Feeding your body with the right type of foods is critical to establishing and maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle. On the other hand actively consuming unhealthy foods can drastically affect your overall health and well-being.
If you want to keep your immune system strong and protected against the threat of illness and disease—consider implementing immunity boosting foods into your diet.
Let’s take a look at some of the foods you can easily add to your diet to boost your immunity for the upcoming winter season.
Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits are all high in vitamin C and contain a wealth of key nutrients to protect your immune system. Vitamin C is important for immunity due to the fact that it increases white blood cell production to ward off infections and diseases.
Some common examples of citrus fruits include:
- Oranges
- Lemons
- Grapefruits
- Limes
- Tangerines and more
Most experts recommend adults consume at least 75mg of vitamin C per day as it contributes to immune defense by supporting various cellular functions of the innate and adaptive immune system (1).
Red Bell Peppers
Most people would be shocked to discover that red bell peppers contain almost 3 times as much vitamin C as an orange. Furthermore, they also are high in beta carotene—which helps to improve eyesight and other cognitive functions.
Studies have shown that bell peppers have high phenolic content and antioxidant properties (2). The beauty of bell peppers is that they can easily be added to a variety of different foods and dishes so you can easily incorporate them into your breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Broccoli
It’s no secret that broccoli is one of the healthiest foods on the planet. Jam packed with an array of vitamins and minerals—it is quite possibly one of the healthiest vegetables that can be consumed. It contains vitamins A, C, E, Fiber and more making it a healthy addition to almost any meal.
As a nutritional powerhouse of nutrients—broccoli has been shown to improve immunity and even lower the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (3). If you’re looking for a food to lower your risk of major diseases including cancer and heart disease—try consuming broccoli one or more days per week.
Spinach
Popeye preached the health benefits of spinach almost 100 years ago. Things haven’t changed much since as spinach is still considered one of the premiere healthy vegetables on the planet.
With a high vitamin C content and an array of other nutrients such as beta carotene and more—spinach can drastically reduce your risk of infections and disease spread. Eating it fresh as opposed to cooked will help provide the body with a higher nutrient content.
Studies have shown that spinach can reduce the risk of oxidative stress-induced disease (4). Furthemore, spinach has been shown as an effective tool for decreasing fat and cholesterol diet induced oxidative stress.
Almonds
Almonds are small in size but large in nutrient density. High in vitamin E—almonds also contain healthy fats. Vitamin E is a key antioxidant necessary for building a healthy immune system.
Almonds have also been shown to be an effective food for preventing cardiovascular disease. Consuming just 43g per day can go a long ways towards decreasing the risk of heart and cardiovascular disease (5).
Garlic
Garlic can be used for cooking purposes in an endless array of dishes. In addition to it’s flavor enhancing capabilities—it provides numerous other health benefits. It helps to fight infections and may even decrease the risk of arteries getting clogged.
Research has even indicated that garlic compounds provide various forms of anti-inflammatory effects (6). Studies have shown it to help reduce the occurrence of obesity, metabolic syndrome and various types of cardiovascular disease.
Ginger
Ginger is commonly used for treatment of various types of illnesses and sicknesses. People tend to consume it when they have sore throats or a common cold. Studies have indicated that ginger can improve overall antioxidant capacity, enhance overall immune function and reduce inflammatory response (7).
Ginger has also been thought to strengthen overall immunity and reduce stress. It can also relieve nasal congestion and reduce other respiratory issues resulting from the common cold and other types of allergies.
Turmeric
Turmeric has been used in various types of cultures for thousands of years. As an anti-inflammatory treatment tool—it may even be able to treat diseases such as arthritis.
Studies have shown that turmeric has numerous beneficial effects such as prevention of arthritis, allergy, asthma, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and more (8).
Green Tea
Green teas contain a high concentration of flavonoids, a form of antioxidant. Specifically, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which has been shown to improve overall immune function (9).
Green tea also contains L-theanine, an amino acid shown to help produce germ fighting compounds in T cells. If you’re looking to improve your overall immunity, consider drinking a glass of green tea on a daily basis.
Acai Berries
As a purple fruit that is derived from Brazil and Trinidad—acai berries are high in an antioxidant known as anthocyanins (10). The flavonoid molecules are highly potent antioxidants that can lower inflammation and improve immunity in the body.
If you’re looking for some immunity boosting fruits consider adding acai berries to your diet.
Improve your Immune System Today
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As the ultimate immune health supplement—Vida is complete with anti-viral replication compounds such as quercetin, vitamin D, Elderberry and more.
What are you waiting for? Try Vida today. If you have any other questions or comments, feel free to reach out to us for guidance and support. We’re here to help you live your best life possible.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5707683/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4665466/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S027153170800064X?via%3Dihub
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3999804/
- https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-020-08642-4
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4417560/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405654519300526
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17211725/
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2013.12.876
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/acai-berries
