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With our health being in constant discussion recently, doing whatever we can to boost our immunity is extremely important and advantageous. There are many whole foods that are full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that will help you do just this.
Check out these nine superfoods that we love and are sure to make your body happy too!
Turmeric
Turmeric, the aromatic yellow spice, is well-known for its anti-inflammatory effects due to the qualities of curcumin found in the spice. It is often used in cooking curries, but you can do much more with it. Add it to your rice, a smoothie or scrambled eggs. And even a turmeric latte! The options are endless!
Citric Fruits
A well-known source of vitamin C are good, old reliable citric fruits. Vitamin C is often a go-to when you come down with a cold due to it often being said it has properties to help reduce the duration of symptoms and for its high immune-boosting capabilities. Oranges are of course a crowd favourite, but grapefruit, tangerines, lemons and limes are all great sources too!
Colourful Veggies
Have you heard the saying that the more colourful and brighter the vegetable is, the better it is for you? It turns out this is true when it comes to the following.
Vegetables such as capsicum, broccoli and spinach are packed full of the good stuff. All three have a plethora of vitamin C. Spinach and broccoli also contain vitamin E which is an antioxidant and damage protector when it comes to your body converting energy to food, known as free radicals. Free radicals are molecules created when this process happens and can have potential damage to the body, contributing to disease.
Nutrients are kept best in these vegetables when they are not cooked too much! Better yet – when they are eaten raw.
Dark Chocolate
You probably didn’t think chocolate would be on this list, right? Dark chocolate is packed full of antioxidants, with a very important one, theobromine, being particularly beneficial. These antioxidants also help protect against free radicals, which have been mentioned above. But remember – eat this delicious superfood in moderation…
Garlic
Garlic is an absolutely essential ingredient when it comes to cooking in almost all cuisines, with a very distinct fragrance! Of course, garlic is also amazing when it comes to your health and immunity. Garlic has been long known to be an incredible infection fighter and its immune-boosting properties seem to come from a concentration of allicin, a sulphur-containing compound, which is most poignant when crushed or chopped. It offers antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. So keep the garlic coming – 2 cloves is definitely not enough.
Blueberries
Blueberries are packed full of antioxidants, with the main antioxidant present being anthocyanin, which is a flavonoid. Researchers found in a study, that individuals who consumed foods rich with flavonoids were less likely to get an upper respiratory tract infection or a common cold. For those colder winter months, this is very positive news!
Green Tea
Similarly, to blueberries, green tea contains flavonoids – and we know how beneficial they are! Green tea also has very high levels of another antioxidant called epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG. EGCG has been shown to enhance immune function. If this wasn’t impressive enough, green tea is also a good source of L-theanine, an amino acid. L-theanine has been found to aid in the production of germ-reducing compounds in your T-cells.
Poultry
Aside from just protein, did you know that poultry such as chicken and turkey contain a crucial vitamin, B6? Vitamin B6 is a vital vitamin when it comes to many of the chemical reactions that happen throughout the body. It’s also vital to the formation of healthy, new red blood cells. Homemade chicken broth also contains many great nutrients that help in the aid of gut health and immunity, including gelatine and chondroitin.
Add all or some of these delicious superfoods into your diet for an added boost to help your body fight off the bad guys!
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