With all of the stress in our lives and the lack of time for good rest, one’s immune system takes a beating. With a poor immune system, one tends to possess a dearth of energy, get sick often, put on weight easier, and experience poor digestion.
To strengthen one’s immune system, one can take vitamins, get more sun, take time to destress, and accumulate more sleep. Another proficient way of boosting one’s immune system is by consuming immunity boosting foods. Below are the 7 best foods most likely to improve the expediency of your immune system.
1. Red Bell Peppers
Most people consider citrus fruits to be the best source of vitamin C but ounce for ounce, red bell peppers provide more vitamin C than any other food. One half-cup of raw red bell pepper not only invests you with 47 percent of your daily recommended intake of Vitamin A; it also provides you with 159 percent of your daily Vitamin C. As most individuals are aware, Vitamin C is a critical additive in maintaining the effectiveness of your immune system, curbing deleterious cell damage and enhancing the immune system’s response to malicious microbes.
2. Broccoli – Top 7 Foods to Boost Your Immune System
Broccoli is regarded as a “superfood” for a reason: It contains multifarious benefits to the overall functionality of your body. It is an excellent source of Vitamin A, D, and C; it contains several antioxidants, including Vitamin C and E, beta-carotene and various other flavonoids, protecting cells from significant damage caused by harmful free radicals and thereby reducing the risk of contracting chronic diseases; while also being a potent host of several minerals, including potassium, iron and calcium.
Broccoli, admittedly, may not be the most appetizing dish, as the vegetable itself has a rather bland flavor and crude texture. Still, if one can manage to mix it with some more delectable ingredients, it’s potential for improving your health is certainly intriguing.
3. Garlic
In contrast to broccoli, garlic is an especially tasty supplement to any dish. Moreover, it is also highly advantageous in terms of its overall nutritional content.
Several studies have indicated, for instance, that garlic can prove to be a valuable aid in mollifying high blood pressure. Several studies have indicated that consumption of garlic, in people with both high blood pressure and normal blood pressure, can have a modest effect in decreasing diastolic and systolic levels.
Garlic, additionally, contains a defense molecule referred to as allicin. Allicin is a strong antibiotic that is released when the garlic is crushed or chewed, and which concomitantly assists the body in resisting and destroying viruses and other pernicious microorganisms. As a consequence, garlic has been known to be an effective agent in mitigating the consequences of maladies like the chronic bronchitis, recalcitrant colds, chronic earaches, a sore throat, the flu, yeast infections and even intestinal worms.
4. Greek Yogurt – Top 7 Foods to Boost Your Immune System
Greek yogurt is a variation a regular yogurt, where yogurt is “strained” in order to excess whey and liquid from the product. The culminating dish is one that acts as a richer source of probiotics and protein. It contrast to normal yogurt, it has a thicker, creamier texture; and is arguably more saturated with flavor.
Due to its unique cultivation process, Greek Yogurt is regarded as a seminal source of daily probiotic intake. Probiotics are regarded as “good bacteria” and help to maintain an optimal balance of bacteria in your gut microbiome. This “gut homeostasis” reduces reduces the proportion of suboptimal bacteria in your gut, facilitating improved digestive health.
Apart from serving as a effective probiotic source, Greek Yogurt also militates against the detrimental effects of sodium, sustains muscle functionality, serves as an excellent source of Vitamin B12, and helps prevent anemia.
5. Spinach
Similar to broccoli, spinach has also been identified as a “superfood.”
With reference to the immune system, spinach remains a critical source of Vitamin A, which fortifies the various entry points of the body, such as your respiratory and digestive tracts. By galvanizing these particular focal points, the body is more able to readily combat potential infections.
In addition to solidifying one’s immune system, spinach also plays a significant role in preventing cancer, reducing blood sugar, supplementing positive bone health, aiding in weight loss, improving eyesight, and deflating stress levels.
6. Green Tea – Top 7 Foods to Boost Your Immune System
Green tea is an important source of flavonoids, which are antioxidants that detox damaged cells within the body.
Green tea likewise contains EGCG, or epigallocatechin gallate, a different antioxidant that is not only known for its immune boosting properties, but also in improving one’s metabolic efficiency. That’s a nice bonus, isn’t it?
7. Poultry
Ever wonder why chicken is traditionally regarded as a salve in defeating the common cold? Is that all simply atavistic, superstitious nonsense, speciously passed from one gullible generation to the next?
That seemingly “folksy” nonsense is actually rooted in considerable empirical data that supports the notion that chicken effectively contributes to one’s immune system. Chicken, like most animal meats, contains a high volume of protein; and is also redolent with Vitamin B-6, a molecule involved in numerous chemical processes throughout one’s body.
Moreover, if one opts to use chicken bone broth in concocting a chicken strew, the health benefits become even more pronounced. The broth that comes from boiling chicken bones contains an assortment of nutrients, most notably gelatin and chondroitin, which unequivocally aid the processes of the immune system while also rectifying any deficiencies in your gut.
So, the next time your Mum serves your a bowl of chicken soup, accept it with gratitude.
This article originally appeared on TalkAboutWellbeing.com
