Staying Strong With Immune Boosting Foods

With flu season well under way (and COVID still going), you want to make sure that your immune system is up to scratch as you prepare for the winter. Can the foods you consume help you in this quest? Of course. Nutrition is the foundation of good health. Read on to discover which foods are optimal for a well-working immune system!

Can You Really Boost Your Immune System Through Foods?

Our grocery stores and pharmacies are full of products that claim to boost the immune system. Indeed, the idea of a quick fix that keeps you healthy (or at least prevents illness) is tremendously appealing to most of us, at one point or another. If you're like most people, you eat fast foods and junk foods more often than you like.

If you eat healthy foods prepared at home most of the time, you may think that your immune system is the best it can be. Attempting to maintain a strong immune system through foods is certainly a step or two up from popping nutritional supplements. But can you really boost your immune system through foods?

Healthy eating - including eating foods from all major food groups and not consuming either too few or too many calories - is of course one of the pillars of a well-functioning body. There is much more to a strong immune system than that, though. Other positive choices that are just as important as a good diet are regular physical activity and excellent hygiene. That means washing your hands frequently and properly and remembering that your cutting board has more germs than your toilet seat (really, so clean it accordingly!).

Getting regular preventative health checks is yet another proactive step you can take, and ensuring that you get enough sleep is truly essential to your health as well. Steering clear of choices that are detrimental to your immune system is just as important as making positive decisions. Eating a wonderfully balanced diet, getting eight hours sleep every night and washing your hands all the time won't count for anything much if you are a smoker, a heavy drinker, lead a high-stress life or have uncontrolled hypertension.

It's clear, then, that foods play only a small role in maintaining your body's health. Still, we should recognize the part that a healthy diet has to play and plan our meals with it in mind. A poor diet does leave us more susceptible to infections, research has found. Animal studies found that deficiencies in minerals like zinc, selenium, iron and copper and vitamins folic acid, A, B6, C, and E do impair the body's immune response. Which foods are packed with these nutrients to give you a quick boost? Let's find out!

Immune Boosting Foods

Boost Your Folic Acid

Folic acid is a B vitamin that is known as folate in its naturally occurring form. The vitamin has become famous for its amazing contribution to the conception process, and is mostly taken as a supplement by women who are trying to get pregnant. Did you know that up to 72 percent of neural tube defects in babies can be prevented by maternal folic acid consumption, starting at around three months before she tries to conceive?

If you are trying to feed your immune system, there's no need to settle for supplements and you can decide to eat foods rich in folate instead.

You'll find folate in:

• Liver of all types.

• Lentils are a truly excellent source of folic acid, and peas and beans are great too.

• Spinach has a lot of folate. Popeye knew what he was talking about.

Foods rich in Vitamin A

Normal levels of vitamin A are essential to a strong immune system — the vitamin helps your body keep infection at bay by powering certain parts of your immune system called T cells, B cells and cytokines.

Not many people in North America are deficient in vitamin A, and there is no research to suggest that consuming extra vitamin A results in a “better, upgraded immune system”. In fact, overdosing on vitamin A supplements over a period of time can have some really nasty effects. Are you jaundiced, nauseous, and irritated? Too much vitamin could be to blame. So don't overdo it, OK?

Here are the best vitamin A-rich foods:

• Liver, especially turkey liver.

• Sweet potatoes form an excellent source of vitamin A, and also have quite a lot of vitamin C (another immune booster). They're also really tasty.

• Carrots are a great way to boost your vitamin A levels and they also have beta carotene.

• Kale has a lot of calcium and vitamin C in addition to vitamin A.

• Dried apricots are an easy and tasty snack rich in all sorts of vitamins and minerals in addition to vitamin A.

B6, anyone?

Researchers found that a deficiency in vitamin B6 lowers your resistance to infections, but this vitamin is also important to the nervous system and helps your body break sugars and starches down. A lack of vitamin B12 may make you feel tired, and can contribute to anemia.

What foods should you turn to if you want to increase your intake of vitamin B6? Here you go:

• Canned tuna.

• Beef.

• Chicken.

• Turkey.

• Are you a vegetarian? The best sources of vitamin B6 are those meats, but you'll also find it in spinach, potatoes and sunflower seeds. You may, however, wish to consider taking a supplement in consultation with your doctor.

Vitamin C — the famous immune booster

Vitamin C is such a famous immune booster that we don't need to write about it at all. Right? Actually, studies are still unclear about whether vitamin C directly benefits the immune system at all. We do know that vitamin C helps the body make more effective use of iron and vitamin E.

You know that citrus fruits are full of vitamin C, but you'll also find it in:

• Parsley.

• Papaya.

• Bell peppers.

• Broccoli.

• Kale.

Vitamin E is for more than your skin

Your facial cream probably contains vitamin E, but it can do a lot more than protect your skin. Research suggests that vitamin E increase the body's immune response, and it also prevents cell damage caused by free radicals. Where do you get some?

• Sunflower seeds.

• Almonds.

• Spinach.

• Papaya.

Zinc — An Essential Building Block

Without zinc, the immune system would suffer greatly, because T Cells and other parts of the immune system could not function without it. On the other hand, consistently consuming too many zinc-rich foods can also impair your immune system. You need 15 to 25 mg of zinc daily, and you'll find it here:

• Venison, beef and lamb are the foods richest in zinc, unfortunately for vegetarian folks.

• Sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds are great vegetarian sources of zinc.

• Oats provide some zinc. Combine it with yogurt, which also contain zinc, and you'll have a nice immune-boosting breakfast.

Building An Iron-strong Immune System

Iron keeps your immune system going strong and assists the distribution of oxygen through your body. If you have iron-deficiency anemia, you will quickly start to feel tired, weak, and dizzy. The symptoms are so obvious that many people can self-diagnose anemia without ever getting a blood test — though everyone should, of course, get one of those once in a while, both to test their iron levels and check for deficiencies in other minerals and vitamins.

To boost your iron intake, turn to:

• Soybeans and soy products such as tofu and soy milk.

• Lentils.

• Spinach.

• Venison

Are any of these minerals and vitamins lacking from your diet? Now you know how to add them in!