Now more than every is immunity boosting products important. As the country begins to reopen and people are back in contact with each other, making yourself as healthy as possible is going to be of utmost importance. I think it’s important to use food as a matter of healing and a way to improve health. This post includes some natural immunity-boosting food ingredients and things you can include in your diet to help keep yourself healthy.
1. Elderberry
Funny enough, I first learned about elderberry a few years ago. My sister told me about a friend that would take elderberry supplements when she was getting or was already sick. At the time I had never heard of it, but it’s really blown up over the last year or so. I found some great information on Crunchy Health Blog on the benefits of Elderberries.
This article is extremely informative and brings up a lot of other interesting points about elderberry. In the past, it’s been used as a laxative, diuretic, and pain reliever. It’s also been shown to cure flu-like symptoms in just 2-3 days. It is commonly used in syrup form, which can be purchased (here’s one brand) or made from dried or fresh berries. For more information on this, check out this post on Elderberries.
2. Turmeric
High amounts of turmeric consumption have been common dating back hundreds of years in India and other Middle-Eastern and other Southeastern Asian countries. Turmeric is a known anti-inflammatory and high antioxidant herb. To get the benefits of turmeric through your dietary consumption, it is important to take in black pepper. Black pepper increases its’ bioavailability. Check out this vegan golden milk drink for an example of a natural way to take in turmeric powder versus supplemental forms.
3. Garlic
Garlic is a common food ingredient that is included in the immunity-boosting food ingredients. It contains a compound called allicin that is known for antibiotic properties. Garlic is also high in minerals such as calcium, potassium, and other sulfuric compounds are known to wipe out infections. Check out this lentil curry recipe that includes not only garlic but turmeric too!
4. Cardamom
Cardamom is a common ingredient used in Indian tea, baking, and cooking. It is thought to have properties that boost respiratory function due to high concentration of cineole. They are also commonly used for stomach discomfort.
5. Ginger
Ginger is a known immunity-boosting food ingredient because of several compounds found in it, including gingerols. They are said to help boost antioxidant function and help to lower oxidative stress. Check out this aloo gobi recipe that features ginger, garlic, and turmeric.
6. Green Tea and Matcha
Green tea is a known immunity booster. In the past, there have been studies that show compounds found in green tea can increase regulatory T-cells. These T-cells are important for several factors including preventing autoimmunity. Green tea is also great for its antioxidant content which are crucial for preventing free radicals, which are cancer-causing compounds that form in the body.
Matcha is a ground version of whole green tea leaves. Matcha has the benefit of consumption of the whole tea leaf so you get greater content of the good antioxidants found in green tea.
Hopefully, you got some great ideas for food ingredients that can help boost your immunity. Boosting your immunity helps keep you healthy during times of uncertainty and risk of infection. If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments below! Also if you are interested in more information on Elderberry, head on over to Crunchy Health Blog and check out their informative post. Thanks for reading!
Cassie