Did you know that immune system health is the foundation of our overall well-being? In this blog post, we will discuss 9 foods to include in your diet to help boost immune system function. These immune-boosting foods have been proven to increase immune cell production and improve immune response time!
We will start by talking about some immune system basics. Then, we’ll dive into which foods to eat for immune health and how they can be included in your favorite dishes! Lastly, we’ll provide recipes that incorporate the immune-boosting ingredients discussed above so you can try them out at home with ease!
– Are immune boosters just a fad? No – studies have shown that these types of immune-boosting diets do work as well as traditional antibiotics when it comes to treating infections like strep throat and pneumonia.
– Research suggests probiotics may help reduce inflammation and improve overall gut health. This is because probiotic bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) during fermentation. SCFAs activates an enzyme that regulates immune response.
– Here are some healthy probiotic snacks that you can try Kashi Go Lean Chewy Granola Bars, Yoplait Original Strawberry Yogurt, and Annie’s Homegrown Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks. These delicious treats all feature live active cultures! Your immune system will love them as a mid-day snack or after-school pick me up!
Now we’ll discuss the top nine foods you should eat to boost immune function – starting with garlic. Garlic is a powerful immune booster because it contains compounds called sulfoxides which increase immune cell production in white blood cells known as lymphocytes. Additionally, these sulfur compounds have been shown to improve how quickly our bodies respond to infections activating an enzyme involved in creating immune cells.
Garlic is a staple in many immune-boosting recipes including garlic bread, pesto, and even guacamole! Get creative to add immune-boosting ingredients into your favorite dishes – the possibilities are endless! Next up on our list of immune-boosting foods is yogurt. In addition to probiotics, studies have shown that people who eat two servings of yogurt per day had higher counts of white blood cells than those who don’t include it as part of their diet. While this finding doesn’t mean you should replace medication with dairy products or anything like that, we can say that eating yogurt occasionally, won’t hurt either (or might help). Try adding immune-boosting fruits and vegetables such as blueberries and carrots into your yogurt for even more immune-boosting benefits.
Next on the list of immune-boosting foods are chili peppers. Chili peppers contain capsaicin, which is known to reduce inflammation and increase circulation – both powerful ways to fight infections! Capsaicin has also been shown to boost metabolism so you can stay energized during the winter months when it’s harder to get out and exercise.
Other immune-boosting ingredients in this recipe include turmeric, an antioxidant that helps prevent cell damage throughout the body, ginger, another anti-inflammatory spice with antibacterial properties used as a natural treatment for colds and flus by improving blood flow around mucous membranes (which help trap viruses). Finally, onions round out our top nine immune boosters because they contain immune-boosting phytochemicals and sulfides.
Now we’ll talk about immune-boosting fruits and vegetables! Tart Cherries are a great source of immune system boosters. Not only do they help reduce inflammation, but blueberry juice has been shown to increase the production of natural killer cells that fight off infections in your body. Next up is carrots – another immune booster with amazing benefits for our bodies! Carrots have been shown to improve blood flow around the mucous membranes that trap viruses when you’re sick or under stress from cold temperatures. Onions also fall into this category because just like garlic, onions contain immune-boosting compounds such as sulfur and quercetin, an antioxidant known to prevent cell damage throughout the body.
Lastly, immune-boosting spices and seasonings include oregano, which is known to be an immune-boosting antibacterial spice that can fight off bacteria in your body and ginger, a common ingredient used as a natural treatment for colds and flus by improving blood flow around the mucous membranes (which help trap viruses). While these are only nine immune-boosting foods out of hundreds available, they will provide you with some tasty immune system benefits!
