To maintain a healthy immune system, eating the right foods is important. You should include plenty of antioxidants, such as vitamin C, to support your immune system.
KAMPALA | LIFESTYLE UGANDA ( http://lifestyleuganda.com/) — Eating the right foods is essential to maintaining a healthy immune system. It is important to include plenty of antioxidants, such as vitamin C, to strengthen your immune system and combat disease.
Citrus fruits are particularly high in vitamin C, which helps your body produce antibodies that fight infections. Fast food can also have an impact on your immune system.
In these days of epidemics, building one’s immune system seems to be a good thing. One way to do that is to watch what you eat. What are some foods better than others in boosting your immune system?
One is to have high levels of vitamin C in your diet to help your body produce more white blood cells. Secondly, other antioxidants in the diet should be high.
Finally, certain foods may help increase circulation, resulting in more immune system cells to move around the body.
Best Immune Boosting Foods
Citrus
There’s a reason why orange juice is said to be good for a cold! This fruit and others like it (grapefruit, tangerines, lemons etc) are high in vitamin C.
Since your body does not naturally produce this vitamin, eating citrus is the best way to get the vitamin C you need. To get the full benefits from the citrus fruits, eat them whole instead of drinking the juice.
If you drink juice, you can get fresh-pressed juice instead of the pre-bottle varieties.
Colourful vegetables
Tomatoes, red/orange/yellow/green bell peppers, broccoli and other colourful plants are packed with antioxidants.
Because plants spend more time sitting underneath sunlight photosynthesis, they have evolved to produce plenty of antioxidants to combat sun damage. When we eat these plants, our bodies use antioxidants to protect and repair cell damage.
When you are sick, your body works in overdrive to create cells and antibodies to fight the disease. Loading colourful vegetables will give your body the boost it needs.
Chicken noodle soup
This tried-and-true method of fixing the cold works! Chicken noodle soup helps spread neutrophils and makes them move faster.
These white blood cells play an important role in detecting and destroying infected cells and pathogens. So throw it away!
Ginger, onion, garlic
These stinky foods are great for increasing circulation and have anti-bacterial properties.
Although your breath may stink for a while, ginger soup or other foods loaded with onions and garlic can help break down the flu or keep you warm from the cold.
This increase in circulation helps to move more white blood cells.
Water
When you drink water, it is immediately absorbed into your bloodstream. Your blood pressure rises and extra water is pumped through your kidneys.
If you take antidepressants and generally feel worse, drinking water can help toxin out the toxins and support cell function. You know, cells need water to get all the dissolved nutrients in them.
Without nutrients, your cells cannot produce antibodies and other immune chemicals. So when you are sick, make sure to stay hydrated.
What Habits Weaken Your Immune System?
Studies show that chronic stress and anxiety can weaken the immune system. Chronic stress decreases the body’s lymphocytes, which help fight infections. Low levels of lymphocytes make you more susceptible to the common cold.
As a result, it’s important to increase your fluid intake, especially water. Additionally, try to incorporate daily yoga and meditation into your routine.
Alcohol consumption reduces the body’s ability to fight germs. It also alters the immune system’s normal functioning. It can lead to liver disease, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and certain cancers. Therefore, limiting alcohol intake and smoking is important.
In addition to these habits, you should try to get at least seven to nine hours of sleep every night.
Insomnia can also harm the immune system. Studies have shown that people who lack sleep are more likely to contract viruses, and it takes longer to recover from infections. A lack of sleep also causes the body to produce fewer antibodies and infection-fighting cells.
Stress also reduces the body’s ability to fight infections. Even 30 minutes of constant stress can weaken the immune system. If you are worried about your health, you should talk to your doctor.
Cigarette smoking is another habit that can lower the immune system. The chemicals in cigarette smoke interfere with the functions of immune cells. Cigarette smoke contains carbon monoxide, nicotine, and nitrogen oxides.
These chemicals affect the growth and function of immune cells, causing them to be less effective in fighting disease. Eventually, smoking can even cause cancer.
