Want to give your immune system a boost? Don’t go to the pharmacy and buy a “pick me up”, but instead head to your local grocery store and roam the produce aisle!
You’ll find that most of the best foods for immune system can be found nestled among the lettuce, tomatoes, and apples in your supermarket!
Want to know what the best types of food for immune system health are? Read on to find out more…
THE BEST FOODS FOR IMMUNE SYSTEM
Here is a list of the best foods for immune system health:
Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut is more than just delicious on your hot dog or wienerschnitzel, it’s also one of the healthiest foods for your immune system! It is fermented, meaning that there are a lot of bacteria making their home in the pickled cabbage.
This bacteria is the same as the bacteria living in your gut, so they act as reinforcement for the beneficial organisms that handle your digestion and immune function. By boosting the beneficial bacteria, you increase your body’s ability to deal with the pathogens that are ingested via your food.
Kombucha
Kombucha is a type of tea that is made by fermenting tea leaves. The fermentation process causes bacteria to thrive in the tea, and that tea is rich in digestive enzymes that do wonders for your intestinal health. It can aid in digestion, detoxify your liver, reduce joint pain, and improve your immune function effectively.
The beauty of kombucha tea: you can easily make your own with any normal green or black tea, some sugar, and a packet of kombucha starter (similar to the way yeast is used to make bread).
Mushrooms
Who doesn’t love mushrooms? They make a delicious addition to soup and other meals, but they’re also loaded with digestive enzymes and special compounds that can boost your body’s ability to fight off infection and disease.
There are even some mushrooms that can help to fight cancer, so it’s time to add more reishi, maitake, and shiitake mushrooms to your diet!
Kefir
This fermented drink is made from coconut water, grains, milk, and water, and you’ll find that the beverage is loaded with the healthy probiotics that improve immune function.
The yeasts in the kefir are known to hunt down and destroy harmful yeasts in your body, detoxify your liver, strengthen your immune system, and even recolonize your intestines with the healthy bacteria your body needs.
Apple Cider Vinegar
ACV is made from fermented apples, and you’ll find that it’s one of the healthiest superfoods on the planet. Not only will it help to boost fat burning and weight loss, but it can help to promote a healthy pH balance in your body, detox your liver, and fight infections.
Apple cider vinegar contains enzymes that aid in digestion, stimulate your lymphatic system, deal with heartburn, and boost you overall immune health. It’s one of the most widely available foods on this list, and it’s one of the healthiest!
Green Superfoods
There are a number of green foods considered “superfoods”, such as spirulina, wheatgrass, barley grass, kale, and chlorella. All of these green foods are rich in antioxidants, which can help to naturally detoxify your body while simultaneously improving your immune function.
The more antioxidants you consume, the less risk there is of oxidative stress slowing down your body and suppressing your immunity.
Vitamin-Rich Foods
The more vitamins a food contains, the better it will be for your immune system!
- Vitamin A enhances your immunity on a cellular level and reduces your rate of infections, so eat more orange foods (pumpkin, squash, carrots, and sweet potatoes) to get more beta carotene.
- Vitamin C increases phagocyte effectiveness and boosts your body’s ability to protect your cells, so eat more citrus fruits and broccoli.
- Vitamin E is needed for the production of antibodies, so eat more avocadoes and coconuts.
- B vitamins are needed for enhanced cellular immunity, lymphocyte production, and reduced infection rates, so eat more whole grains.
Colored Veggies
The more color the better!
Dark purple cabbage, beets, carrots, dark leafy greens, yellow and red bell peppers, and red tomatoes all contain carotenes, which protect your thymus gland. This gland manufactures the T-cells that protect your body, along with many other important immune functions.
By eating more colored veggies, you give your thymus the protection it needs! These are some of the best foods for immune system!
Aromatic Veggies
Garlic and onions (including shallots and spring onions) are more than just delicious, but they’re also very important for your immune health. They contain antiseptic properties, and can help to fight off infections.
Garlic even has anti-cancer properties, so it’s a good idea to add more of these aromatic veggies to your meals in order to boost your immune and overall health!
Barley/Oats
These two grains are some of the best for your health, as they are loaded with beta-glucan, a special type of fiber that can fight off pathogens and detoxify your body effectively.
Some studies suggest that these two grains are even more effective than taking Echinacea! Animals who eat oats and barley (for the beta-glucan) are far less likely to contract disease, so it stands to reason that the same is true in humans!
If you were wondering what type of food you should be adding to your diet, now you know! It’s time to add these 10 amazing foods to improve immune system function to your life, and you’ll find that you’ll be much healthier as a result.
BONUS: THE WORST TYPES OF FOOD FOR YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
Now that you know what you SHOULD be eating, here are the foods to avoid in order to have a healthy immune system:
- Refined sugars (leading to obesity, heart disease, and reduced immune function)
- White flour/grains (promote high blood sugar, dampen immune cell production)
- Processed junk food (cause your immune system to attack healthy tissue)
- Gluten-rich food (can lead to internal inflammation and immune system disruptions
- GM corn and soy (can cause inflammation in the stomach, reducing digestion and absorption)
These are the worst types of foods to be eating for your immune system, so it’s best to stay as far away from them as possible.
This post republished with permission from the Well Wisdom Blog.
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