Are you in your thirties or forties and starting to feel the effects of aging, such as weight gain, low energy, memory issues, and wrinkles? These are common symptoms of inflammation caused by a weakened immune system, but it doesn’t have to be this way. By nourishing our body with the right foods, we can help our immune system heal. Let’s discuss the top ten foods to boost immunity and reduce inflammation.
Let’s start with fruits. Make it a daily habit to eat fruits you enjoy. Even one serving of an anti-inflammatory fruit can enhance your immunity and help your body fight diseases. Blackberries, red grapes, and elderberries are excellent choices. Berries can help repair your skin, improve memory, and boost energy. They are rich in unique natural plant chemicals called phytonutrients, such as polyphenols and flavonoids, along with essential minerals, vitamins, and fiber. Together, these components reduce inflammation and help prevent chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, and infectious diseases.
One of the top picks is blackberries because they are simply delicious, whether fresh or frozen. Their rich, dark blue color signifies a high concentration of antioxidants, which have been shown to improve muscle recovery and memory, reduce the risk of cancers and heart disease, decrease inflammation (especially in the liver), and boost immunity. Berries boast ten times more antioxidant power than other fruits and vegetables, and 50 times more than any animal-based foods, second only to spices. If blackberries aren’t available, blueberries are a great alternative, or simply choose any colorful, edible berries.
Another one is grapes, preferably red, purple, or black. Their vibrant color helps fight inflammation, ward off cell damage, and may lower the incidence of cancers and chronic diseases. Ancient civilizations dried grapes into raisins, fermented them into vinegar, and made red wine. However, be aware that the alcohol in wine negates the beneficial properties of polyphenols and antioxidants. It’s best to eat these fruits fresh, ideally from a farmer’s market, where they taste amazing right off the vine.
Another category of powerful foods is spices and herbs. Everyone uses spices, even those on carnivore or keto diets, because they are virtually calorie-free, concentrated with flavor, and add a gourmet touch to both savory and sweet dishes. They are easy to incorporate, travel well, and are fun to use. You can sprinkle them directly from the bottle onto your food without any prep, and kids often enjoy helping. For pennies a serving, spices can add tremendous immune-boosting power to your meals. The more spices you include in your diet, the more flavorful your food will be, and the more your immune system will benefit. Even a sprinkle of spices can reduce inflammation. One study found that a combination of 35 spices added to a hamburger decreased inflammation in blood vessels caused by eating the burger.
Spices add a lot of flavor to leafy greens, which are essential for cardiovascular and immune health. By packing your diet with leafy greens, you can make your blood more hostile to cancer cells, reduce inflammation, improve blood pressure, enhance mental focus, and boost physical stamina.
Here are top three picks for immune-boosting spices:
- Turmeric: This is the most studied spice so far, with thousands of scientific publications on its effects against lung disease, brain conditions, autoimmune diseases, cancers, toxins, and even recovery from surgery. It is strongly recommended incorporating turmeric into your diet. If you eat mustard, you’re already consuming turmeric. You can use fresh turmeric, which resembles a fluorescent orange ginger root, or dried yellow powder. Just a quarter teaspoon of turmeric powder in hot water daily can provide a significant immune boost. Turmeric is rapidly cleared by the liver, but adding a pinch of black pepper can significantly increase its absorption and blood levels. Some people prefer curcumin supplements, a specific phytonutrient in turmeric, but miss out on other beneficial compounds like turmerones, which have more anti-inflammatory properties than curcumin alone.
- Ginger: Commonly used in Asian cuisine, ginger has been valued for thousands of years by ancient cultures for its healing properties. Our gut is our largest immune organ, and ginger is its best friend. Phytonutrients like gingerol give ginger its unique properties, helping digestion by relaxing the gut and reducing nausea and pain, making it great for motion sickness. Ginger can be added to food, raw salads, enjoyed with apple slices, or simply steeped in hot water. Even an eighth of a teaspoon of ginger powder offers tremendous anti-inflammatory benefits.
