Top 10 Foods to boost your immune system

Do you want to give your immune system a boost? Want to avoid that flu or influenza? Then these top 10 foods will help boost your immune system and help your body fight the virus. 

Our top 10 foods are: citrus fruits & bell peppers, ginger, turmeric, garlic, white & green tea, kiwi, chili, salmon, pepper, and honey.

If you are already sick this post on what to eat when you’re sick can be helpful for you ☺️

Remember, this is our personal advice, they do not replace or diminish the need to seek advice or help from health professionals. If sick, follow your country’s guidelines. 

Our top 10 foods

1. Citrus

Fruits such as oranges, lemons, and lime contain a lot of C-vitamin. C-vitamin is vital in helping to build your immune system. It is also thought that C-vitamin can increase the production of white blood cells, which is key to fight infections.

If you want to give your body a real dose of C-vitamin bell peppers are actually an even better source than citrus. They contain twice as much C-vitamin as citrus fruits! Bell peppers also contain beta-carotene and vitamin A. Beta-carotene which keeps your eyes and skin healthy, and vitamin A is important for your eye-sight.

Remember! C-vitamin cannot be stored in, nor produced by the body. So you have to provide your body with C-vitamine

2.Ginger

Ginger will help decrease inflammation, this is why it can help if you have a sore throat and other inflammatory illnesses. 

Also, it can help decrease nausea. However, it is important to remember that too much ginger isn’t healthy. About 3-4g of ginger extract is recommended. Pregnant women should be extra careful with ginger, and kids shouldn’t consume it. 

So use ginger with care, and don’t over-consume it. Personally, we like using ginger for cooking, making ginger shots, click here for how to do it, or in our tea. Then we often mix it up with some oranges, lemon, lime or green tea.

3.Turmeric

Turmeric has the same anti-inflammatory qualities as ginger, and it has been used for this purpose for years by ancient civilizations. 

Turmeric has a very distinct orange color, and beware, it sticks to everything from countertops, to fingers, to glasses to clothes! So make sure you’re careful when you use it, or you might find yourself spending more time cleaning than you would like. 

4.Garlic

Garlic will boost your immune system and it is believed to also maybe have positive effects on low blood pressure. Ancient civilizations used garlic in fighting off infections, so I guess we should too. 

5.White and Green tea

These teas are packed with antioxidants that enhance your immune system and its functions. 

White and green tea also contains amino acids (L-Theanine) that can help your body fight germs. And if there is one thing you want in when there’s a flue, it is to fight off those germs! 

6.Kiwi

This little fruit is packed with not only C-vitamins, but also vitamin K. Many people haven’t heard about vitamin K, but this vitamin is very important for your bone health.

So, next time you’re at the store or ordering food, remember to get some kiwis.

7.Chili

This spicy thing actually has lots of both vitamins A and C. Vitamine A, is as vitamin C important for the immune system, but it’s also important for the eyes. 

Too much vitamin A isn’t good for you because unlike C-vitamine, vitamin A (together with vitamin K, E and D) it is fat-soluble. Which means it will store itself in your body. You will typically get enough vitamin A through foods such as fish, egg, butter, kale, peppers, chili, carrots etc.

8.Salmon

Salmon contains a lot of omega-3. Omega-3 is essential to fight off inflammations. 

If you eat wild salmon it contains much more Omega-3 than farmed salmon. If you purchase wild salmon though, you should always make sure it is cooked before you eat it. 

9.Pepper

Pepper is a great spice simply because it makes your food a lot tastier! 

But there is another great reason to use it, that’s because it actually contains a lot of antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory benefits. 

10.Honey

The last one is honey. Honey has antibacterial effects and it can help boost your immune system! It is excellent to use in cooking, on cereal or in hot tea. It can also be used as a substitute for sugar. But, it is important to know that small children cannot eat honey. 

Hopefully, these 10 tips have been helpful to you! Some of the foods you might have in your fridge and have used a lot, others don’t. 

If you want to know more about what you can eat during a flu or influenza outbreak you can read this post as well ?

Most of these foods are easy and harmful to use and I recommend you to just try it out and give your immune system a propper boost!