10 Foods that boost immunity naturally

Table of Contents

Eating certain foods can help to keep your immune system strong. If you are looking for ways to prevent illness like flu and other viral and bacterial infection. Focus on what you eat?

Plan your meals to include these powerful foods that boost immunity and fight infections.

1. Papaya

Papaya is a fruit that is loaded with Vitamin C.

You can find 157% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C in a single papaya.

It originated in Central America and Southern Mexico. But This fruit is now grown in many other parts of the world.

Papaya contains an enzyme called PAPAIN. Which can break down the tough protein chain found in muscle meat and can also help in the digestion of food.

Papayas have decent amounts of potassium, Vitamin B, folate, all of which are beneficial to your immune system.

It also contains decent amounts of anti-oxidants and Vitamin A.

All these vitamins and antioxidants make it a great fruit for boosting your immunity.

2. GARLIC

It is one of the most widely used spice for adding that extra flavor to the food.

It is known by another name called immunity-boosting superstar.

For thousands of years, people all over the world have haled garlic as the elixir of health.

It helps to treat the common cold, flu and a variety of other illnesses.

Despite its notorious odour this plant actually belongs to the lily family.

Ancient writings show that garlic was used as an aphrodisiac in India and as a currency in Egypt.

One clove of garlic contains 5mg of calcium, 12mg of potassium, and more than 100 sulphuric compounds, it is powerful enough to wipe out bacteria and other infections. In fact, garlic was used to prevent gangrene in both world wars.

Raw garlic not cooked or dried is the most beneficial for health. Since heat and water inactivate sulphur enzymes which can diminish garlic’s antibiotic effects.

Garlic also seems to lower Cholesterol, Blood Pressure and also kills parasites in our body.

3. GREEN TEA

Both green and black teas are packed with flavonoid which is a type of anti-oxidant.

Green tea is enriched with EPIGALLOCATECHIN GALLATE (EGCG), (another powerful anti-oxidant). EGCG has been shown to enhance immune function.

The fermentation process, black tea goes through destroys a lot of EGCG present in it.

Green tea, on the other hand, is steamed and not fermented to preserve EGCG present in it.

It has been studied to treat various diseases and may be one of the main reason green tea has such powerful medicinal properties.

Green tea is also a rich source of the amino acid L-THEANINE which may aid in the production of germs fighting compounds in your T-cells.

4. BROCCOLI

Broccoli is supercharged with vitamins and minerals packed with many vitamins like Vitamin A, C, and E as well as many other antioxidants and fiber.

It is one of the healthiest vegetables you can put on your table.

The high amount of vitamin-c found in broccoli helps to boost your immune level.

100 grams of broccoli can contain up to 89mg of vitamin C which is more than a lot of citrus fruits.

Broccoli is also enriched with beta carotene and a host of other anti-oxidants which makes it a perfect vegetable for your overall immunity.

The best way to keeping its power intact is to cook it as little as possible or better yet not at all.

Out of all cooking methods, steaming is best if u want to preserve the nutrients present in broccoli.

5. GINGER

It is another ingredient that many people have trusted since ages for treating various types of illnesses.

It may help decrease inflammation which can help to reduce sore throat, joint pains, flu, common cold, and many other inflammatory problems. It may also help in decreasing nausea and vomiting.

Ginger packs some heat in the form of GINGEROL, which is a relative of capsaicin.

This compound decreases chronic pain and possesses cholesterol-lowering properties, which is according to recent animal research conducted in Australia.

Ginger helps our immune system perform optimally by boosting it when it is under active or suppressing it when it is over-active.

Research also suggests that ginger can help in fighting with drug-resistant bacteria.

6. SPINACH

Spinach is rich in vitamin C, It is also packed with numerous antioxidants and beta carotene, which increases the infection-fighting capacity of your immune system.

This vegetable can be incorporated quite easily into your diet and is cheap as well as easy to prepare.

Spinach is rich in Calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, Vitamin A, folate and many other anti-oxidants which are very essential micro-nutrients for your immune system.

Spinach is healthiest when it is cooked as little as possible so that it retains its nutrients, however light cooking enhances its Vitamin A and allows other nutrients to be released from oxalic acid.

Spinach is found to be one of the best sources of dietary magnesium which is necessary for a healthy immune system and also to maintain your blood pressure levels.

7. CITRUS FRUITS

Citrus fruits are known to be one of the best sources of Vitamin C. Most of the people turn to Vitamin C after they have caught a common cold because it helps to build your immune system. Vitamin C increases the production of White Blood Cells which are key to fighting against infections.

A review published in the nutritional general shows that getting enough Vitamin C can reduce symptoms and shorten the duration of respiratory tract infections like a common cold.

It may also be useful in preventing and improving outcomes for conditions like pneumonia, Malaria, and Diarrhea.

Anti-oxidants can help to prevent oxidative stress and prevent damage to your immune cells

Citrus fruits include grapes, oranges, amla, lemons, and limes. As our body doesn’t produce or store Vitamin C, we need daily doses of Vitamin C for continued good health.

With such a variety to choose from, its easy to add a squeeze of this vitamin to any meal.

8. RED BELL PEPPERS

Red Bell Peppers contains twice as much as Vitamin C as compared to citrus fruits.

Besides boosting your immune system, Vitamin C also helps in maintaining healthy skin.

It is also a rich source of beta carotene, Beta carotene helps to keep your eyes and skin healthy.

Many studies have shown an association between diets rich in carotenoids and reduced incidents of many forms of cancer. And it has been suggested that this due to the anti-oxidants properties of carotenoids.

9. APPLE

There are many different reasons why Apples are great for building strong immunity and good health.

It contains good quantities of all the essential vitamins like Vitamin A, E, C, B1, B2. All the vitamins are essential for the proper functioning of our immune system.

Apple also contains PECTIN (a type of fiber) that acts as a pre-biotic. This means it feeds on good bacteria in our gut.

Our gut bacteria directly regulate the function of our immune system by releasing compounds in the gut that act on our immune cells and modulate their function.

Soluble fiber changes the personality of immune cells. They go from being pro-inflammatory angry cells to anti-inflammatory healing cells that help us to recover faster from infection.

This was said by Dr. Gregory Frued who is the professor at the UI College of Medicine and Gastroenterology.

10. SEA BUCKTHORN

Sea buckthorn is a common herb. Its fruits, flowers, and leaves are used to make medicine.

It is packed with antioxidants and offers 12 times the vitamin C of an orange, which is essential for boosting our immune system.

Sea buckthorn is a superfood that is proven by hundreds of scientific studies demonstrating its success at addressing a variety of consumer needs including improved skin tone and texture, anti-aging and digestive health.

Originated in the Himalayas, Sea buckthorn berry is a tiny yellow-orange berry grown all over the world and is used in jams and juices. This little berry is as powerful as it is enriched with high amounts of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals and most importantly omega fatty acids.