The spread of Novel Coronavirus has awakened the sense of self-care, hygiene, and charity among the people living in every corner of the world. No vaccine has been found yet to treat this virus and thus prevention is the only way to fight against this deadly virus. So, to prevent this infection, the first and foremost thing is body immunity and the natural defense system.
Your eating and drinking habits determine a large portion of your body immunity. Apart from this your lifestyle also plays an important role in boosting your immunity naturally.
So, here we will be talking about the foods and drinks that can act as a boon for your body’s immune system and help you build immunity. If you add these foods and drinks to your plate in the place of junk and oily food, you can not only fight against Coronavirus but many other life-threatening diseases. Read carefully what you need to eat and drink to charge your immune system.
Best Foods that Boost Immune System
1. Citrus Fruits
Lately, we all are hearing all good words about Vitamin C. Undoubtedly, this vitamin is meant to strengthen your immunity and defense system by producing more White Blood cells. WBCs are the soldier of our bodies that fight diseases and infections.
All the citrus fruits are rich in Vitamin C and thus are perfect to improve the natural defense system of our body. Therefore, it is highly advisable to add Citrus fruits into your diet. Commonly available Citrus fruits are:
- Grapefruit
- Oranges
- Clementines
- Tangerines
- Lemons
- Limes
As a matter of fact, our body doesn’t produce Vitamin C and hence it is important to intake the required amount of Vitamin C on a daily basis. How much Vitamin C Is required per day?
- For Women- 75 mg
- For Men- 90 mg
Make sure you don’t go overboard with Vit C and limit your consumption up to 2000 mg/day. Vitamin C is highly effective to fight against cold, Coronavirus, and SARS-Cov-2.
2. Red Bell Peppers
Other than Citrus fruits, Red Bell peppers are an effective source of Vitamin C. They include 3 times more Vitamin C than any fruit; every ounce consists of 127 mg of Vit C.
Also, they consist of beta carotene that is converted into Vitamin A by our body to keep your eyes and skin healthy. Not only for immunity but vitamin C is a popular ingredient for beautiful skin.
3. Broccoli
Broccoli contains several vitamins and minerals and hence adding it to your plate can give you plenty of health benefits. From vitamins A, C, and E, as well as fiber to antioxidants, Broccoli has everything that a healthy and fit body requires.
4. Garlic
Not only it adds the taste to different cuisines, but Garlic also has many other benefits too. It empowers your system to fight infections. It also softens the arteries and can also help you lower the blood pressure. Due to the high content of sulfur-rich compounds like allicin, Garlic can surely boost your immunity.
5. Ginger
Ginger is another great immunity-boosting ingredient that has several benefits. It can control inflammation and cure sore throat, inflammatory illness, and cough. It also works well for nausea and chest congestion.
Ginger is packed with some heat in the form of gingerol that is related to capsaicin. Therefore, it is used to give the body the required warmth. Some studies have proved that it includes cholesterol-controlling properties.
6. Yogurt
Yogurt is known to strengthen the immune system. But it is better to consume plain yogurt rather than the sweetened or flavored ones. To sweeten your yogurt, you can add honey or fruits to it. Yogurt is a major resource of Vitamin D that can boost immunity. And, studies have also revealed its effects on COVID-19.
7. Almonds
Almonds are the greatest weapon to fight colds. The Vitamin E of Almonds can even outrank Vitamin C when it comes to combating colds. Almonds are also rich in potent antioxidants and thus can boost your immunity and keep your mind and body healthy. As per the daily needs, an adult needs 15 mg of Vitamin E, therefore 45-46 almonds can give you the required amount.
8. Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds are power-packed with phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamins B-6, Vitamin E, and many other nutrients. It enhances the strength of your immune system and helps your body to fight illness and infection.
Avocados and dark leafy greens are also great sources of Vitamin E. But with sunflower seeds, you get a high amount of selenium that can prevent Swine Flu (H1N1) and other infections.
9. Turmeric
Turmeric is much more than just a spice as it includes the best anti-inflammatory properties that can treat osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. It is the holy grail to boost your immunity due to the high concentration of curcumin. It can control muscle damage and also act as an antiviral, as pre few findings.
Best Home-Made Drinks to Boost Immune System
1. Green Tea
Green tea and black tea are loaded with flavonoids named antioxidants. But Green tea has extra nutritional properties due to the presence of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a strong antioxidant.
Studies have revealed that EGCG can boost the immune function and thus is best to consume if you are looking to revitalize your immune system. Unlike black tea, Green tea is steamed and not fermented and thus the composition of EGCG remains intact. It also includes amino acid L-theanine that can fight germs in your system. Also, effective in the weight loss process.
Take a glass of warm water and dip the sachet of green tea, leave it for 5 minutes and it’s ready to consume. Furthermore, you can add lemon or honey to improve the taste.
2. Turmeric Tea
As we have known the benefits of Turmeric above, consuming turmeric tea can give a great boost to your defense system. To make this tea, boil some water, add 1-2 tbsp of Fresh turmeric grated, lemon juice, and honey. Consume it regularly for the best outcomes.
3. Ginger and Apple Cider Vinegar Decoction
Ginger has medicinal properties to treat cold viruses. Cayenne peppers include a high amount of capsaicin that can control inflammation. And, ACV is best to fight bacteria due to the presence of prebiotics.
To make this boil 1 cup of water and take off the stove, add grated ginger and cover and steep for a few minutes. Then, add some CV, honey, and cayenne, mix and drink it warm.
4. Green Juice
This juice is made up of green and leafy vegetables and thus is rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Folic acid, and other antioxidants to fight inflammation and infections.
To make this, blend 1 cup Coriander leaves, 1 cup Mint leaves, 1 cup Baby spinach, one Apple or pear, 1 chopped cucumber, 2 tbsp lemon juice and black salt, and 1 cup of water. Use a juice maker to mix everything in the water.
5. The Golden Milk
This composition is mainly based on turmeric and we already know it is a great antioxidant it is. So, this milk will be best to fight against free radicals. The nuts and spices will give you good fats to strengthen the defense system.
To make this, take 2 cups of almond milk or regular milk, 1/2 cup of coconut milk, 1 tbsp of turmeric, ½ tbsp ground ginger, ½ tbsp black pepper powder and a pinch of cinnamon, in a bowl. Now heat the milk for 5-10 minutes at low flame. Don’t boil it. Take off the flame and add honey for taste. You can take it to bedtime for a sound sleep.
Conclusion
Enjoy the best drinks and foods that boost immune system covered in this article, may it strengthen people’s immunity and improve their ability to fight off infections. Surely going to increase immunity. So, add them to lifestyle and intake foods that boost the immune system
