Your immune system is your body’s biggest supporter and protector. If your immune system is strong, your body will get the ability to resist and fight with disease causing bacteria and germs. However, in this fast paced world we take our immune system for granted and fall sick frequently. Weaker immune system can even lead to chronic diseases like cancer, as the body is unable to produce immune cells. Everyone has a different immune system and react to changing climates and environment in a different way. Hence it is important to update your lifestyle and add foods in your diet that are immunity boosters.
How does your diet affect your immune system?
Your diet can improve or deteriorate the functioning of your immune system. Our body receives energy and nutrients from the food we eat. The kind of food we eat directly affects our body and its functioning. The nutrients that we get from a balanced diet help to build a stronger immunity and the antioxidants that are present in fruits and vegetables help to repair and grow immune cells. Hence, a diet rich in vitamins like A, C, D, E and minerals like zinc and copper is essential. Let’s take a note immune booster foods and how you can add them in your diet.
- Intake of Vitamin C: Vitamin C is very well known for its role in supporting and building the immune system. It is very important to consume foods rich in vitamin C as the body itself does not produce it and its deficiency can hamper your health. It is mostly found in foods that are citrus in nature like lemon, Amla juice, oranges, tomatoes, spinach etc. Vitamin C helps to repair tissues in the body and its antioxidants fight away the toxins. It helps the immune system to strengthen its defence against bacteria and viruses.
- Add herbs and spices in your diet: Herbs and spices are an integral part of Indian cuisine. They not only add flavour and aroma to the dishes but also have many health benefits. Spices like ginger and turmeric are used in several medical applications since centuries. They are a great source of antioxidants and plant compounds. Ginger fights inflammation; garlic helps in detoxification and turmeric aids in fighting off bacteria and viruses. Using ginger powder, garlic powder and turmeric powder in your daily recipes can make your dishes delicious and help you boost immunity.
- Enjoy a cup or two of green tea daily: In recent times, people are getting more concerned about the sugar and caffeine intake from their daily beverages. This is one of the reasons why people are adapting green tea in their daily routine. Green tea is considered to be the healthiest drinks of all, as it doesn’t contain any sugar and has very small amount of caffeine. Moreover, it is considered to be a powerful antibacterial and antiviral. It has anti-inflammatory properties and the antioxidants present in it destroy the cell-damaging free radicals and boosts immunity. Switching to green tea is a choice taken towards healthier lifestyle.
- Add broccoli to your salad/soup: Broccoli is increasingly getting used in many dishes as Indians slowly get used to it. It combines easily with carrots, bell peppers and beans to make a healthy salad. Also, adding it your soup can elevate the taste and nutrition content. Broccoli is a vegetable that contains numerous vitamins and minerals that help the body to combat viruses and bacteria. It contains antioxidants like beta-carotene which fights off free radicals and strengthens the fighting ability of immune system. It’s time to give broccoli its due credit and Google some amazing recipes.
- Have handful of Nuts: We ingrain nuts in our breakfast meals, savouries, sweets and even eat handful of them raw because they offer us a nutritional boost. Nuts should be surely included in our diet as they offer us much needed minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. Almonds offer vitamin E that fights off sickness, walnuts are an excellent source of copper that supports overall functioning of the body and cashews contain a good amount of zinc that is important for the development of immune system cells. All these nuts contribute in one way or another in strengthening the immune system.
- Give Honey a try: It is no secret that honey has an endless list of benefits and is a proven cure for many problems. It is power-packed with antioxidants and has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. Organic honey is always a better choice than the processed one as the nutrients are intact in all-natural and unfiltered honey. The antioxidants help to make the immune system stronger and the antibacterial properties kill any harmful germs in the body. Drinking a warm glass of water with lemon and honey added to it in the morning removes all the toxins and cleanses the body.
Summing it up!
In present times, the quality and nutrient profile of the food has deteriorated because of adulteration and use of harmful chemical fertilizers/pesticides. To benefit from the foods mentioned above and avail the nutrients and antioxidants, make sure to purchase organic immune-boosting foods. Organic food has more nutrients compared to conventional food and can help you boost your immunity in an effective way.
