Finding foods to boost your immunity is more important today than ever. As the world seems to finally have turned the corner on the Covid-19 pandemic and cold and flu season is becoming more relevant again, the question on everyone’s mind is how to stay healthy and even boost your ability to fight off sickness. I mean, is it possible to do that with help of a nutritious diet or even by including certain foods in your daily rotation to boost your immunity?
A healthy diet alone won’t prevent contracting the coronavirus or the flu, but it sure can help strengthen your immune system, while a less healthy diet can undermine it. We’re not saying you need to eat 100% clean all the time, what fun is that, however eating more of the foods we’re about to discuss can greatly help keep you healthier!
So let’s dive in and take a look at these 7 easy to find foods to boost your immune system that you can easily work into your healthy diet each week.
1. Blueberries
Eating these awesome little fruits is an awesome way to help boost immunity. Blueberries contain flavonoids which is a type of antioxidant that can help reduce damage to cells and boost your immune system. In addition, blueberries have boatloads of vitamins, which include vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, dietary fiber, and manganese.
Blueberries can be consumed in many ways such as popping a handful in your mouth, adding to your cereal, or in an immune-boosting smoothie with other healthy ingredients. I love the latter where I take a cup or two and add them to my morning Superfood shake, Shakeology. These little blue beauties are full of taste too when perfectly ripe.
2. Dark Chocolate
No, I’m not talking about a Hersey Bar here but rather, really rich and even somewhat bitter, dark chocolate found in cocoa plants
The cocoa found in dark chocolate and the healthy compounds inside the cocoa itself can strengthen the defenses of our immune system and increase our body’s resistance to illness. Dark chocolate may also be good for a stubborn cough. The Imperial College in London last year found that theobromine, an alkaloid in cocoa, was better at suppressing a cough than codeine.
Also of note, in a study published in the US National Institute of Health cocoa has been revealed as a food with immunoregulatory properties. Cocoa helps the immune system, in particular, the inflammatory response when illness is present in our system.
3. Broccoli
It’s not too hard to find at the market, and it’s an easy and popular immunity staple for the health-conscious. You’ll get tons of nutrients that protect you and your body from certain havoc. It has vitamins A and C, and the antioxidant glutathione. It’s great as an add-on to any dish or top it with some low-fat cheese as a great evening snack while watching a game or movie. Did you know that one cup of broccoli has as much vitamin C as a whole large orange?
The texture of broccoli can be a sticking point for some people, however. Personally, I need to cook or steam mine because the fresh crunch is a turn-off to me, however no matter how you consume it, rest assured the health benefits are equal and plentiful. Some favorites of mine are broccoli and cheese soup or even a cheesy Broccoli bake for thanksgiving. Broccoli really is a cheap and easy immunity-boosting food!
4. Sweet Potatoes
Those orange sweet spuds pack a punch when it comes to helping your immune system along with being full of flavor at the same time! Just one medium-sized sweet potato packs an amazing 120% of the daily value of the vitamin A we all need as well as 30% of the daily allotment of vitamin C that our bodies need. The best part is they come in at just 100 or so calories which won’t attack your waistline.
These 2 main vitamins (A and C) are important for your immune system and great for your skin at the same time. Sweet potatoes don’t have cholesterol or fat, so they are ideal to add to your diet as a regular staple food. Sweet potatoes serve up a healthy portion of fiber, too. My personal favorite is making sweet potato fries where I cut one up into thin slices and lightly baste them with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and bake for 30 to 40 mins. They are simply amazing!
5. Watermelon
Who doesn’t love some Watermelon on a hot summer day when having a traditional family BBQ as a nice side dish? It’s not only refreshing when it’s fully ripe, but it also has plenty of an antioxidant called glutathione. Glutathione strengthens the immune system so it can fight infection, and fighting infection is a huge part of your immune system.
Just one 2-cup serving of watermelon has 270 mg of potassium, 30% of the daily value of vitamin A, and 25% of the value of vitamin C. The calories in watermelon aren’t much at all to worry about either. One 2-cup serving of watermelon has just 80 calories which won’t tip the scale in the wrong direction. Watermelon also provides vitamin B6 in addition to the glutathione mentioned just above. The body needs these vitamins, nutrients, and compounds like glutathione for proper immune system function. On a side note, watermelon helps with regularity as well in the digestive system.
6. Almonds
Nuts, particularly almonds, contain a plethora of important and rich nutrients, such as protein for building muscle and vitamin E. The latter vitamin E isn’t as important to a strong immune system as vitamin C; however, it is still needed to keep your immune system running smoothly. Just a half-cup of almonds provides your daily recommended amount of vitamin E. In addition to vitamin E, almonds are also a highly nutritional nut rich in calcium, phosphorous, iron, and magnesium. They also contain zinc, selenium, copper, and niacin. When you put them against all other nuts, they are richer in nutrients which in turn helps to boost that immune system.
7. Green Tea
Green tea has long been revered as one of the foods and beverages that so many use to help boost their immune system. In fact, its history can be traced back thousands of years to early China, where it was used widely for its many medicinal properties.
Green tea is full of several disease-fighting antioxidants and polyphenols, including epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG has been looked at for decades extensively for its ability to help stop inflammation and enhance the body’s natural immunity.
Green tea is widely available and can be consumed in many ways. Drink up!
A Final Word On These Great Foods To Boost Your Immunity
Maximizing the health of your immune system and giving your body the best chance to fight off infection and illness is easy when you know which foods to eat that help.
While these 7 foods that we mentioned above are NOT the only immune-boosting ones, these are 7 of our favorites not just for the taste, but for being readily available at most grocery stores around the world. Yes, seasons can affect a few of them price-wise, but most of them should all be available for you when you make that grocery list!
Here’s to your Health!
Your friends at ISWC!
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