoli is packed with vitamins A, E, and C, as well as compounds that reduce inflammation and regulate your body’s immune response. To get the most out of broccoli, it’s crucial to cook it as little as possible. The best options are to steam or microwave it so that it retains all of its nutrients.

You can add steamed broccoli to salads or pasta. Consider cooking it with a bit of olive oil, lemon, and garlic, and try it as a side dish for meat or fish.

3. Yogurt: Packed With Vitamin D

Yogurt, especially Greek yogurt, is full of vitamin D, which is important for boosting immune system health. Vitamin D helps regulate your immune responses, with a deficiency of this vitamin linked to increased autoimmunity issues and an increased risk of developing infections.

Choose yogurts that have no added sugars or artificial flavors. You can add flavor with a bit of honey or slices of fresh fruit.

4. Papaya: High Amounts of Vitamin C

A small papaya has all of your daily recommended amount of vitamin C. Vitamin C strengthens the immune system by supporting various cellular functions, including stimulating the activity of white blood cells.

Papaya also helps reduce inflammation, which is harmful to your overall health [National Library of Medicine]. Eating papaya fresh is generally the best way to get the most nutrients out of the fruit, so you might add cubes of it to your favorite salad. You can also get a good dose of vitamins when you roast the fruit and add a drizzle of honey.

5. Spinach: Offering Antioxidants

Spinach is a food choice packed with vitamin C, as well as antioxidants and beta-carotene. Beta-carotene has immunomodulatory properties and enhances the ability of a type of white blood cell called neutrophils to kill bacteria.

Cooking spinach often allows you to receive more of these benefits than if you eat it raw, but it’s better to use cooking methods that don’t rely on water because many of the vitamins spinach contains are water-soluble. Instead, you can saute it and serve it with a bit of olive oil as a side dish.

6. Blueberries: Full of Flavonoids

Blueberries are another superfood. They’re full of a certain type of flavonoid called anthocyanin. Anthocyanin has antioxidant properties that help boost your immune system, especially your respiratory tract’s immune responses.

The healthiest way to eat blueberries is typically raw. You can add them to your favorite yogurt or to your bowl of cereal in the morning. On hot days, you may even want to freeze them and enjoy them as an icy snack.

7. Dark Chocolate: Managing Free Radicals

Dark chocolate contains theobromine, an antioxidant that boosts the immune system by strengthening it against free radicals. Dark chocolate also has anti-inflammatory benefits.

Do keep in mind that dark chocolate contains saturated fat, so you want to eat it in moderation. You can choose the darkest option you can find that doesn’t have added sugars and eat it raw.

8. Ginger: Decreasing Inflammation

Ginger is a popular root to turn to when looking to boost your immune system’s response. It helps decrease inflammation because it contains compounds with anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties.

One great way of using ginger is to boil it and drink it as tea. You may add a drizzle of honey for added nutritional benefits. You can add ginger slices to soups as well.

Giving Your Immune System a Boost

Proper nutrition can make your immune system more effective and much stronger. It’s important to add these foods to your diet regularly. Experiment with different immune-boosting foods to find what you like best so you can keep enjoying the benefits of an immune system that works as it should.

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