Immune boosting foods are an important part of your diet. They help you get the nutrients you need to make your body healthy and strong, and can therefore be all the difference between wellness and sickness. Your immune system is your body’s first line of defense. It protects you from diseases, bacteria, viruses, infection, and all types of foreign cells. If your immune system isn’t nourished properly, you are more vulnerable to all kinds of illness and it takes longer to recover when you do get sick.
Be sure to include immune boosting foods in your regular diet to keep your body functioning in top shape.
Immune Boosting Foods
Studies have shown that eating lots of fruits and vegetables is one of the most effective ways to boost your immune system. Plants are high in nutrients and antioxidants, which help reduce oxidative stress in your body. Oxidative stress causes inflammation, which has been shown to limit the immune system; therefore, reducing oxidative stress helps your immune system function better.
CBD can also help your immune system function better. It does this by replenishing your endocannabinoid system, which is an internal network that keeps all of your body’s physiological processes, including your immune system, working in harmony.
There is so much truth in the phrase, “you are what you eat”. Your body uses everything you consume to build new cells and feed its various systems. Different nutrients have different effects.
Vitamins, Minerals, Antioxidants
Here is a quick rundown on some of the most common immune-supporting nutrients:
Vitamin C
Perhaps the most famous immune support vitamin is Vitamin C. It is abundantly found in citrus, such as oranges and grapefruit, and peppers, such as red bell peppers and green chile. Strawberries, broccoli, and mangos are also rich in this vital nutrient. Vitamin C boosts your immune system by destroying free radicals (which cause oxidative stress) and encouraging your body to create collagen, which helps wounds heal.
Vitamin E
Nuts, seeds, and leafy greens are high in Vitamin E. This important nutrient is an antioxidant and also helps widen the blood vessels, which helps prevent blood clots. Your cells use Vitamin E to interact with other cells and perform various important functions.
Beta-carotene
As well as being an antioxidant, beta-carotene increases disease-fighting cells in the body. It helps your body create Vitamin A and is excellent for your skin, eyes, and hair. Orange-colored foods are often high in beta-carotene. This includes carrots, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash, to name a few. Leafy greens are also a good source.
Vitamin D
This powerful nutrient helps protect against viral infections, build and maintain strong bones, improve calcium absorption, reduce oxidative stress, and support immune function. Mushrooms, fortified cereals, and fortified plant milks often contain large amounts of Vitamin D.
Zinc
This mineral helps boost white blood cells, which are an important part of your body’s immune system. It also helps wounds heal. The body does not store zinc, so a daily intake is necessary. You can get zinc from pumpkin seeds, beans, lentils, cashews, and almonds, among others.
Probiotics / Live Cultures
Probiotic cultures, commonly found in yogurts, kombucha, and fermented foods, can also help your immune system function better. A study published in the US National Library of Medicine writes, “The beneficial effects of probiotics have been demonstrated in many diseases. One of the major mechanisms of probiotic action is through the regulation of host immune response.” In simpler words: probiotics help fight and prevent disease by regulating your immune system.
In the past, humans used to eat a lot more fermented foods, and therefore a lot more live cultures, than we do today. It’s important to make an effort to include probiotics in your diet in order to keep your body healthy and strong.
List of Immune Boosting Foods
For your convenience, here’s a list of some of the most powerful immune boosting foods. Include these in your diet to help your immune system function at its best.
- Grapefruit
- Orange
- Lemon
- Lime
- Watermelon
- Apple
- Pomegranate
- Elderberry
- Acai Berry
- Blueberry
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- Tomato
- Red Bell Pepper
- Green Chile
- Sweet Potato
- Mushrooms
- Garlic
- Ginger & Turmeric
- Yogurt
- Kombucha
- Green Tea
- Miso Soup
- Almonds
- Sunflower Seeds
- Whole Grain Bread
- Dark Chocolate
Of course, these are not the only immune-boosting foods available. It would take pages and pages to list every single one. Stick with fresh, unprocessed foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts, and you’ll be doing great.
Immune Boosting Foods and Beyond
Every bite of food we take either helps us or harms us. Around 400 BC, Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, said “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. That advice is more relevant today than ever. We are barraged by toxic food additives and highly-processed food-like substances all around us, most of which do more harm than good. Those foods might fill us or satisfy a craving, but they damage the immune system and leave us vulnerable to disease.
Choose to eat fresh, healthy foods for the sake of your immune system. To help your body even more, consider taking a CBD or CBG Oil to replenish your endocannabinoid system. Read more about CBD and the immune system here.
Keeping your immune system healthy helps you live longer and happier—and it also helps those around you! If your body is able to promptly fight off viruses, it will be less likely that you will spread them to anyone else. A healthy immune system helps everyone stay safe and strong.
Enjoy your fruits and veggies!
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