Orange, blood orange, grapefruit, lime, lemon, clementine, kumquat and ginger with a glass of juice and a citrus press

These 14 foods can help boost your immune system

Incorporating some of these into your daily diet can have positive effects on your body

UPDATED MARCH 11, 2020 6:06 PM EDTMAR 11, 2020, 6:06 PM EDT

It’s important to always eat healthy and incorporate foods that naturally help boost our immune systems with added nutrients and vitamins. Although medicine is the go-to way of staying healthy for most once they are sick, many overlook how the body is naturally designed to repair itself given the right tools (can you really rebuild a house if you don’t have the proper tool kit?).

Charlotte Traas of New Chapter, a company devoted to creating holistic and natural supplement products, believes that there are many of healthy ways that you can keep your body running in top shape. She recommends staying well hydrated and rested (so don’t skip out on those zzz’s and drink that water) as well taking probiotics to help protect your intestinal microbiome.

Charlotte also reveals that exercising properly (and not over doing it) helps the body deal with stress (stress has been shown to weaken the immune system). She also adds that keeping a humidifier around is also really helpful because it keeps the nose membranes moist and prevent bacteria from sticking.

Below we’ve included (along with some suggestions from Charlotte) some foods that you can incorporate in your daily diet to help boost your immune defenses and stay healthy!

Garlic

Not only can garlic help your body fight infections, but it can also lower blood pressure.

What makes garlic so powerful? Allicin. What is allicin? It’s a sulfur-containing compound that helps reduce inflammation and offers antioxidant benefits.

Green tea

This tea is jam packed with flavonoids and EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate). EGCG can help enhance the immune system’s overall function.

Elderberry

“Research says that Elderberry is great for supporting your immune system with antioxidants and anthocyanins, which are powerful against oxidative stress and the seasonal immune stresses we all face this time of year,” Charlotte explains.

Broccoli

These mini wannabe trees come packing vitamins A, C and E as well as other antioxidants. Try to cook them as little as possible to ensure that their goodness isn’t lost in the cooking process (i.e. if you boil them, all the vitamins go into the water and not your barriguita).

Papaya

Papayas host a variety of different nutrients: vitamin C, potassium, B vitamins and folate. One papaya can even hold the daily recommended amount of vitamin C.

Yogurt

This creamy dairy treat can load up your body with tons of vitamin D. Look specifically for Greek yogurt options (plain preferably as sweetened versions carry a lot of sugar).

Turmeric

Turmeric has anti-inflammatory proprieties (like ginger and garlic) with the added bonus of curcumin (what gives it its color). Great for those suffer from osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Wild Oregano

According to Charlotte, wild oregano is another great food to incorporate (not the store bought kind, FYI). This herb is a fantastic way to provide immune support for your body.

Sunflower seeds

Sunflowers can help add more phosphorous, magnesium, vitamin B-6 and vitamin E to your body — all of which can help you stay strong!

Kiwi

There’s a whole lot packed into the small and humble kiwi. Kiwis posses nutrients like folate, potassium, vitamin K and vitamin C — all of which support different bodily functions.

Ginger

Like garlic, ginger helps with inflammation (think sore throats). It also helps decrease nausea, cholesterol and chronic pain.

Spinach

This leafy green is rich in vitamin C and beta carotene, which are great for the immune system. Similar to broccoli, this green retains the most nutrients the less it is cooked.

Citrus

Citrus fruits — like oranges, tangerines and lemons — are jam packed with vitamin C. Vitamin C aides in the development of white blood cells (these little guys are the ones that go up to bat for you when you’re sick).

Almonds

Almonds possess tons of vitamin E — a fat-soluble vitamin (a fancy way of saying that fat is needed in order for it to be absorbed).

Almonds also pack a slew of healthy fats and about a ½ cup serving of whole almonds can deliver the recommended daily amount.