Turn everyday meals into your health allies with the list we prepared of foods that boost immunity naturally.
It’s time to protect yourself through every possibility to improve our body’s immunity.
If you belong to the group that usually already has weakened immunity, start adjusting your diet, enriching meals with vitamins, minerals and other substances that can help the immune system.
To emphasize the importance of this, we must remember that immunity is our body’s ability to defend itself against viruses, bacteria and fungi that cause disease.
When this protection system is weak, we are more vulnerable to illness, which is why it is so important to consume certain foods that can help your body defend itself.
Below, we will list foods that increase immunity so that you can introduce them into your daily diet, check out:
1. Citrus natural foods
Some examples of natural citrus foods are orange, acerola, kiwi, broccoli, kale, green and red peppers. All of them are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, helping to increase the body’s resistance.
2. Dark Green Natural Foods
Foods like broccoli, kale and spinach are high in folic acid. This nutrient helps in the formation of white blood cells, which are responsible for defending our body.
3. Foods Rich in Zinc
Zinc is primarily responsible for fighting colds, flu and diseases that affect the immune system. Foods that have this nutrient are meat, whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes such as beans, lentils, peas and chickpeas.
4. oilseeds
Oilseeds like walnuts, chestnuts, almonds and vegetable oils – sunflower, wheat germ, corn and canola – have zinc and vitamin E. They are beneficial and ideal especially for the elderly, causing immunity not to decrease due to age.
5. Tomato
Free radicals are responsible for aging cells, which leaves the body more weakened and susceptible to disease. Tomato is a fruit rich in lycopene, which helps remove free radicals from the body, preserving these cells.
6. Foods with omega 3
Omega 3 helps fight inflammation of the arteries, which helps maintain the body’s immunity. It is mainly present in olive oil and salmon.
7. Antioxidants
The foods that have the most antioxidants are nuts and mushrooms, such as mushrooms . They have selenium that fights free radicals, improves immunity and accelerates healing.
8. Ginger
Ginger has bactericidal action, vitamin C and B6. Helps in the treatment of inflammation in the throat and in the body’s defenses.
9. Pepper
A source of beta-carotene, a substance that turns into vitamin A, pepper nourishes and protects the body from infections.
10. Yogurt
Consuming yogurt helps to rebuild the good bacteria of the intestinal flora, the probiotics. They are the ones who fight bad bacteria for our body, contributing to increased immunity.
11. Garlic
Garlic is a powerful ally to strengthen the immune system. It has vitamins A, C and E, as well as helping to reduce mucus in the lungs, being effective against coughs and bronchitis.
12. Onion
Great to ward off flu, colds and infections in general, onion has anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antiparasitic, antibacterial and antifungal substances.
13. Royal Jelly
Consumed on an empty stomach, royal jelly boosts immunity, as it has high concentrations of vitamins, especially C and complex B. It is a superfood with many nutrients, phytochemicals and antioxidants, making it a combo of health benefits.
14. Propolis
Propolis accelerates the immune response against invaders, this is because it stimulates receptors and the production of cytokines. It also has antibacterial and antiviral compounds.
15. Coconut oil
Provenly, it acts indirectly as an immunity helper, as it improves the work of the intestine, eliminating bad bacteria. The lauric acid and capric acid present in it act against fungi, bacteria and viruses.
16. Lychee
Lychee has a pharmacological function (an action against a specific target), which means that it acts against several diseases, for example, inflammation, allergies and low immunity. In addition to being very rich in vitamin C, it is extremely effective in preventing colds and flu.
17. Yacon potato
Stimulating the growth of the intestinal flora, the yacon potato exterminates bacteria that enter our organism through food, helping to prevent diseases and strengthen immunity.
18. Wheat germ
Wheat germ has antioxidant power, prevents cell aging and contributes to increased immunity. This is because it helps to accumulate vitamins A, E and K in large amounts. It also helps in good blood clotting and bone strength.
19. Yam
Source of B complex vitamins, B6 and B1, it also has antioxidants and folic complex, fighting free radicals and strengthening immunity.
20. Sweet potato
In addition to being rich in minerals such as calcium, iron and potassium, sweet potatoes have vitamins A, C, D, B12 and B6. Among its many benefits, it helps immunity by acting against bacterial and viral infections.
If you were looking for how to boost immunity, you found that all the foods on this list can strengthen your body, helping the immune system. But that doesn’t mean you need to buy them all and fill a plate full of them, to eat every day, which will be armored against diseases.
Include in a distributed way some of the delicacies above in your daily meals. If your immunity is very low and this makes you constantly sick, urgently consult a nutritionist who will prepare a menu that is optimal for your needs.