Did you know that some foods can help maintain your health and naturally strengthen your immune system? how to include the greatest foods that increase immunity in your diet.
Nature’s finest remedies for disease
1. Mushrooms
Selenium is abundant in mushrooms, and a lack of it may make a person more vulnerable to virus infection, according to research that was published in the journal Nutrients. Niacin and riboflavin, which are present in mushrooms, are also necessary for a strong immune system.
Consider tossing some mushrooms on top of a handmade pizza, adding them to scrambled eggs and omelettes, or adding them to your spaghetti sauce. Simply sautéed or roasted with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, mushrooms are also wonderful.
2. Carrots
Beta-carotene is an antioxidant found in sweet potatoes and other orange foods including carrots, squash, and pumpkin. This type of vitamin A is crucial for maintaining healthy skin that can fend against germs and viruses.
“Vitamin A helps regulate the immune system and protects you from infections by supporting immune system cells and barriers that keep the bad stuff out,” said Kara Lydon, a dietitian, certified intuitive eating counselor, and author of the e-book Nourish Your Namaste: How Nutrition and Yoga Can Support Digestion, Immunity, Energy and Relaxation. “One sweet potato has over 380% of the daily value for vitamin A.”
3. Almonds
Another antioxidant that helps the immune system is vitamin E, which is abundant in almonds. To obtain 50% of your daily recommended intake of vitamin E, take a handful.
4. Milk
Probiotics are live, active cultures found in yoghurt. These can support immune system stimulation and maintain a healthy, bacteria-free gut and intestinal tract.
Yoghurt bearing the Live and Active Cultures seal has some good microorganisms in it. They are also visible in the components list.
Yoghurt and other dairy products are also typically strong sources of vitamin D. In fact, a study that was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine discovered that a vitamin D deficit increases the chance of getting the flu or a cold.
5. Vegetable greens
Leafy greens, such as kale and spinach, are abundant in a variety of nutrients, including as antioxidants, fibre, and folate—a nutrient that’s particularly critical to immune system health.
To add some texture variation, both spinach and kale leaves work well when combined with another lighter, crispier green, such as romaine. In a sandwich, spinach leaves make a great substitute for iceberg lettuce, which isn’t as nutrient-dense.
6. Tea
Flavonoids and polyphenols, found in both black and green tea, are antioxidants that aid in the prevention of disease. Furthermore, both black and green tea are rich in L-theanine, an amino acid that strengthens the immune system.
7. Cabbage
This low-cost winter vegetable contains glutamine, which has been shown in numerous studies—one published in the Nutrients magazine, for example—to support immune function. Try it with your winter stews and soups. You can also add a wonderful crunch to your salads and wraps by adding shredded raw cabbage, which won’t alter the flavour of the dish.
8. Onion
Garlic has the key component allicin, which fights illness and bacteria with its antibacterial and antifungal qualities in addition to keeping vampires away.
9. Oats with barley
Beta-glucan, a kind of fibre with antibacterial and antioxidant properties that has been shown to activate the immune system, is present in these grains. A study that was published in Physiology & Behaviour suggests that beta-glucan may aid in immune system priming and enhance defence against invasive infections.
10. Fish
Oysters, lobsters, crabs, and clams are rich sources of selenium, which aids in the production of cytokines by white blood cells. Cytokines are proteins that aid in the removal of flu viruses from the body.
Furthermore, omega-3 fats, which are abundant in salmon, mackerel, and herring, decrease inflammation and improve airflow, shielding the lungs from respiratory infections and colds.