- Peppermint: This is the most antioxidant-packed common herb. Enjoy it dried or fresh, in savory or sweet dishes, soups, salads, or as a tea. Whether you have bad breath from germs, congestion, or inflammation causing muscle pain, peppermint can help. The minty smell in cough drops and muscle creams comes from menthol, isolated from mint spices.
Have simple and easily digestible food throughout the day and ensure that you include green vegetables like spinach and fenugreek leaves in your diet. Spinach is rich in nitrates that produce nitric oxide and has anti-inflammatory properties. This prevents viruses from spreading in the body. Pomegranate juice, beetroot juice, and pineapple juice are also rich in nitrates and help in preventing the spread of viruses in the body.
In between meals, one could have a tablespoon of honey with ginger to soothe the throat, as both ginger and honey are antiviral and anti-inflammatory. Herbal tea made up of Tulsi leaves, mint leaves, lemongrass, ginger, etc., should be consumed in the morning as well as in the evening. This also builds your immunity. End your day with a warm cup of milk and turmeric. This helps induce sound sleep, and as we all know, good sleep is a must to release proper hormones and to boost immunity.
The top three leafy greens are kale, matcha green tea, and spinach.
- Kale is a leafy cabbage belonging to the cruciferous vegetable family, which is arguably the most beneficial food group. It contains sulforaphane, thought to protect against cancer, boost immunity, and increase antibodies.
- The healthiest drink by far is matcha green tea. The special immune-boosting phytonutrients in green tea can protect your DNA and have been shown to be effective topically against skin cancer. Orally, it may reduce the risk of various chronic metabolic diseases, seasonal allergies, and pneumonias. Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes warts, a debilitating skin condition that can affect different parts of the body. The CDC recognizes green tea’s antiviral properties against genital warts. While you can steep matcha, cold brewing it yields a higher antioxidant content.
- The third powerful green leaf is spinach. When tested against lettuces, radicchio, and endive, spinach ranked number one in its anti-tumor effect. It has a softer, milder flavor and blends well with other popular leaves in salads. However, be sure to wash your spinach thoroughly, as it’s a low-growing leaf and can easily trap dirt and germs at the stem.
Final pick to boost our immunity is another portable, easy-to-incorporate seasoning proven to reduce respiratory infections in runners and alleviate seasonal allergy symptoms: nutritional yeast. A spoonful of nutritional yeast daily adds a cheesy flavor without the inflammation of dairy and can improve your mood and overall sense of well-being. However, individuals with Crohn’s disease and hidradenitis suppurativa should avoid nutritional yeast.
You might wonder if you should buy organic foods. Organic produce has fewer pesticides, fewer antibiotics, and is non-GMO, which forces the plants to work harder to survive, making them more nutritious for you. While pesticides have been linked to chronic neurological conditions like Parkinson’s, eating more berries and other fruits and vegetables rich in flavonoids may offer protection.
One can reduce pesticide burden with a few simple, inexpensive solutions. If organic isn’t an option, always rinse your food under running water to remove 50% of pesticide residue. Cleaning with 5% white vinegar works even better and can kill some bacteria and fungi. Using 10% table salt can remove even more pesticides, but remember to rinse your food thoroughly to remove the salt before eating.
The foods discussed above represent nature’s finest offerings for boosting our immune systems. When incorporated regularly into one’s diet, these natural powerhouses provide essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants crucial for optimal immune function. From vibrant fruits rich in Vitamin C to leafy greens packed with vital nutrients, and fermented foods supporting gut health, each plays a pivotal role. Consuming a balanced array of these ingredients helps fortify the body’s defenses, making it more resilient against pathogens and environmental stressors. This holistic approach to nutrition is a cornerstone of maintaining robust health and vitality, empowering the body to naturally protect itself.
