Our immune system is our first line of defense against illnesses and diseases. A weakened immune system means more chances of us spending days lying in bed, wishing we’d taken better care of ourselves.
To prevent that, including immune-boosting foods in our daily meals is essential. Certain foods that are rich in essential vitamins and nutrients can do wonders for our immunity when taken regularly. And they are real easy to obtain too!
If you’re sick of falling sick, start including these 5 immune-boosting foods into your diet today.
5 foods that boost your immune system
Fatty fish
Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna and sardines are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega-3 fatty acids are linked to various health benefits, such as supporting brain function, heart health, vision and joint health.
They also possess anti-inflammatory properties, which is good news for our immune system.
Do you know that our body cannot create omega-3 fatty acids? That is why it’s essential for us to get them through omega-3-rich foods in our diet.
Taking fish oil supplements such as ProDHA and Super EPA 2000 is also an effective method to gain better control of the amount of omega-3 that you consume daily.
Citrus fruits
For most of us, the first thing that comes to mind when we fall sick is to take more vitamin C. There’s a good reason why – vitamin C helps our body fight infections!
The body doesn’t store or make vitamin C, which is why it’s so important for us to make sure our daily diet contains foods high in vitamin C.
Common citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons are one of the best and easiest sources to get your daily dose of vitamin C!
As a strong antioxidant, vitamin C helps to protect our cells from free radical damage. We are constantly exposed to free radicals – substances that wreak havoc on our cells and tissues.
Free radicals cause oxidative stress on the body, which leads to premature ageing, sicknesses and diseases. Antioxidants such as vitamin C play a key role in neutralising these free radicals to help reduce oxidative stress on our body.
Another role of vitamin C is to help our body produce white blood cells and make sure they function effectively. White blood cells are responsible for fighting against diseases and infections. Vitamin C helps to support our white blood cells in doing their job!
Spinach
Spinach is rich in vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene – and they all have antioxidant properties that can help to boost the immune system. It’s both nutrient-rich and delicious, as well as super versatile and easy to include in your daily meals.
Tip!
Spinach is the healthiest when cooked as little as possible. A little trick to get more nutrients from spinach is to add them into fruit or vegetable smoothies – perfect for an on-the-go immunity booster!
Broccoli
Not the biggest fan of broccoli? Well, knowing its benefits might change your mind.
Supercharged with fibres and vitamins A, C and E, this vegetable is one of the most nutritious foods you can include in your everyday meals.
This superfood is also known to contain one of the highest levels of the immune-supportive chemical: Sulforaphane Glucosinolate (SGS). SGS is known to deliver long-lasting antioxidant actions.
However, SGS can be easily destroyed by cooking. The best way to consume broccoli would be to steam it or simply have it raw.
Tip!
If you do not fancy the taste of broccoli, give Broculin a try instead!
It uses broccoli seed extract, which contains an even higher content of SGS, giving you all the goodness of the superfood in one sachet.
Ginger
A staple spice in Asian cuisine, this seemingly unremarkable ingredient provides a whole lot of benefits for our health, and that includes boosting our immunity.
Ginger contains gingerol, a substance that has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Additionally, ginger contains anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties too.
If you’re wondering how you can consume ginger, a great way is to drink a warm cup of ginger tea! Alternatively, try sprinkling fresh ginger into your cooking recipes to add some flavour oomph.
Daily Defence Resistance Pack
We can’t emphasise enough how important our diet is to our health and immunity. But if you need a little help during periods when your diet may be compromised, the Daily Defence Resistance Pack can help to give you better immunity support.
What’s one immune-building tip you have? Share it with us in the comments below!