Boost Your Immune System with These Foods!

Increasing certain foods into your every day diet can have a dramatic affect on your immune system. Food is either fuel or poison, so feeding it what it needs during this critical time is so important.

Citrus Fruits (such as oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, lemons, lime, and clementines) increases the production of white blood cells.These are key to fighting infections.
Red Bell Peppers contain twice as much vitamin C as citrus.
Broccoli is supercharged with vitamins and minerals. Packed with vitamins A, C, and E, as well as many other antioxidants and fiber, broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat.
Garlic is found in almost every cuisine in the world. It adds a little zing to food and it’s a staple for your health.
Ginger may help decrease inflammation, which can help reduce a sore throat and other inflammatory illnesses. Ginger may also help decrease nausea.
Spinach made our list not just because it’s rich in vitamin C, but it’s also packed with numerous antioxidants and beta carotene, which may increase the our immune system’s ability to fight infection.
Yogurt stimulates your immune system to help fight diseases. Try to get plain yogurts rather than the kinds that are pre-flavored and loaded with sugar. You can sweeten plain yogurt yourself with healthy fruits and a drizzle of honey instead.
Almonds are packed with vitamin E, and have healthy fats.
Turmeric has been used for years as an anti-inflammatory in treating both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Green tea excels is in its levels of epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, a powerful antioxidant. EGCG has been shown to enhance immune function.
Papaya is loaded with vitamin C. You can find 224 percent of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C in a single papaya.
Kiwis are naturally full of a ton of essential nutrients, including folate, potassium, vitamin K, and vitamin C.
Chicken soup is more than just a feel-good food with a placebo effect. It helps improve symptoms of a cold and also helps protect you from getting sick in the first place.
Sunflower seeds are full of nutrients, including phosphorous, magnesium, and vitamin B-6. They’re also incredibly high in vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant.
Shellfish isn’t what jumps to mind for many who are trying to boost their immune system, but some types of shellfish are packed with zinc. Zinc doesn’t get as much attention as many other vitamins and minerals, but our bodies need it so that our immune cells can function as intended. Varieties of shellfish that are high in zinc include crab, clams, lobster, and mussels.