Heading back into the cold and flu season can make everyone a little anxious. Now, more than ever, we are looking for ways to “boost” or support our immune system. According to Philip Calder, professor of nutritional immunology at the University of Southampton, “Nutrients, the things we eat, are a very important part of how our immune system functions in addition to things like physical activity and not smoking.”
Fight off the flu with immune-boosting nutrients
Dan Winer, who studies the role of the immune system in aging and chronic metabolic diseases at the Buck Institute stated a similar position, saying “when it comes to diet, it’s not just about avoiding the bad stuff like processed foods, sugar and saturated fat. Instead, it’s about feeding ourselves foods that can improve gut integrity and overall health.”
“The wall of the gut houses the largest collection of the cells that make up the immune system, a fact that comes as a surprise to most people,” says Winer. “While conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease are directly linked to immune responses in the gut, most people don’t understand how important the gut is to overall health. The immune system in the gut traffics throughout the body. If your gut is chronically inflamed, you’re asking for all kinds of health problems.”
In the U.S., 32% of adults and 49% of children have a poor-quality diet, think processed foods, excess sugar, and unhealthy fats. But creating a healthier lifestyle is doable, and it starts with what we put on our plates. There are many immune-boosting products and foods consumed by people and used in traditional medicine today. Take a look at the list of food and supplements listed below to help aid your immune system this season.
Foods and Supplements to Boost the Immune System
What supplements boost the immune system?
Elderberry for Immune Support
The elderberry is one of the most used plants in the world of medicine. It most commonly treats cold and flu symptoms and is mostly taken in the form of extract. It has the capacity to stimulate the immune system and inhibit the replication of viruses. Elderberries are high in vitamin C and high in fiber. By inhibiting the replication of the virus, elderberries significantly increase the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. A review by the Natural Standard Research Collaboration concluded that there is evidence in support of the use of elderberries to treat the flu, among other infections and viruses.
Selenium and immunity
Selenium is an antioxidant that protects the respiratory system. It helps lower oxidative stress levels in the body, which in turn reduces inflammation and enhances immunity. Selenium also supports thyroid health and cognitive function and can be found in foods like Brazil nuts, seafood, lean meats, pasta, and rice.
Vitamin D and the Immune System
Vitamin D plays a significant role in protection against infectious respiratory diseases and “controls the function of the immune system,” Professor Calder says. Vitamin D plays an important part in the innate antimicrobial (an agent that kills microorganisms) response, which helps keep the immune system functioning properly. Vitamin D stimulates and modulates the immune response and protects the upper and lower respiratory tract from infection. Find Vitamin D in foods like salmon, sardines, herring, and tuna.
Does Vitamin C Help Your Immune System
Vitamin C is what’s called an essential vitamin, which means that your body can’t produce it. However, it has many bodily health benefits and is easy to obtain and consume. It can be found in many types of produce, such as oranges, kiwis, peppers, and kale. Vitamin C boosts immunity, prevents blood clotting, reduces your risk of chronic disease, helps manage high blood pressure and heart disease, and prevents iron deficiency. Maintaining a proper level of vitamin C can help your body treat lung damage and alleviate severe sepsis. Vitamin C is the key to beating an illness. It is known as the immunity supplement as almost every food that boosts your immune system contains some vitamin C.
5 Good Foods to Boost Immune System
Benefits of Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, clementines, lemons, and limes are all very high in vitamin C. As stated above, vitamin C plays a large role in preventing illness and maintaining a healthy immune system.
Broccoli for Immunity
Broccoli has a reputation as a superfood. It is low in calories but contains a wealth of nutrients and antioxidants that support eye and heart health as well as disease prevention. Antioxidants can help prevent the development of various conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Broccoli is also a good source of dietary fiber as it can help promote regularity, prevent constipation, and maintain a healthy gut biome which is extremely important for your immune system.
Immunity Boosting Herbs
Garlic and ginger have been used for hundreds of years for fighting and preventing illness. Garlic is a natural antiseptic, anti-bacterial, and antifungal. It has a high sulfur content which aids its ability to fight sickness symptoms. Ginger has high levels of antioxidants, and contains many immune-system-strengthening vitamins and minerals such as iron, magnesium, vitamin B6, and vitamin C.
Health Benefits of Cauliflower
Cauliflower may be one of the few non-colorful vegetables to have as many or more nutrient benefits as its richly-colored cousins. Cauliflower is a watery vegetable that hydrates the body and has a rich assortment of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants.
Cauliflower is high in fiber and can promote weight loss and colon health. In addition, the fiber and other substances in cauliflower can protect the lining of the stomach and encourage the growth of healthy bacteria. It is a great replacement for high carbohydrate foods such as rice and can be a great basis for gluten-free tortillas and pizza crusts.
A healthy, well-balanced diet that contains all the right vitamins and minerals can set your immune system up for success. Having a healthy diet can be the difference between developing or not developing most chronic health conditions. A diet with high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential may mitigate the severity of many health issues.
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