Your immune system serves as your body’s natural defense. It’s a complex system of your organs, tissues, bone marrow, and skin cells that protects your body from any potentially harmful diseases and noninfectious agents, but that will only happen if your body is in perfect condition. To best protect you from such dangers, every component of your immune system has to function correctly.
Making lifestyle changes is the easiest way to boost your natural defenses, allowing your immune system to function correctly daily. Below are eight natural remedies that you can use to fortify your body’s natural defenses.
Garlic
You can use garlic for nearly all dishes. It adds a little spice to your meals and is a great option that fortifies your immune system. Early civilizations used garlic to fight off any infections in the past. Many believe that garlic slows down the arteries’ hardening, and there’s little to no proof that it helps lower blood pressure.
Its power to fortify your natural defenses might have come from its concentrated levels of sulfur-containing compounds, including allicin.
Spinach
Spinach isn’t only rich in Vitamin C. It’s also rich in beta carotene and antioxidants that can further help your immune system fight off infections. Like broccoli, you can eat it raw. You can enjoy its health benefits when you cook it as little as possible to retain its nutrients; however, light cooking makes it easier to absorb Vitamin A.
It also releases other nutrients from oxalic acid, an antinutrient.
Almonds
Vitamin E is the best option you opt for if you want to minimize the risks of colds or fight off its symptoms. But this antioxidant is one of the keys to getting a healthier immune system. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble component, meaning it requires the presence of fats so that your body can absorb it properly. Nuts, like almonds, are rich in that and have healthier fats. Doctors recommend that adults only take about 15 mg of Vitamin E.
Eating a half-cup serving of nuts will provide the required Vitamin E.
Turmeric
Turmeric is another crucial ingredient for a sumptuous curry; however, others have been using this spice as an anti-inflammatory treatment to alleviate both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Based on a study, increasing your intake of curcumin, which makes turmeric a bright yellow spice, helps decrease exercise-induced muscle damage. It also revealed that it’s both an immune booster and antiviral.
Papaya
Papaya is another fruit that contains a significant amount of Vitamin C. You can find double the daily recommended amount in a single medium-sized fruit. You can also find a digestive enzyme called papain, which has an anti-inflammatory property. You can also get a significant amount of folate, magnesium, and potassium from this fruit.
Poultry
Most people look for chicken soup when they get sick, but its placebo effect isn’t the only one that will make you feel better. Eating one serving of chicken soup will lower inflammations, which can alleviate the symptoms of colds. Most poultry products are rich in vitamin B6. Nearly three ounces of chicken meat or light turkey is one-third of the recommended daily intake of this vitamin.
Vitamin B-6 is a determining factor in different chemical reactions inside your body. It aids in producing new, healthier red blood cells. Broth and stock from boiling chicken bones are rich in chondroitin, gelatin, or other nutrients used for immunity.
Shellfish
Many people aren’t familiar with the immune-boosting properties of shellfish, but other kinds are rich in zinc. Zinc is one of the vitamins that people ignore, but your body needs the recommended amount so that your immune cells function correctly. You can find a significant amount of zinc in numerous kinds of shellfish, including:
- Mussels
- Lobsters
- Crabs
- Oysters
Bear in mind that you’ll only need the recommended amount. For women, the daily recommended intake is 8 mg, while for men is 11 mg. Taking in too much will prohibit the immune system from functioning correctly.
Green Tea
Black and green teas contain a higher level of antioxidants called flavonoids; however, green tea also has a higher epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), another helpful antioxidant. Based on different studies, they showed that EGCG improved the functions of your immune system. Unlike green tea, the fermentation process of black teas highly breaks down a significant amount of EGCG.
On the other hand, they don’t ferment green teas, preserving EGCG. Green tea also contains a good amount of L-theanine, which aids in producing germ-fighting compounds in your immune cells.
If none of these natural remedies boost your natural defenses, consult your family’s physician. You might have to undergo a few medical examinations, including COVID-19 rapid testing, to determine the cause of the problem. It’ll also help them find the right medicines and approaches.
Eating right is an excellent start to boosting your natural defenses, but there are other things you can focus on to protect yourself and your family from colds or the flu.
