10 food items that help boost your immune system

Introduction

A healthy diet is essential for good health and nutrition. It protects you against many chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Eating a variety of foods and consuming less salt, sugars, and saturated and industrially-produced trans-fats, are essential for a healthy diet. Healthy foods also boost our body functioning, helping our organs such as the heart to be more efficient. Sometimes it is assumed that to stay healthy, one must source for some exotic foods, however, in this article, you will discover that some locally available food items actually contain enough vitamins and minerals to keep you as healthy as you need to be.

Here are ten food items that help boost your immune system.

Grapefruit – Packed with vitamin C makes this an immune-boosting essential. Some more nutrients present have been discovered to help protect against cancer and cardiovascular diseases. They are as well naturally delicious, with no added sugar.

Cruciferous Vegetables – Rich in antioxidant vitamins, which give an immune system boost. These are vegetables in the same family as broccoli. They are rich in folate, vitamins C, E, and K, and fiber. Fiber is an important nutrient to incorporate if weight loss.

Carrots – A great source of beta carotene, making it harder for bacteria to enter the bloodstream.

Carrots contribute to a healthy immune system by providing vitamins like vitamin D, vitamin A

Deficiency has been associated with increased infection risk.

Cinnamon – Cinnamon is an antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, and an immune system booster. It fights the pathogens that cause illness. This is why it is said to have anti-inflammatory properties. It also lowers blood sugar levels.

Berries – contain antioxidants responsible for the health of your immune system, as well as your body’s ability to destroy invading bacteria and germs. They are also high in fiber and help lower cholesterol levels.

Mushrooms – A major source of the immune system-boosting mineral, zinc. They also contain Vitamin B, which helps the body in metabolism and creating new blood cells to maintain skin and other body tissues.

Kales – Greens such as kale, spinach, and Swiss chard are immune-boosting foods that contain high levels of vitamin C. Kales are also high in fiber and contain ant-oxidants, calcium, Vitamin K and other minerals.

Watermelon – Contains antioxidant Vitamins A and C, which helps to neutralize free radicals that can lead to inflammation, general sickness, and chronic illnesses such as stroke and heart attack.

Oranges – Both vitamins C and D are found in brightly colored oranges and orange juice. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that protects against cell damage. The properties are vitamin D helps to decrease inflammation and increase anti-inflammatory responses

Avocados – are a great source of vitamins C, K, and B-6, as well as pantothenic acid, magnesium, and potassium. They also provide lutein, beta-carotene, and omega-3 fatty acids. However, they are usually high in fat but still contain plenty of nutrients useful to the body.

Conclusion

A healthy diet is essential for good health and nutrition. It protects you against many chronic non-communicable diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Eating a variety of foods and consuming less salt, sugars, and saturated and industrially-produced trans-fats, are essential for a healthy diet. The above-mentioned foods could go a long way in helping prevent some lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. It is good to understand that maintaining a healthy diet is not as an expense as it may seem, but rather a choice to be well informed and conscious of foods that one eats.