Top 10 Immune Boosting Foods to Help Keep Your Family Safe

We all know the golden rules of COVID- wear a mask, keep a minimum of 6 ft apart, sanitize your hands but is there anything else you can be doing to keep your family safe?

Boosting your immune system and keeping the body healthy is an often overlooked COVID avoiding tactic. Please note we are not suggesting that you do this INSTEAD of mask wearing, these are natural remedies and humans naturally die, healthy food does not make you superhuman. Also, there are no studies to date that show food or supplements as being effective in stopping COVID.

Preliminary research seems to show a genetic component regarding how severely COVID symptoms occur and you won’t know if you have won the genetic lotto until it’s too late.

While you cannot do anything about your genes, you CAN do your best to be in optimal health and give your body a fighting chance.

Top Foods to Boost Immunity

1. Citrus Fruits- Rich in vitamin C, citrus fruits help to boost white blood cell count and ward off infection.
2. Kiwi- Naturally full of essential nutrients, including folate, potassium, vitamin K, and the all-important vitamin C.
3. Red Bell Peppers- Ounce for ounce, red bell peppers contain almost 3 times as much vitamin C as a Florida orange. They’re also a rich source of beta carotene.
4. Garlic- Garlic’s immune-boosting properties seem to come from a heavy concentration of sulfur-containing compounds, such as allicin. It is important to note that allicin is destroyed when cooking so, for immune boosting, garlic is best consumed raw. Grate or chop garlic into fine pieces and mix with honey (which is also an excellent immune booster). Let sit for a minimum of 2 weeks (I usually prepare this at the start of flu season and just let it sit in the back of my fridge until needed). This mixture is EXCELLENT for respiratory infections in general but has not yet been tested for COVID.
5. Ginger- Packed with gingerol (a relative of capsaicin) ginger may help decrease inflammation, which can help reduce a sore throat and inflammatory illnesses. Ginger may help with nausea as well.
6. Turmeric- A rich source of curcumin, turmeric has promise as an immune booster and an antiviral. More research is needed.
7. Green Tea- Packed with flavonoids, a type of antioxidant. Where green tea really excels is in its levels of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), another powerful antioxidant. In studies, EGCG has been shown to enhance immune function. Green tea is also a good source of the amino acid L-theanine. L-theanine may aid in the production of germ-fighting compounds in your T cells.
8. Mushrooms- Did you know that a mushrooms immune system uses similar compounds to humans? Because of this ALL mushrooms (even button) have immune boosting properties. Want the most bang for your buck? Then go with Turkey Tail. Turkey tail contains a compound called polysaccharide-K (PSK) that stimulates the immune system. PSK is so effective that it’s an approved anticancer prescription drug in Japan. Turkey tail has been shown to improve the survival rate of people with certain cancers, fight leukemia cells, and improve the immune system of people receiving chemotherapy. (Of course, don’t stop your prescribed cancer treatment without consulting your doctor.)
9. Berries- Packed with vitamin C and flavonoids, ALL berries are great for immunity, especially elderberry. The berries and flowers of elderberry are packed with antioxidants and vitamins that may boost your immune system. They could help tame inflammation, lessen stress, and help protect your heart, too. Some experts recommend elderberry to help prevent and ease cold and flu symptoms.
10. Raw Honey- Raw honey improves the digestive system because of the antioxidant, anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties of the phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are compounds found in plants that helps protect them. Flavonoids and polyphenols, which act as antioxidants, are two main bioactive molecules present in honey. Antioxidants help in neutralizing the free radicals in the body. Research by the Michigan State University says that honey "is an immune system builder with antioxidant, anti-bacterial and anti-tumor properties."