We all want to strengthen our immune systems. Unfortunately there is no magic bullet when it comes to creating strong immunity.
As we’ve discussed it’s vital to pay attention to sleep, sugar consumption, hydration, movement, stress management and gut health. (To read more about these topics click here and here).
However, there are specific foods and supplements that can help give your immune system a boost.
First and foremost – eating a diet that is composed of fresh vegetables and fruits and healthy proteins will help ensure that you get a balance of the important vitamins, minerals, and building blocks that are needed.
Fresh fruits and vegetables provide important antioxidants that keep inflammation at bay.
These antioxidants can neutralize potential damage from free radicals – the proverbial exhaust created by your body’s daily functioning.
The antioxidants essentially clean up your cellular exhaust and waste allowing your immune system to function better.
Some of these antioxidants are the very same vitamins that we associate with immune support like vitamins C, E, and A.
Protein is another important food to assist the immune system.
Protein is made up of amino acids. These amino acids help fuel the immune system functions. Not getting enough protein is often associated with a weakened immune system.
Foods like garlic, ginger and turmeric have specific immune boosting qualities.
Garlic and ginger may possess antibacterial and antiviral properties.
And the active ingredient in turmeric – curcumin – has anti-inflammatory properties and can activate immune cells. Adding black pepper to the curcumin increases its potency by 2000%. So when adding turmeric to your food make sure to also add some black pepper.
Vitamin D has an important function on the immune response. Deficiency in vitamin D is associated with autoimmunity and an increased risk of getting infections, including flu. This vitamin was even used to treat infections like tuberculosis before the invention of antibiotics.
Vitamin D can help to both treat and prevent infections by playing an important role in protective immunity.
We get vitamin D in two forms: vitamin D2 from foods and vitamin D3 from the sun and animal products. Unlike with other vitamins, there are very few natural food sources for vitamin D. Sources can include: fish, cod liver oil, and portobello mushrooms previously exposed to light.
In addition, your body can convert vitamin D3 from sunlight into usable vitamin D. While there is plenty of sunlight here in Israel things like clothing, sunscreen, color of skin and time of day of exposure can affect how much sunlight is actually absorbed.
In reality, many people do not get enough vitamin D – and supplementation is often warranted.
Vitamin C is another important vitamin and a powerful antioxidant. Vitamin C supports barriers that keep germs like viruses and bacteria from entering into the body, helps kill bacteria that do get in, and supports immune cells so they can do their job properly.
Zinc is an important mineral that we get from our food, and it helps our bodies produce immune cells. Zinc plays an important role in reducing the risk, severity, and duration of infectious disease, and it also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
This paper states that many randomized controlled trials document that adequate intakes of vitamin C and zinc ameliorate symptoms and shorten the duration of respiratory tract infections including the common cold.
To prevent or reduce the effects of colds and flu participants took up to 1000 mg of Vitamin C and 30 mg of Zinc daily.
Finally – acupuncture has been shown to regulate the immune system and improve the immune response.
In this study acupuncture both reduced anxiety and improved immune function in women previously diagnosed with anxiety. The results showed that the most favorable effects of acupuncture on the immune functions appear 72 hours after a single session and persist one month after the end of a complete round of treatment.
So enjoy your fruit, vegetables, and protein with some garlic, ginger, turmeric and black pepper.
Add Vitamin D ,C ,and Zinc.
If that isn’t enough click here to speak to me about how acupuncture can help you boost your immunity.
Here’s to a healthy winter!
