Foods that Help the Immune System

We all depend on our immune system to keep us healthy, because nothing is worse than being sick. Poor nutrition and a poor lifestyle can actually make you sick faster, but good eating habits can help your body, especially if you eat the foods that will give it the fuel it needs to prevent future viruses and illnesses.

Beef

• We need around three ounces of lean beef, such as a hamburger, to get enough zinc in our bodies. A zinc deficiency will increase your chances of developing an infection because zinc helps develop white blood cells, which aid in warding off viruses and illnesses.

Sweet Potatoes

• Orange vegetables, especially sweet potatoes and pumpkins, supplement our diets with vitamin A, which helps our skin and our immune system. They also provide vitamin C, which has antioxidant qualities, is important for bone density and aids in the healing of blood vessels, tissues and wounds.

Mushrooms

• Eat a half a cup of mushrooms a day to get your daily amount of vitamin B. Vitamin B helps the white blood cells fight against infections and viruses by releasing a protein into the infected cells, causing them to destruct.

Green Tea

• We should drink at least a cup of tea a day to get the full benefit of polyphenols, which help destroy free radicals, the compounds that can hasten the aging process. Green tea also helps your immune system by relaxing you when you are sick and soothing the pain of a sore throat.

Yogurt

• Eat one cup of plain yogurt, and remember to choose brands with live cultures to get Lactobacillus acidophilus in your yogurt, which aids in keeping your digestive system healthy and in keeping unhealthy bacteria away.

Blueberries

• We should eat around a half a cup of blueberries each day to receive the good antioxidant values of Vitamins C and E. These vitamins work together to prevent urinary tract infections because they increase the acidity of your urine, thus destroying the bacteria.