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| 7 Foods for Your Immune System to Help Ward Off Illness |
It takes more than an apple a day to keep the doctor away. You need a variety of nutrients to help keep your immune system on guard and you riding all winter long. While filling up regularly on plenty of colorful fruits and veggies will go a long way toward keeping your body and immunity running smoothly by maintaining the proper balance of the vitamins and minerals as well as the good bacteria in your gut that your immune system needs to function properly, the following foods can add extra cold and flu-fighting punch to your meal plan—and more miles to your season.
1. Yogurt
Probiotics, or the “live active cultures” found in yogurt, are healthy bacteria that keep the gut and intestinal tract free of disease-causing germs. Although they’re available in supplement form, a study from the University of Vienna in Austria found that 7-ounces of yogurt a day was just as effective in boosting immunity as popping pills. In an 80-day Swedish study of 262 factory employees, those who drank a daily supplement of Lactobacillus reuteri—a specific probiotic that appears to stimulate white blood cells—took 33 percent fewer sick days than those given a placebo. Any yogurt with a Live and Active Cultures seal contains some beneficial bugs, but Lactobacillus reuteri is harder to find so scan the ingredients labels for the exact strands.
2. Garlic
This potent onion relative contains the active ingredient allicin, which fights infection and bacteria. British researchers gave 146 people either a placebo or a garlic extract for 12 weeks; the garlic takers were two-thirds less likely to catch a cold. Other studies suggest that garlic lovers who consume more than six cloves a week have a 30 percent lower rate of colorectal cancer and a 50 percent lower rate of stomach cancer.
3. Chicken Soup
When University of Nebraska researchers tested 13 brands, they found that all but one (chicken-flavored ramen noodles) blocked the migration of inflammatory white cells—an important finding, because cold symptoms are a response to the cells’ accumulation in the bronchial tubes. The amino acid cysteine, released from chicken during cooking, chemically resembles the bronchitis drug acetylcysteine, which may explain the results of mitigating upper respiratory tract infections. The soup’s salty broth also keeps mucus thin the same way cough medicines do. Added spices, such as garlic and onions, can increase a soup’s immune-boosting power.
Recommendation: Have as many bowls as tolerable when feeling under the weather.
4. Fish
Selenium, plentiful in shellfish such as oysters, lobsters, crabs, and clams, helps white blood cells produce cytokines—proteins that help clear flu viruses out of the body. Salmon, mackerel, and herring are rich in omega-3 fats, which reduce inflammation, increasing airflow and protecting lungs from colds and respiratory infections.
Recommendation: Two servings of selenium-rich and/or omega-3 fatty fish per week.
Recommendation: Two servings of selenium-rich and/or omega-3 fatty fish per week.
5. Beef (or Protein Substitute)
Zinc deficiency is one of the most common nutritional shortfalls among American adults, especially for vegetarians and those who’ve cut back on beef, a prime source of this immunity-bolstering mineral. And that’s unfortunate because even mild zinc deficiency can increase your risk of infection. Zinc in your diet is very important for the development of white blood cells, the intrepid immune system cells that recognize and destroy invading bacteria, viruses, and assorted other bad guys, says William Boisvert, Ph.D., an expert in nutrition and immunity at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California. The good news is, you can also find zinc in non-meat sources such as dairy such as cheese, milk, and eggs or for vegetarians, nuts such as pine nuts, peanuts, cashews and almonds; hemp seeds, and legumes such as chickpeas, lentils, and beans.
6. Sweet Potatoes
You may not think of skin as part of your immune system. But this crucial organ, covering an impressive 16 square feet, serves as a first-line fortress against bacteria, viruses, and other undesirables. To stay strong and healthy, your skin needs vitamin A. “Vitamin A plays a major role in the production of connective tissue, a key component of skin,” explains David Katz, M.D., director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center in Derby, Connecticut. One of the best ways to get vitamin A into your diet is from foods containing beta-carotene (like sweet potatoes), which your body turns into vitamin A.
Recommendation: A half-cup serving, which delivers only 170 calories but 40 percent of the DV of vitamin A as beta-carotene. They’re so good, you might want to sprinkle with some cinnamon and save them for dessert! Think orange when looking for other foods rich in beta-carotene: carrots, squash, pumpkin, and cantaloupe.
7. Mushrooms
For centuries, people around the world have turned to mushrooms for a healthy immune system. Contemporary researchers now know why. “Studies show that mushrooms increase the production and activity of white blood cells, making them more aggressive. This is a good thing when you have an infection,” says Douglas Schar, DipPhyt, MCPP, MNIMH, director of the Institute of Herbal Medicine in Washington, DC.
Recommendation: Shiitake, maitake, and reishi mushrooms appear to pack the biggest immunity punch; experts recommend at least 1 ounce to 1.4 ounces a few times a day for maximum immune benefits. Add a handful to pasta sauce, or sauté with a little oil and add to eggs.
