5 delicious superfoods to boost your immunity
It’s that time of year again, when the transition between seasons from warmer weather into cooler temperatures brings with it a myriad of niggling health issues as the all-important immune system works harder to help the body adapt through these changes. So, ensuring the body’s immunity is kept in check is a vital way to get through this season.
A compromised immune system which is commonly associated with consistent stress, reduced sleep, inactivity and of course a poor diet high in refined foods and low in nutrients, can leave the immune system and our body vulnerable to attack from the foreign bugs that lurk around at this time. And let's face it, most of us busy folk fall into these patterns quite easily.
So how do we keep our defences up and guard ourselves against the dreaded sniffles and sneezes this coming season? Strengthen your immune system of course!
Throughout the centuries, various cultures throughout the world have turned to traditional remedies at the first sign of sickness. In modern years, science has proven many of these traditional remedies effective by looking into their mechanism of action within the human body, and then further exploring their medicinal or therapeutic effects using evidence-based, scientific research to prove the once simple, tried and tested therapies our humble great-grandparents would use in their kitchens to make their loved ones well. As an avid believer in the mantra ‘prevention is better than cure’, here are some of my many favourite superfoods I like to pull out of my “Nutritional Medicine Cabinet” just like our happy ancestors did when an immune boost is needed.
Garlic – garlic has been used for centuries as both a food ingredient and a medicine (1).
Whole garlic contains a compound called alliin. When garlic is crushed or chewed, this compound turns into allicin, the main active ingredient in garlic which contributes to its numerous medicinal properties including, antimicrobial, antiviral effects, and boosting immune function among a myriad of other healing properties that have labelled garlic a wonderous ‘Panacea’ in the world of nutritional medicine.
Blueberries - Blueberries contain flavonoids—a type of antioxidant that can help reduce damage to cells and boost your immune system. In addition, blueberries provide plenty of vitamins, including vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, dietary fibre and manganese. They are a versatile snack that can be eaten on their own or in an immune-boosting smoothie with other healthy ingredients, especially if your appetite is suppressed and you want to drink your nutrients.
Medicinal Mushrooms – My all-time favourite superfoods to help supercharge the immune system are these fantastic mushrooms! These often-underestimated wonderful fungi provide compounds to fight inflammation, destroy infectious microbes, slow down aging, and even help regenerate nerve cells. Most of all, mushrooms are immune powerhouses. They strengthen your immune system when it’s too weak and downregulate it when it’s too active—such as with autoimmune issues.
Chaga, Cordyceps, Turkey Tail, Lion’s Mane, Reishi and Shiitake mushrooms are my immune-boosters of choice. With the latter one available either fresh or dried to add to soups and foods, while the other 5 are mostly found in powder form to add to your drinks, soups and smoothies or found in supplemental formulations.
The turkey tail mushroom is one of the most studied medicinal mushrooms due to its ability to fight disease and bolster your immune system through supporting the bodies’ natural killer cells. Medicinal mushrooms have been used throughout the history of mankind for treatment of various diseases including cancer. Modern research has been uncovering these traditional uses with many studies of late showing a positive effect on various cancers (2).
Fermented Foods – Studies have specifically shown that dietary deprivation of fermented foods could promote a decrease in innate immune response that might affect the body’s capacity to fight against infections. Whereas the consumption of a probiotic product containing Lactobacillus strains of bacteria or a standard yogurt containing a conventional starter Lactobacillus delbrueckii sp. bulgaricus counteracted the fall in the immune response (3).
This is great news for those who want to improve their gut health and strengthen their immunity. 80 percent of our immune system is influenced by the gut, so it only makes sense to look after our gut health and reap the benefits of having a strong immune system!
Foods naturally rich in Lactobacillus strains of bacteria are my favourite, good old-fashioned fermented foods. These ones specifically:
Dairy kefir, full cream Greek Yoghurt, Sauerkraut, Kimchi, pickles, Miso and Kombucha (ask me for any of my personal recommendations).
Bone broth - Bone broth super-boosts the immune system. We all have a certain number of cancer cells swirling around in our bloodstream at any given time. It is the job of a healthy immune system to hunt these pathogenic cells out and destroy them before they get out of hand. Bone broth contains particular substances that are vital in this process. First of all, bone broth contains the amino acids arginine (essential for immune system and liver function), glutamine (which helps with metabolism), and glycine (which aids in glutathione production and also quality of sleep). Bone marrow that liquefies over time as your soup simmers is especially beneficial to the immune system.
This marrow will contain lipids, especially alkylglycerols, which are vital for the production of white blood cells.
Bone broth also heals the gut and reduces inflammation. Recall that about 80 % of all immune system cells reside in the digestive system. This means that as you heal your gut, you are also healing your immune system.
Refer to previous blog article for more info and My very own Bone Broth Recipe!
These are only a handful of my top immune boosting favourites that I like to use on my loved ones and recommend to my clients. There are many lifestyle choices such as exposing your skin to sunlight for a minimum of 15 mins every day for adequate vitamin D, and including fresh air, adequate water, movement and sleep into your day to further improve immunity through clearing your lymphatic system.
If you would like more information or help on boosting your immunity this season, or if you have an auto-immune condition that would need additional specific recommendations, drop me an email or message and I’ll happily discuss this with you.
Do you have any age-old tricks or tips that have been handed down to you for boosting immunity? Share them in the comments below :)
In health and love,
Deena x