Health
6 Delicious Foods That Boost Immunity
These foods that boost immunity will help you make it through cold and flu season sniffle free!
Everyone sick at your office or at home? Sail through cold and flu season sniffle-free with our top natural remedies!
Red wine fends off colds
Great news for wine lovers! Sipping four ounces to eight ounces of red wine daily cuts your risk of fall colds by 40 percent, even when you’re exposed to people who are already ill. That’s the word from Yale University researchers, who say grape skin compounds (flavonoids) quickly destroy any rhinoviruses that sneak into your bloodstream.
Leafy greens block viruses.
Your digestive system produces its own immune cells — and if you have enough of these killer cells available when viruses invade, they rapidly quash infections. British research proves it’s easy to triple your gut’s production of these feisty infection-fighters just by eating one cup of leafy greens daily. Thanks goes to nutrients (vitamin K and flavonoids) that energize immune cell production in the lining of your GI tract.
Red bell peppers strengthen your airways.
These colorful gem s are packed with vitamin C and carotenoids, nutrients that strengthen the respiratory tract lining from the nose to the lungs to prevent viral invasions. Nibble on one cup of red or orange peppers daily, and Stanford University researchers say your risk of draggy fall colds and complications like sinus infections and bronchitis will drop by as much as 67 percent.
Pork snuffs out invading germs.
The zinc found in pork is a potent antiviral mineral that destroys germ s at their m ost com m on point of entry — the tissues lining your nose and throat. No wonder Australian researchers have found that women who enjoy 12 ounces of pork weekly have 58 percent fewer sick days each fall and winter!
Yogurt powers up immune cells.
It makes a great on-the-go snack, and University of Kansas researchers say eating one cup daily will cut your risk of colds, the flu and other viral infections in half, plus help you recover 74 percent faster if you do fall ill. Yogurt’s Lactobacillus acidophilus, a healthy probiotic bacteria, stimulates your immune system to produce germ-killing dynamos called lymphocytes.
Eggs activate antiviral enzymes.
The unique blend of nutrients (amino acids, lutein, and zeaxanthin) in this favorite breakfast option increases your body’s production of a powerful antiviral compound called gam m a interferon by as much as 75 percent, Canadian researchers reveal. In fact, savoring two eggs daily — whatever style you prefer — will cut your risk of any fall or winter illness in half!
This story originally appeared in our print magazine.
More From FIRST
The 5 Trending Health Foods We’ll Be Eating in 2020
Trim Inches and Balance Your Blood Sugar with These 3 Drinks Spiked With Ghee
