The common cold has no limits. The truth is that there is no rhyme or reason for having a stuffy or runny nose, sinus pressure, tiredness, and other unpleasant symptoms associated with the cold. This is despite the fact that there appears to be an increase in the number of persons getting sick over the winter.
As a result, if you want to avoid catching a cold, it is critical to take immune-boosting foods on a regular basis.
Consuming immune-boosting foods is a simple and effective way to avoid and prevent colds, but it has some negative side effects.
As a result, even if you are unable to regulate all aspects of your life, you may protect your health and enhance your immune system by taking specific nutrients.
Include eleven immune-boosting foods on your shopping list this week.
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1 Apples
Apples are also nutritional powerhouses, since they include soluble fiber, which has been demonstrated to lower cholesterol levels, and vitamin, which is known to stimulate the immune system.Juicing apples is one of the most efficient ways to guarantee that your body absorbs all of the nutrients that apples provide.
Other options include eating apples in their natural state. Alternatively, cut them into slices and dip them in a tiny amount of peanut butter or almond butter to boost your protein intake. -
2 Yogurt
It is probable that you have been advised to avoid dairy products when suffering from a cold. Although dairy products have the potential to aggravate mucus problems, yogurt contains probiotics that can help the body produce antibodies and fight off illness.
The living, active cultures present in yogurt can help reduce the presence of disease-causing germs in your stomach and intestinal system. -
3 Oats and Barley
Beta-glucan, a type of fiber found in oats and barley, influences how your body's white blood cells respond to a variety of diseases, including those caused by bacteria and viruses.
If you don't like cooked oatmeal, you could try blending raw oats into your morning smoothie instead. The addition of barley to soups is a simple approach to increase the therapeutic effects of the dish.
Fun fact: oats not only boost the immune system, but they help speed up wound healing. -
4 Garlic
Although garlic is an excellent addition to any meal, it serves a much broader role than merely flavoring the food you prepare.
Allicin, found in cloves, is a potent antibacterial agent that works against bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Furthermore, if you are serious about protecting yourself from the impending cold, consider chewing a clove every three to four hours or cutting it into small pieces and swallowing them.
Furthermore, garlic is a potent immune-boosting food, and according to the American Institute of Cancer Research, eating a considerable amount of garlic on a weekly basis (for example, six cloves or more) can lower your risk of developing some types of cancer. This is useful and intriguing information. -
5 Fish
Salmon, mackerel, and herring are high in omega-3 fats, which are beneficial to the body and can protect against respiratory infections.
Shellfish such as shrimp, oysters, lobsters, crabs, and clams contain selenium, which aids in the body's viral elimination. -
6 Chicken Soup
We already know it's good for the soul and makes you feel better when you're sick, but if you add immunity-boosting spices like garlic and onions, it might even keep you from being sick in the first place.
Try our favorite hearty and nutritious chicken noodle soup recipe. -
7 Tea
Drinking tea is not only a tasty and hydrating beverage, but it also offers therapeutic benefits.
When you have a cold, it seems impossible to drink too much tea. This is owing to the fact that both the green and black varieties contain high levels of antioxidants, including the immune-boosting amino acid L-theanine.
They also include a high concentration of flavonoids, which are believed to benefit the immune system.
In terms of illness prevention, a Harvard study discovered that people who drank tea on a daily basis had immune system cells that responded to infections five times faster than those who didn't.
Furthermore, drinking tea helps you stay hydrated, which is important for boosting your immune system. This is because drinking water aids in the production of lymph, which transports white blood cells and other immune system cells.
Want a more significant boost? Place one spoonful of honey and a lemon wedge in your cup and squeeze together.
In addition to being high in vitamin C, which is good against colds, lemon can also change the pH of the body, which can help guard against bacteria and viruses. Honey is an antibacterial agent that can help fight infection. -
8 Beef
Although it may appear to be an unexpected recommendation, eating beef for supper on sometimes might help ensure that you get enough zinc, a vitamin that many people lack.
Zinc is required for the development of white blood cells in the body, which are in charge of eradicating dangerous germs (bacteria and viruses). If you are lacking in zinc, you should avoid taking it at all costs.
Feel free to try this meat recipe.
If you do not eat red meat, try chicken, nutrient-fortified cereals, yogurt, or milk. -
9 Orange Fruits & Vegetables
Beta carotene is a nutrient that helps maintain the health of the mucus membrane that is present in the body. Alpha carotene can be found in meals such as carrots, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, and squash, in addition to other orange foods.
It is the lining that lines the respiratory and digestive passages, and the more robust it is, the more difficult it is for germs to enter the bloodstream and wreck havoc on your health. This lining surrounds the respiratory and intestinal tracts.
The vitamin A concentration of these orange fruits and vegetables is also extremely high because to their orange color.
There are a number of wonderful methods to get the most out of these fruits and vegetables, including consuming them in their raw state, steaming them as a side dish for dinner, juicing them, or cutting them up and allowing them to soften in your soup recipe. -
10 Spices
Spices such as cinnamon, coriander, turmeric, chili peppers, and ginger have been used for therapeutic purposes for millennia. The Ayurvedic tradition is well-known for employing herbs and spices to reduce fevers.
Furthermore, recent scientific findings support traditional medicine practitioners' and healers' ideas on a range of spices.
For example, ginger can help prevent sickness. It contains sesquiterpenes, a component that inhibits the rhinovirus, the principal cause of the common cold. It also acts as an anti-inflammatory, fighting infections while reducing pain and heat. Try this delicious meal, which features ginger as the main ingredient.
Chili peppers have the capacity to clear a stuffy nose due to the presence of a significant component known as capsaicin. -
11 Mushrooms
Remember how white blood cells fight off the bad guys in your body? Eating mushrooms stimulates your white blood cells to fight for you.Shiitake, maitake, and reishi are the best (and most delicious). Try this recipe to incorporate the immune-boosting, potent mushroom into your supper.
This wonderful superfood is also on the Blue Zones food list, which includes the diets of some of the world's oldest individuals!
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