How to Fight Infection

Germs are everywhere and virtually impossible to avoid if you live outside of a glass bubble. We all know to wash our hands after going to the bathroom and to cover our mouths when we cough but we’re still susceptible to other people’s germs and viruses, which can lead to infections and a whole host of other illnesses. Don't fret. There are ways to give us a fighting chance against nasty germs, bacteria and viruses and the resultant illnesses and infections that occur from being exposed to them. Eating the right foods can be a protective measure and may safeguard us so that we’re not as susceptible to the bad stuff that is floating around out there.

Instructions

• 1

  Eat fruits and vegetables because they contain antioxidants that fight off free radicals that destroy our immune system.

• 2

  Take Vitamins C and E, or eat foods rich in these vitamins. Vitamin C, in particular, is a great warrior against bacteria. Vitamin C allows the body to make interferon, which is a protein that eliminates viruses. Vitamin C would be considered in the proactive, preventive category because it helps the immune system stay strong and ward off the bad stuff.

• 3

  Eat garlic if you have an infection. According to Janet Maccaro, Ph.D. and president of Dr. Janet’s Balance By Nature Product and author of "Natural Health Remedies A to Z," garlic was once known as Russian penicillin. Garlic has been shown to eliminate a fungus that causes yeast infections.

• 4

  Eat foods that are rich in Vitamin A, such as kale and spinach, carrots and squash. These foods keep the mucous membranes in the nose and mouth soft which is good. It’s a defense against infections that come in through our mouth and nose. The germs get trapped in the wet membranes and as a result don’t infiltrate the rest of the body.

• 5

  Consider the power of zinc, which most of us don’t get enough of in our diets. According to Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, which conducted a survey, children who were getting 10 mg of zinc for two months were far less apt to get respiratory infections than those children who were getting less zinc. Eat a steak or king crab. Both contain zinc.