Eight Immune-Support Foods You Should Start Eating
Every day there is a constant battle- outside and within.
Every day you face stress and toxins. Added to that, you make poor food choices, bad sleep hygiene and little to no movement. All these put a strain to your immune system and the whole body. You’ll start feeling weak and less energetic, despite having enough sleep. You’ll easily get colds and open wounds take longer to heal. You may slowly rely more on cough and cold medications and antibiotics to give you temporary relief. And every day, getting sick seems normal.
Is this you?
If it is, this may be the time for you to check back at the foods you are eating. To make it easy for you, start with these 8 immune support foods to get your life back in order. This will help keep your lymph nodes, bone marrow, white blood cells and thymus healthy, active and alert, so that when foreign invaders come, you are ready!
Avocados
Did you know that avocados contain an impressive amount of glutathione? You may know glutathione for whitening but it actually is a powerful antioxidant and helps with liver detoxification. In addition to that, avocados are excellent sources of vitamins B6, C, E, K, lutein, beta-carotene and potassium. All these are great to support your immune system.
Cruciferous Vegetables
These are your broccoli, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage. They contain a chemical called sulforaphane that activates certain antioxidant genes and enzymes in your immune cells and supports your body’s immune system and eliminate toxins. They are also known to fight against cancer because of its strong antioxidant properties.
Curcumin
You may know this as a component extracted from the turmeric root. Research shows that curcumin has amazing anti-inflammatory effects by inducing the production of interleukin-10 (an anti-inflammatory cytokine). The down side of turmeric is that it has low bioavailability. It means that it is not efficiently absorbed and utilized in the body. The solution here is to combine it with black pepper as this contains an active compound that can increase turmeric’s bioavailability.
Garlic
Garlic has been one of the oldest medicinal plant used by many for cold and flu by stimulating the immune cells such as macrophages and lymphocytes. It also has shown to help in regulating blood pressure and cholesterol.
Green Tea
The catechin content in green tea has strong antioxidant benefits thanks to their polyphenol and flavanol content. It also contains epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) that is known to protect against certain bacteria in the gut. Similar to coffee, green tea contains caffeine albeit much lesser. If you are sensitive to caffeine, be mindful and limit consumption, but generally green tea can be enjoyed daily giving you its immune support benefits.
Leafy Greens
Eating your dark leafy greens will give you a good source of fiber, iron, folate, vitamins C and K. All these play a role in regulating the immune system in the gut. Some leaves you can try are spinach, kale and arugula.
Mushrooms
Being high in antioxidant and phytonutirents, mushrooms play a crucial role in the immune system by fighting against oxidative stress. Studies also show the correlation of immune modulation to tumor regression. Cordyceps and Reishi are among the beneficial kinds of mushrooms.
Salmon
Aside from salmon as a great source of protein, it also comes with great health benefits! It contains omega-3 fatty acid that many studies have shown to support the immune system of the respiratory tract. It also provides B-vitamins and potassium that helps in the lowering of blood pressure, inflammation and cognitive function.
There are of course many other food groups that can help in supporting the immune system. But basically, the less fried and processed food and the more whole foods you eat, the stronger the immune system. Start with a few and work your way up to eat more.