One way to boost your immune system is to improve your diet. Ingesting better quality and diversity of foods, may help improve your body's natural defense system in measurable ways.
Here are 10 immune-boosting foods.
1. Garlic
Garlic not only adds zest to plenty of recipes, it also works as a "broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent" that helps to
boost your immunity, Everyday Health noted. Consider putting it on your foods just before you serve them because heat can deactivate a property in garlic that is helpful Everyday Health said.
Special: 3 Secrets to Never Getting Sick Again
2. Yogurt
Yogurt, which contains probiotics — living cultures that help keep germs out of your digestive tract — is a great
immune booster, Prevention magazine noted. While probiotics can be taken in pill form, the magazine said a study found that eating yogurt itself was as efficient as taking the meds.
3. Oats and Barley
Prevention also suggested consuming more oats and barley to boost your immune system, noting that these foods contain a fiber called beta-glucan, which according to one study, have "antimicrobial and antioxidant capabilities more potent than echinacea."
4. Tea
Drink black and green tea to boost your
immune capacity, Rodale's Organic Life said, noting both are loaded with an amino acid called L-theanine. One study completed by Harvard University found that those who consumed five cups of black tea for two weeks "had 10 times more virus-fighting interferon in their blood than others who drank a placebo hot drink," Rodale’s reported.
5. Fish
All kinds of fish are helpful in giving your system a boost, Rodale noted. Choose from Omega-3 rich salmon, which is known to fight off respiratory issues, to sardines and shellfish like lobster and crabs (full of selenium), which raise the levels of cytokines in white blood cells — helping to remove flu virus from your system.
6. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes add an enormous benefit to your skin, Rodale said. Loaded with beta-carotene, they help to transform it into Vitamin A, protecting your body's connective tissues.
7. Oregano
Oregano oil taken three times a day can help to boost your immune system and contribute to better gut health,
celebrity physician Dr. Mehmet Oz said. "It acts kind of like a weed killer by helping to eliminate some of bad bacteria that may be dominating your digestive system," he said.
Alert: 9 Signs Your Immune System Is Dysfunctional
8. Mushrooms
Several varieties of Japanese mushrooms, whether enoki, oyster or shiitake, can assist immunity. They work because they contain ergothioneine, an antioxidant that can survive cooking, Dr. Oz said.
9. Chicken Soup
Chicken soup "deters movement of inflammatory white cells, which can help prevent colds by blocking the accumulation of cells in the bronchial tubes,"
Fox News reported, citing a study from the University of Nebraska.
10. Broccoli
Broccoli, while not a favorite of everyone, contains plenty of vitamins A and C and also glutathione, described as the "master antioxidant," Fox News said. It's best eaten raw for maximum benefits.