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Regularly eating a variety of nutritious foods rich in vitamins and minerals, such as citrus fruits and spinach, can help boost your immune health.
Immune System Boosters
Feeding your body certain foods may help keep your immune system strong.
If you’re looking for ways to prevent colds, the flu, and other infections, your first step should be a visit to your local grocery store. Plan your meals to include these 15 powerful immune system boosters.
Food Fix: Immune System Boost
1. Citrus Fruits
Most people turn straight to vitamin C after they’ve caught a cold. That’s because it helps build up your immune system.
Vitamin C is thought to increase the production of white blood cells, which are key to fighting infections.
Most citrus fruits are high in vitamin C. With such a variety to choose from, it’s easy to add a squeeze of this vitamin to any meal.
Popular citrus fruits include:
- grapefruit
- oranges
- clementines
- tangerines
- lemons
- limes
Because your body doesn’t produce or store it, you need daily vitamin C for continued health. The recommended daily amountTrusted Source for most adults is:
- 75 mg for women
- 90 mg for men
If you opt for supplements, avoid taking more than 2,000 milligrams (mg) a day.
Also keep in mind that while vitamin C might help you recover from a cold quicker, there’s no evidence yet that it’s effective against COVID-19.
2. Red Bell
Ounce for ounce, red bell peppers contain almost 3 times as much vitamin C (127 mgTrusted Source) as a Florida orange (45 mgTrusted Source). They’re also a rich source of beta-carotene.
Besides boosting your immune system, vitamin C may help you maintain healthy skin. Beta-carotene, which your body converts into vitamin A, helps keep your eyes and skin healthy.
3. Broccoli
Broccoli is supercharged with vitamins and minerals. Packed with vitamins A, C, and E, as well as fiber and many other antioxidants, broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables you can put on your plate.
The key to keeping its power intact is to cook it as little as possible — or better yet, not at all. ResearchTrusted Source has shown that steaming or microwaving are the best ways to keep more nutrients in the food.
4. Garlic
Garlic adds flavor to food and has long been used for medicinal purposes.
Early civilizations recognized its value in fighting infections. Garlic may also slow down hardening of the arteries, and people use itTrusted Source to treat high blood pressure.
Garlic’s immune-boosting properties seem to come from a heavy concentration of sulfur-containing compounds, such as allicin.
5. Ginger
Ginger is another ingredient many turn to after getting sick. Ginger may help decrease inflammation, which can help reduce a sore throat and inflammatory illnesses. It may also help with nausea.
While it’s used in many sweet desserts, ginger packs some heat in the form of gingerol, a relativeTrusted Source of capsaicin.
Ginger may also decrease chronic painTrusted Source and might even possess cholesterol-lowering propertiesTrusted Source.
6. Spinach
Spinach made our list not just because it’s rich in vitamin C — it’s also packed with numerous antioxidants and beta-carotene, which may both increase the infection-fighting ability of our immune systems.
Similar to broccoli, spinach is healthiest when cooked as little as possibleTrusted Source so that it retains its nutrients. However, light cooking makes it easier to absorb the vitamin A and allows other nutrients to be released from oxalic acid, an antinutrient.
Check out some spinach recipes here.
7. Yogurt
Look for yogurts that have the phrase “live and active cultures” printed on the label, like Greek yogurt. These cultures may stimulate your immune system to help fight diseases.
Try to get plain yogurts rather than the kind that are flavored and loaded with sugar. You can sweeten plain yogurt yourself with healthy fruits and a drizzle of honey instead.
Yogurt can also be a great source of vitamin D, so try to select brands fortified with this vitamin. Vitamin D helps regulate the immune system and is thought to boost our body’s natural defenses against diseases.
Clinical trials are even in the works to study its possible effects on COVID-19.
ResearchTrusted Source so far suggests that vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk for COVID19 and the severity of disease progression in people with the infection. Experts therefore believe supplementation may protect people with a vitamin D deficiency. However, there is no evidence that vitamin D can treat a COVID19 infection.
8. Almonds
When it comes to preventing and fighting off colds, vitamin E tends to take a backseat to vitamin C. However, this powerful antioxidant is key to a healthy immune system.
It’s a fat-soluble vitamin, which means it requires the presence of fat to be absorbed properly. Nuts, such as almonds, are packed with the vitamin and also have healthy fats.
Adults only need about 15 mgTrusted Source of vitamin E each day. A half-cup serving of almonds, which is about 46 whole, shelled almonds, provides around 100%Trusted Source of the recommended daily amount.
