Reported by: Stephanie Sandoval Email: ssandoval@abc15.com Boost your immunity naturallyThe new buzz-phrase that you may hear being tossed around is, “Food is medicine.” And this is certainly true in the sense that certain foods can help boost our immune system and fight off infections.
In fact, research shows that a poor diet is one of the factors that make us more prone to getting the latest round of colds and flu that come our way. Fortunately, it’s also one of the easiest things to remedy.
You’ve probably heard that garlic can help in fighting off infection, but there are other immune enhancing foods that you may not be familiar with.
By increasing your intake of these foods, you can enhance your immunity and help avoid the season’s sicknesses.
1. Yogurt
Look for the type that contains "live active cultures." These are healthy bacteria that help boost immunity and keep the intestines free of disease-causing germs.
Recent research shows that people who regularly consume yogurt with live and active cultures increased their T-cells, specific disease fighting cells, by 30%.
Yogurt is also important after you have taken antibiotics. It helps to replenish the beneficial bacteria in the gut to help keep you healthy.
2. Lean beef
Lean beef provides zinc and protein, two very important weapons in the immune fight.
Zinc helps to fight off infection by increasing the amount of white blood cells your body produces.
People who are deficient in zinc often have lower activity in their immune system and are at increased risk of infection.
The protein is needed to produce white blood cells, so foods that contain a combination of protein and zinc are a providing important both of these important nutrients.
