Looking to superfoods for immune system boost this cold and flu season? One of the best ways we can support our body’s health and immunity is to eat a healthy diet.
Superfoods are nutrient-dense foods that are packed with vitamins and minerals to support our overall health. Adding superfoods into your diet can help your body ward off diseases and keep you healthier, especially if they are incorporated as part of a well-balanced diet.
Foods that weaken immune system
Keeping your immune system strong is one of the most impactful things to your quality of life.
We are what we eat. Thus, in addition to choosing the foods that help support our immune function, we must also become aware of behaviors and eating habits that can weaken immunity.
Here are some common habits that cause a weakened immune system:
- Drinking too much alcohol
- Eating too much salt – mostly through consuming processed food and fast food
- Drinking and eating too much sugar – from drinking sugar-ladened drinks, eating sweets and refined carbohydrates
- Drinking too much caffeine
- Not eating enough veggies
What are signs of a weak immune system?
The primary symptom of a weakened immune system is increased susceptibility to infections and increased severity of illnesses.
Here are some common symptoms that people with a weak immune system are more likely to experience:
- autoimmune disorders
- digestive issues such as stomachaches and diarrhea
- low energy levels
- slow-healing wounds
- high stress levels
- delayed growth and development in children
Here is a list of superfoods that mother nature has provided for us to keep our immune system strong and healthy.
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15 Superfoods for Immune System Boost this Cold & Flu Season
1. Red Bell Peppers
Red bell peppers are very high in vitamin C; in fact, consuming a medium-sized red bell pepper is enough to fulfill your recommended daily allowance of vitamin C.
Peppers are also a good source of beta carotene, a precursor of vitamin A. Vitamin A is important for healthy skin, eyes, and immune system.
You can enjoy red bell peppers by roasting, grilling, or stir-frying them. They can also be sliced up and added to salads or used to scoop up hummus dips.
2. Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits are an excellent source of vitamin C, a nutrient that strengthens the immune system by stimulating the formation of antibodies (source).
They also have good amounts of other vitamins and minerals that keep your body healthy, such as B vitamins, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, and copper.
Just eat the whole citrus fruit instead of drinking its juice, so that you can reap the benefits of its fiber and reduce total sugar intake.
3. Acai
Acai berries are native to the Amazon region in Brazil where they’re a staple food.
It’s considered a superfruit packed with nutrients and loaded with antioxidants, as it contains 3 times the amount of antioxidants found in blueberries!
Acai is considered one of the best superfoods for immune system as it boosts the production of white blood cells which keeps the immune system healthy (source).
4. Turmeric
Turmeric is the yellow-orange colored spice found in curries and sauce. Its primary bioactive compound, curcumin, is traditionally known for its anti-inflammatory effects.
A recent study found that curcumin has the ability to regulate the immune system by activating its immune “fighter cells” (source).
Remember to combine turmeric with black pepper to maximize our body’s absorption of the nutrients in curcumin (source).
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5. Chia Seeds
Chia seeds are a good source of iron, which plays a big part in transporting oxygen around the body, which helps to support the immune system.
Chia seed is one of the best sources of fiber. This soluble fiber goes to work in the digestive system by regulating the bowel movement and feeding friendly bacteria in the gut to improve your gut health.
Since over 70% of your immunity is in your gut, so chia seeds boost your immune system by improving your gut health.
6. Ginger
Ginger is a well-known traditional remedy for treating the cold and flu.
Its strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects help to boost your immune system. Additionally, ginger possesses powerful antiviral and antibacterial properties.
Not only does ginger help support a strong immune system, consuming more ginger can help you lose weight too!
To add more ginger into your diet, drink it in a tea or detox water, grate it or add its dried powder into just about anything: stir-fries, vegetables, soups, muffins, overnight oats, desserts, and smoothies.
7. Cinnamon
The many benefits of cinnamon extend way beyond its use as a spice. Cinnamon is one of the best superfood powders for weight loss due to its well-known ability to control blood sugar and prevent increased fat storage due to blood sugar spikes.
Cinnamon has powerful antibacterial and antifungal properties that help your immune system to naturally fight off germs.
It is also loaded with antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties which help to lower your risk of diseases.
Choose Ceylon cinnamon over cassia cinnamon to avoid the coumarin naturally found in cassia cinnamon, which may potentially cause liver and kidney damage in some people.
8. Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is an ancient herb used in Indian Ayurvedic medicine and has become a popular supplement due to its health benefits.
It has been used for thousands of years to relieve stress, increase energy levels, and improve concentration.
It’s an adaptogen that supports the body’s natural ability to deal with stress.
Studies in humans have found that it increases the activity of natural killer cells, which are immune cells that fight infection and help you stay healthy (source).
Ashwagandha is also known to boost brain function, lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels, and combat symptoms of anxiety and depression.
I’ve had issues sleeping through the night for the last few months. The very first evening I made a hot chocolate drink using this pre-mixed powder with ashwagandha, I was amazed to wake up in the morning! I’ve also been adding it to my coffee every day to enjoy its delicious mocha flavor.
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9. Elderberries
Teas and syrups made from the elderberry plant have been used traditionally to boost immunity and fight upper respiratory infections hundreds of years.
A study found that participants with flu-like symptoms who took elderberry syrup multiple times a day saw symptoms clear up on average four days earlier than those who took a placebo syrup (source).
My kids love these convenient and tasty elderberry gummies that are easy to bring on our travels.
10. Leafy Greens
Dark, leafy greens such as kale, spinach, and chards are excellent sources of fiber, folate, iron, and vitamin C.
They have also recently been shown to play an important role in regulating the immune system by providing key chemical signals to ensure that immune cells in the gut function properly.
11. Garlic
Garlic has been used as both a food ingredient and a traditional Asian medicine for thousands of years.
Garlic produces a compound called allicin when crushed or sliced, which is thought to give garlic its immune-boosting properties (source).
Increase your garlic intake for health by crushing, slicing, or dicing at least 2-3 cloves of garlic a day and toss them into your stir-fries.
12. Maca
Maca is an adaptogen that enhances the body’s ability to resist external threats.
While maca powder doesn’t directly impact the components of our immune system, its high micronutrient content will help to optimize our immune system functions (source).
The high iron content in maca helps our blood cells to work properly and therefore supports immune system health.
Maca has also been shown to help regulate the stress hormone cortisol and adrenaline (source). Imbalance in these two hormones has been found to weaken immune health.
Maca works to balance and regulate both of these hormones to help your immune system fight off infections and diseases.
You can incorporate maca powder easily into your diet by adding them to smoothies, oatmeal, and more.
13. Chaga
Chaga mushrooms are an antioxidant powerhouse. Research shows this functional fungus can reduce oxidative stress, strengthen the immune system, and improve overall health.
Chaga promotes the formation of beneficial proteins that regulate the immune system and stimulate white blood cells to help fight harmful bacteria or viruses (source).
An animal study found Chaga extract reduced inflammation and gut damage by inhibiting inflammatory cytokines and thereby support immune system health (source).
14. Baobab
Baobab trees are native to Africa and Australia and have traditionally been used in Africa to relieve digestive issues such as diarrhea and constipation.
The soluble fibers found in baobab fruit potentially promote the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut and therefore help to support the immune system.
Baobab has a very high vitamin C content. In fact, it’s said to be 10 times that of oranges (source).
It’s also believed to have antimicrobial, antiviral, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties (source).
The easiest way to consume baobab is by incorporating baobab powder into smoothies, yogurts, and dairy products.
15. Wheatgrass
Wheatgrass is packed with a powerful combination of nutrients that gives it antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Wheatgrass enhances the function of your immune system, and this helps to ward off infection and disease (source).
A small study in 2015 found that wheatgrass has anticancer potential, and when used alongside conventional cancer treatment, wheatgrass can boost the immune system and help the body to detox (source).
The vitamins A & E in wheatgrass also benefit your immunity and help with oxidative stress.
You can drink wheatgrass shots, or mix wheatgrass powder into drinks.
If you have a low tolerance for wheatgrass shots like I do, try a pre-mixed superfoods powder to reduce the strong taste of wheatgrass and also reap the benefits of other superfoods for strong immunity!
One of the easiest ways to incorporate many of these superfoods for immune system boost on this list is to consume them in powder form.
Your Super creates these clean superfood pre-mixed powders that are tasty and easy to add to smoothies, oatmeal, lattes, snack recipes, and more.
These pre-mixes are convenient and cost-effective compared to buying individual superfood powders and mixing them yourself.
All of its ingredients are organic and naturally dried to preserve all micronutrients, and free of any sweeteners or fillers.
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