9. Sunflower seeds
Sunflower seeds are full of nutrients, including phosphorous, magnesium, and vitamins B6 and E.
Vitamin E is important in regulating and maintaining immune system function. Other foods with high amounts of vitamin E include avocados and dark leafy greens.
Sunflower seeds are also high in selenium. Just 1 ounce contains nearly halfTrusted Source the selenium that the average adult needs daily. A variety of studies, mostly performed on animals, have looked at its potential to combat viral infections such as swine flu (H1N1).
10. Turmeric
You may know turmeric as a key ingredient in many curries. This bright yellow, bitter spice has also been used for years as an anti-inflammatory in treating both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
ResearchTrusted Source shows that high concentrations of curcumin, which gives turmeric its distinctive color, can help decrease exercise-induced muscle damage. Curcumin has promise as an immune booster (based on findings from animal studies) with antimicrobial propertiesTrusted Source. More research is needed.
11. Green tea
Both green and black teas are packed with flavonoids, a type of antioxidant. Where green tea really excels is in its levels of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), another powerful antioxidant.
ResearchTrusted Source has suggested that EGCG may have antiviral properties that support the immune system. The fermentation process black tea goes through destroys a lot of the EGCG. Green tea, on the other hand, is steamed and not fermented, so the EGCG is preserved.
12. Papaya
One small papaya contains 100%Trusted Source of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C. Papayas also have a digestive enzyme called papain that has anti-inflammatory effects.
Papayas have decent amounts of potassium, magnesium, and folate, all of which are beneficial to your overall health.
13. Kiwi
Like papayas, kiwis are a rich source of essential nutrients, including folate, potassium, vitamin K, and vitamin C.
Vitamin C boosts the white blood cells to fight infection, while kiwi’s other nutrients keep the rest of your body functioning properly.
14. Poultry
When you’re sick, and you reach for chicken soup, it’s more than just the placebo effect that makes you feel better. The soup may help lower inflammation, which could improve symptoms of a cold.
Poultry, such as chicken and turkey, is high in vitamin B6. About 3 ounces of light turkey or chicken meat contains nearly one-thirdTrusted Source of your daily recommended amount of B6.
Vitamin B6 is an important player in many of the chemical reactions that happen in the body. It’s also vital to the formation of new and healthy red blood cells.
Stock or broth made by boiling chicken bones contains gelatin, chondroitin, and other nutrients helpful for gut healing and immunity.
15. Shellfish
Shellfish isn’t what jumps to mind for many who are trying to boost their immune system, but some types of shellfish provide zinc, a nutrient that supports immune function.
Varieties of shellfish that are high in zinc include:
- oysters
- crab
- lobster
- mussels
Keep in mind that you don’t want to have more than the daily recommended amountTrusted Source of zinc in your diet:
- 11 mg for adult men
- 8 mg for most adult women
Too much zinc can actually inhibit immune system function.
Frequetly asked questions
How can I boost my immune system quickly?
There is no instant way to boost your immune system, but the sooner you get started with the following tipsTrusted Source, the sooner you will boost your overall wellbeing and, ultimately, your immune system.
1. Eating a healthy, varied diet with plenty of fresh foods and whole grains
2. Exercise
3. Manage your weight
4. Get enough sleep
5. Avoid or quit smoking
6. Limit alcohol consumption
What foods help fight infections?
Some foods will boost your immune system while others have antimicrobial properties, which means they may help fight bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. Examples includeTrusted Source herbs and spices, such as oregano, cinnamon, clove, and rosemary.
Cruciferous vegetables, such as kale and rutabaga, citrus fruits, parsley, and a wide range of other plant-based foods also contain nutrients that appear to have antimicrobial properties.
What vegetables are good for the immune system?
Red peppers, spinach, broccoli are good choices, as well as those that add flavor, such as ginger, turmeric, and garlic.
Can bananas boost your immune system?
Bananas contain a substance called banana lectin. One mouse studyTrusted Source found evidence that banana lectin might have effects that could enhance the immune system.
Summary
Fresh foods can provide our bodies with nutrients our immune system needs to work correctly. You need a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, herbs, and spices in your diet to enable your body to stay as healthy as possible.
Good choices of foods to boost the immune system include citrus fruits, spinach, almonds, papaya, and green tea.
It’s worth remembering though, that diet alone can’t keep us healthy. It’s also essential to exercise, maintain a moderate weight, and avoid harmful habits such as smoking and a high alcohol intake.
