How to boost your immune system with food

This Fall how can you eat to boost your immune system?  What foods should you be adding to your day or week?  Fall and winter may bring on colds, the flu, and other infections.  Are there foods you can eat to help boost your immune system?  Besides the traditional chicken soup and hot tea that many recommend, what other foods can give your immune system a boost?  

Can some foods really give your immune system a boost?

No one food will prevent you from getting sick.  But eating foods full of the vitamins and minerals your immune system needs, will help give your immune system a boost and may help prevent an illness and help you recover faster if you do get sick.  Doctor Cassandra Calabrese says, “There’s no doubt that a healthy diet improves your immunity to illness.  What you put in your body is important for your overall health, including your immune system.”  

What are some foods to stock up on to give your immune system a boost this fall and winter?

• Focus on vitamin C and foods rich in C. 

As noted in my blog post, How does vitamin C keep you healthy?, vitamin C helps keep your immune system healthy.  Vitamin C is not stored in your body so it is important to eat some foods rich in C every day. 

Citrus fruits are a great way to get a daily “dose” of vitamin C.  This vitamin “may prevent or shorten infections by promoting immune cell functions, [and] can be found in most citrus fruits...”   

Oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit are loaded with vitamin C.  If you prefer juice, be sure it is 100% real juice and not a juice drink like Sunny D.  Lemon water is a healthy choice but lemonade is mostly sugar water and not a way to boost your C.

Watermelon, bell peppers, broccoli are also good ways to add some C to your day.  

• Enjoy some garlic:  As noted in a previous blog post, we were having a new roof installed a few years ago.  We were talking to the manager outside when he reached into his pocket and pulled out an entire garlic, peeled it and ate all the cloves.  He said he did it for good health.  Garlic is not only good for your heart; it is great for your immune system.  Garlic contains alliium, which stimulates your white blood cells to help fight off cold or flu viruses.  
• Eat some fatty fish:  if you are a fish lover, there are many ways to add some healthy omega-3 fats to your day.  Not all fats are bad for you as omega-3 fats are good for your heart, brain, eyes and help your immune system.  Fish rich in omega-3 fats include herring, wild salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, lake trout and striped bass.  If you like tuna from a can, choose chunky light tuna to reduce mercury amounts. 
• Turmeric:  Many people have added some turmeric to their day as it is an anti-inflammatory (See:  Anti-inflammatory foods ).  But turmeric not only helps your immune system it also acts as an anti-viral. 
• Yogurt:  who knew enjoying some yogurt would not only be good for your bones but also for your immune system?  Those healthy bacteria in yogurt, the probiotics, are an immune system booster.  NIH has found “probiotics stimulate the immune system…”  Be sure the yogurt you eat is made from cow’s milk and not a plant-based milk.

Conclusion:  How can you give your immune system a boost?  What are some foods you not only could add to your diet but add them regularly?  I enjoy a glass of real OJ or grapefruit juice every day.  I start my day with a vitamin C boost.  Every lunch I enjoy some yogurt made from cow’s milk.  Even on vacation I try to be sure these two foods are included in my day.  At a recent hotel breakfast, they had some great OJ and Activia yogurt in their little fridge.  Activia promotes its yogurt as having the healthy probiotics.  Some Americans think they are drinking orange juice when they buy Sunny D, Hi-C and other fruit drinks.  Choose juices that are 100% juice to get all the healthy vitamins and minerals in real juice.  Read the ingredient label to be sure the only ingredient is juice and not sugar and artificial colors. 

Sources:  says , How does vitamin C keep you healthy? , vitamin , alliium , omega-3 fats , Fish , Anti-inflammatory foods , turmeric , NIH , Activia    Image Sources:  Activia yogurt , Citrus fruits , Immune system