Taking good care of your immune system is extremely important if you really want to take care of your overall health. One of the best ways to do this is by consuming foods that are rich in essential nutrients and vitamins required by our body.
Best 10 foods that boost your immune system.
- Bell Peppers
- Broccoli
- Tuna Fish
- Beef Liver
- Sweet Potatoes
- Almonds
- Oysters
- Mushrooms
- Garlic
- Turmeric
Some of the best foods that you can consider adding to your diet are to help boost the health of your immune system and even help fight infections.
Let’s talk about which foods are most beneficial for the immune system of the human body.
1. Bell Peppers
Bell peppers are extremely rich in vitamin c which makes them one of the best foods for boosting your immune system. vitamin c is a great immunity booster because it helps the body.
Create new white blood cells which work naturally to ward off infections a one-cup serving of bell pepper or about 150 milligrams will provide you with almost double the recommended daily amount of vitamin c.
2. Broccoli
broccoli is a well-known staple in healthy diets, that is because it’s pretty much ack-of-all-trades vegetable broccoli provides adequate amounts of fibre. that is needed to maintain gut health and clean out unwanted bacteria from the GI tract (Gastrointestinal tract).
it’s also loaded with vitamins a and c that will give your cells the energy and strength to fight when you need them the most another good immunity-boosting food.
3. Tuna Fish
Aside from providing your body with good omega fatty acids tuna is one of the best sources of vitamin B6 this vitamin is incredibly important.
when it comes to enhancing your immune system and has been linked to decreasing the risk of cancer. vitamin B6 also plays a crucial role in building antibodies as well as regulating inflammation within the body.
Approximately six ounces of tuna will provide your body with around half of the daily recommended intake of vitamin B6, other types of meat such as chicken turkey and salmon are also good sources of vitamin B6.
4. Beef Liver
look I get it beef liver isn’t something that sounds very appetizing nor is it a staple of most diets. The fact is that beef liver is good for your immune system because it can serve as a primary source of vitamin B12.
vitamin B12 is typically known for giving your body an energy boost but most people don’t realize that it also plays a role in the body’s immunity as well.
it provides a boost for the natural killer cells which are a type of lymphocytes aka they’re a type of white blood cells this is good for fighting infections and helping the body recover from viruses like – Covid, Omicron.
unfortunately, most people do not get enough of this vitamin in their diet is especially true for vegans and vegetarians. Because high doses of b vitamins are typically not found in plant-based diets so if you eat mostly vegetables.
You may consider adding vitamin B12 supplements as long as it’s recommended by your doctor.
5. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes are packed with both flavour and nutrition aside from providing you with good carbohydrates and fibre for gut health, they also are loaded with vitamin a.
Vitamin A plays an important role in the structure and function of B and T cells involved in the body’s immune response. Vitamin A also helps initiate an antibody response that works to fight infection. Some other good sources of vitamin A include spinach, carrots and eggs.
6. Almonds
Almonds if you’re like me and enjoy snacking between meals it’s hard to find anything better and healthier than almonds.
Not only are they delicious they are also loaded with vitamin e which is great for your immune system vitamin e is an antioxidant that helps maintain cell walls and prevent damage.
when an infection is present simply eating a handful of almonds per day is a great way to provide a quick boost for your immune system sunflower seeds and granola are some other good sources of vitamin e.
7. Oysters
Oysters are full of zinc and this is why they are one of the best foods for your immune system. Zinc is a mineral that promotes immune cell maturation and performance. Oysters are one of the foods with the highest amounts of zinc, especially in T cells in general.
You should be able to get the daily recommended dose by eating just three medium-sized oysters, but maybe you are not a fan of oysters, I find their texture very unique especially in raw oysters, they tend to be a little thinner Huh.
Usually, people either love them or hate them and if that’s the case and you don’t like them then other shellfish like lobster and shrimp also have a substantial amount of zinc.
8. Mushrooms
Another food that has tons of benefits, mushrooms are a great source of copper which makes them an excellent food for boosting the immune system. Copper helps the body increase the number of T cells that work to fight infections.
It also helps the body make new antibodies that are useful in fighting infection. Mushrooms can be eaten on their own and are also delicious when mixed with sauces such as pasta or salads that can be added to your meals.
Some provide a delicious extra flavour with essential nutrients. Okay, so if you hate mushrooms you should rethink that mindset because you’re missing out on something.
9. Garlic
Garlic promotes a healthy immune system because it contains a compound called allicin.
Allicin is an antioxidant that reduces inflammation but studies have also found it to be a suitable treatment for certain infections.
because of its ability to attack pathogenic cells and improve immune systems weakened by certain drugs.
You can of course consume raw garlic as a spice or as a supplement, with the permission of your primary care physician.
10. Turmeric’s
Turmeric is another spice that you can use to not only make your food taste better, but also have some immune system benefits, plus turmeric contains a compound called curcumin that is important for your overall health.
It has been commonly used to fight inflammation, but studies have shown that it can also improve the body’s antibody response as well, not to mention that it can be used in people suffering from immune disorders such as garlic turmeric.
Acts as a natural way to help the immune system, it can be used as a spice or taken as a supplement in capsule form when it comes to the immune system
What about sunlight, sunlight helps boost the immune system Now I know that the sun is not food, but if you are looking for ways to improve your immune system
It wouldn’t be foolish to think that just spending 30 minutes a day in the sun will allow your body to make vitamin D naturally, it has many health benefits but for the sake of this video, we’re mainly focusing on that.
How it benefits the immune system.
Vitamin D increases the production of immune cells and cytokines that help the body fight off unwanted pathogens if you live in a non-sunny environment or are unable to go outside.
Salmon tuna and mushrooms are examples of some of the foods that are high in vitamin D and have protein that you may consider adding to your diet. If you want to consume protein quickly and do not have time to make recipes. So use whey protein powder which is easy to digest.
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