With the world turned upside-down by the coronavirus pandemic, it’s important to ensure your health is taken care of. One of the ways you can take care of your body and your health is with the best immune-boosting foods.
Even if you haven’t come down with any type of cold or symptoms recently eating right may keep you protected. If you’re looking for the right foods to boost your immune system, here are 21 great options.
1. Oranges (citrus)
All citrus fruits offer a high amount of vitamin C, which is one of the best vitamins for the immune system. Oranges offer one of the most palatable options, but you can also consume grapefruit, lemons, limes, tangerines, and clementines and gain immune-boosting benefits.
2. Blueberries
High in the flavonoid anthocyanin, blueberries can boost your immune system. In fact, a study from 2016 showed that flavonoids are very important to the respiratory tract’s immune defense system.
3. Apples
With plenty of phytochemical antioxidants, the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,“ has some truth to it. Apples help the body fight off the common cold and provide support for the immune system.
4. Bell Peppers
Bell peppers are high in vitamins, especially red bell peppers, which contain the most vitamin C of any fruit or vegetable. They also provide a rich source of beta carotene.
5. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are one of the best immune-boosting foods you can eat. High in vitamin C, they offer a good choice to support your body and fight off the common cold..
6. Broccoli
A good source of vitamin C, broccoli offers potent antioxidants. It’s a great choice to help support the immune system.
7. Kelp
A great source of iodine, kelp offers a good choice for supporting the immune system. This food is also rich in potassium, magnesium, and calcium.
8. Garlic
Garlic has shown to provide support for the immune system due to the sulfur-containing compounds, like allicin. It’s known as a natural anti-bacterial agent making it one of the best immune-boosting foods to eat.
9. Kiwi
Filled with plenty of great nutrients for the body, kiwis are packed with vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin K. They help to fight off infection and provide an excellent choice to boost the immune system and support recovery.
10. Dark Chocolate
A delicious choice to boost your immune system, dark chocolate contained the antioxidant theobromine. This antioxidant has been shown to help protect the body’s cells from free radicals.
11. Turmeric
Turmeric may help with improving your immune response because of the curcumin found in this spice. A 2017 study chowed curcumin has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
12. Beets
Beets offer a good source of vitamin A and vitamin C. They help to give the body energy, support the immune system, and even help to satisfy sugar cravings.
13. Green Tea
Green and black teas are great for the immune system, but green tea is higher in flavonoids. It has a very high level of EGCG, which is a powerful antioxidant providing support for the immune system.
14. Ginger
Usually, ginger is associated with soothing the throat and stomach. It has been shown to reduce a sore throat and help decrease nausea.
15. Mushrooms
Mushrooms provide all types of health benefits and provide immune-boosting properties. The compound lentinan is found in mushrooms, which has even been shown to potentially slow tumor growth.
16. Almonds
While vitamin E may not be as important at vitamin C for the immune system, it still matters. Almonds offer a good source of vitamin E and they offer the right fat to help the vitamin become absorbed by the body.
17. Swiss Chard
A great source of vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, zinc, calcium, and fiber, Swiss chard is a superfood for the immune system. If you’re looking for one of the best immune-boosting foods to eat, don’t skip the Swiss Chard.
18. Sweet Potatoes
The beta carotene and vitamin A found in sweet potatoes offer support for the immune system. Specifically, these nutrients help to protect the skin.
19. Spinach
Spinach offers support for the immune system with flavonoids, carotenoids, vitamin E and vitamin C. Eating foods rich in flavonoids may help to prevent the common cold.
20. Sunflower Seeds
Filled with important nutrients, sunflower seeds provide support for the immune system and for recovery. They are high in magnesium, vitamin B-6, Vitamin E, and phosphorous.
21. Oily Fish
Tuna, salmon, pilchards, and any other fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids may help boost the immune system.
All 21 of these foods offer the right nutrients to make the list of the best immune-boosting foods to eat. Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and foods from this list will help give your immune system a fighting chance against viruses and diseases.