Immune Boosting Foods

Last week i wrote about the swine flu scare sweeping across our media and it appears that Australia has recorded its first confirmed case of the virus. It was inevitable, the best way to avoid it is by strengthening your own immune system, and it turns out that what we eat can either stimulate or depress our immune system, funny that hey? So as promised last week here is our list of Immune Boosting Foods

Fruits and vegetables

No brainer there, but the truth is Australians just don't eat enough of them. Fruits and Veges are full of Vitamin C , especially oranges, berries, red capsicum, parsley, broccoli and cabbage, which is eesential for wound healing and boosting the immune system. Vitamin C works as an antioxidant, mobilises your immune systems soldiers, your neutrophils and lymphocytes, and increases your production of interferon paralysing the virus or tumour cells. I know there is a lot of hype about vitamin C, but it really is that good!

Yellow and orange vegetables

Pumpkin, carrots sweet potato, apricots, and mangos also provide heaps of Vitamin A and Beta-Carotene, essential for scavenging free radicals and regulating you immune system.

Green Leafy Vegetables, avocados, wheat germ, whole oats, fruits and cold pressed olive oil

The leafy green vegetables are conidered superfoods, they are absolutely packed with nutrients, especially vitamin C and E, Beta carotene, iron, calcium, omega 3 oils and folic acid. Vitamin E seems work closely with Vitamin C in reducing free radicals and protects you heart and blood vessels from atherosclerosis.

Omega 3 Oils

Found in oily fish, flaxseed oil, soy and walnut oil, green leafy veges, seaweeds, nuts, seeds, legumes and wholegrain cereals, the omega 3 oils have a powerful anti-inflammatory effect an can alter the gene expression for things like your B cells and T cells, essential for your immune system.

Mushrooms

Especially shitake and maitake mushrooms help in the production of white blood cells, Green and Black Tea Green and black tea are good sources of polyphenols, another antioxidant.

Garlic

Garlic is awesome for your immune system. In addition to increasing your immune cell's potency, allicin the potent chemical in garlic and onions is antibacterial and antimicrobial. Apparently it's pretty good at warding of vampires too!

Some More Notes

• Add some cold pressed virgin olive oil to you salads, it will help you absorb more nutrients.
• Unfortunately although these founds are packed with these nutrients, cooking, heating, preserving, and just sitting on the shelf depletes the nutrient stores rapidly.For example 90% of vitamin C is lost when cooking and canning fruits and vegetables.
• Up to 25% more nutrients are found in organic foods compared to conventionally grown foods aswell.