Eat These Foods to Boost Your Immune System

November 03, 2015

Broccoli

It's easy to find at the grocery store and it's an immune-boosting basic. One study shows a chemical in broccoli helped boost the immune systems of mice.

Plus, it's full of nutrients that protect your body from damage. It has vitamins A and C, and glutathione. Add some low fat cheese to round out a side dish with immune enhancing B vitamins and vitamin D.

Red Bell Peppers

Think citrus fruits have the most vitamin C of any fruit or vegetable? Think again. Ounce for ounce, red bell peppers have twice as much vitamin C, as well as being a rich source of beta-carotene. Vitamin C may help maintain healthy skin and beta carotene helps keep your eyes and skin healthy.

Button Mushrooms

They're a source of the mineral selenium and the B vitamins riboflavin and niacin. That can be helpful on several fronts. Low levels of selenium are linked to a higher risk of getting a more severe flu. Riboflavin and niacin play a role in a healthy immune system.

Carrots

Carrots are an excellent source of beta carotene, which gives them their bright color. One of beta carotene’s jobs is to support the body’s mucus membrane, which lines the respiratory and intestinal tracts, making it harder for bacteria to enter the bloodstream and cause trouble. For a healthy diet, enjoy raw carrots along with cauliflower, broccoli, and other veggies as an appetizer. You can also pickle them or steam and puree them with some broth for a rich soup a soothing meal when you’re sick.

Ginger

Ginger is another ingredient many turn to after they've caught a cold. But like vitamin C, ginger may also help prevent that cold from taking hold in the first place. While it's used in many sweet desserts, ginger packs some heat in the form of gingerol, a relative of capsaicin. Capsaicin gives chili peppers their distinctive heat. Ginger may help decrease chronic pain and may possess cholesterol-lowering properties, according to recent studies.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is an antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial machine, so it does more than just boost the immune system it actually fights the pathogens that cause illness. Cinnamon is extremely versatile, making it easy to add to your healthy diet. You can mix it into your coffee grinds for an immunity-fighting brew, add it to tea, sprinkle it on oatmeal, stir it into hot chocolate, or dust it onto fresh fruit.

Watermelon

It's not only refreshing. When it's ripe, it's also got plenty of a powerful antioxidant called glutathione. It helps strengthen the immune system so it can fight infection.

Where can you find the most glutathione in your watermelon? Eat the red pulpy flesh near the rind.

Almonds

When it comes to preventing and fighting off colds, vitamin E tends to take a backseat to the more commonly mentioned vitamin C. But vitamin E is key to a healthy immune system. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning it requires the presence of fat to be absorbed properly. Nuts (especially almonds) are packed with vitamin E. A half-cup serving provides nearly 100 percent of the recommended daily amount.

Low Fat Yogurt

A cup a day may reduce your chances of getting a cold.Look for labels that say "live and active cultures." Some researchers believe they may stimulate your immune system to fight disease.

Also look for vitamin D. Recent studies show a link between low vitamin D levels and an increased risk of cold and flu.

Egg Yolks

Eggs have gotten a bad rap because their yolks are high in cholesterol, but the yolks are also a rich source of protein, which can help immune related problems. Egg yolks also contain zinc and selenium, which are important minerals that help boost the immune system. If cholesterol is a problem in your healthy diet, make your scrambled eggs with two whites, but only one yolk.