Come monsoons and we all keep stocked up on flu medicines and have enough hand sanitizer and tissues to last for decades. But have we considered how our diet affects our health? Most people opt for orange juice and chicken noodle soup when they feel the sniffles coming on, but those aren’t the only foods that can help ward-off disease. Here we have got a list of healthy foods that can prevent flu.
There are several vitamins that provide body the immunity to fight against flu. Vitamins A, C and E as well as other nutrients are important in boosting immunity and are found in a variety of foods like carrots, almonds and bell peppers.
We’ve mentioned some tasty foods to boost your immunity!
Strong-smelling foods like garlic can stink out sickness thanks to the phytochemical allicin, an antimicrobial compound. A recent study has found that people taking allicin supplements suffered 46 per cent fewer colds and recovered faster from the ones they did get. So start cooking with it daily — experts recommend two fresh cloves a day.
Several studies on tea have found that drinking five cups of black tea a day quadrupled the body’s immune defence system after two weeks, probably because of theanine. Tea also contains catechins, including ECGC, which act like a cleanup crew against free radicals. Even the health experts suggest drinking one to three cups of black, green or white tea every day.
The digestive tract is one of your biggest immune organs, so keep disease-causing germs out with probiotics and prebiotics, found in naturally fermented foods like yogurt. One serving a day labelled with “live and active cultures” will enhance immune function.
Luckily, fending off illness doesn’t mean you can’t indulge your sweet tooth. The high dose of cocoa in dark chocolate boosts the immune system’s ability to defend against infection. Nutrition experts agree that dark chocolate deserves a place in healthy diets. High doses of cocoa support T-helper cells, which increase the immune system’s ability to defend against infection. Sweet!
Heart-healthy almonds provide the immune-boosting antioxidant vitamin E, which can reduce your chance of catching colds and developing respiratory infections. You’ll need more than a serving of almonds for your daily dose though, so try fortified cereals, sunflower seeds, turnip greens and wheat germ, too.
Yellow and orange veggies, like carrots, contain beta-carotene that prevents many infections. This compound is converted to vitamin A in the body, which helps increase T-cells and boost immunity.
The natural plant compound gingerol, which is found in fresh ginger, can help fight off infection. This root is used to spice up entrées as well as side dishes.
Oily fish—including salmon, tuna, and mackerel—are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, compounds that help reduce harmful inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation prevents your immune system from working properly, and can contribute to colds and flu as well as more serious diseases.