Immunity Boosting Foods

Dr. Melina is an internist and board certified physician nutrition specialist (one of only a several hundred practicing in the United States). She specializes exclusively in nutrition for weight loss, disease prevention and treatment.

The key to staying healthy this winter is to support your body’s immune system which helps you fight the bugs you are constantly being exposed to (that is, if you breath or touch anything) and if you do get sick, to eat foods that can help you fight infections faster.

Nutrients to support your immune system (Note that not eating enough of these will impair immune function but overdosing with supplements won’t help boost immune function).

Vitamin C – we all know about this one but it’s super important and not just found in oranges (which aren’t the best source – they only contain about 70mg). To keep you immune system humming, you need about 200-500 mg /day which you can easily get from these foods. Higher doses may help if you come down with a cold (shorten duration and severity)
-red bell pepper = 190 mg for 1 cup (plus vitamin A)
-broccoli = 130 mg for 1 cup
-strawberries = 85 mg (plus folate and fiber) for 1 cup
-kiwi = 140 mg per 2 kiwi

Beta carotene – think orange and red and dark green. Aim for at least 1 serving daily of these during the winter months (and the rest of the year too)Top sources include leafy greens (romaine, kale, collards, chard), carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash, pumpkin, fresh basil, paprika

Zinc/Iron: Increases the production of disease fighting white blood cells. Good sources of zinc include oysters, fortified cereals, crab, dark-meat turkey, pumpkin seeds and beans (including soybeans). Iron deficiency can impair immune function and common in women who are still menstruating and don’t eat meat. Dark meat turkey and lean red meat good sources as are beans/tofu and you can get it from leafy greens like spinach but you have to combine it with vitamin C rich food (tomato sauce or lemon juice) to release the iron contained in the spinach. Bonus add on for meat dishes: Horseradish – it contains and oil that breaks down into a powerful natural infection fighter and it also contains compounds that can help clear nasal congestion, stimulate your immune system and fight inflammation. It works well with beef or potato dishes, and cold cuts and also in sauces (like cocktail sauce) or mixed with low fat sour cream as a topping for fish.

Vitamin D – This is a really important player and you are at higher risk of being deficient in the winter as the main source is sun exposure. You can find it in fatty fish like salmon and canned tuna and some fortified foods (milk, orange juice) but it’s often hard to get enough from just food so most doctors recommend taking a supplement during the winter months. Some mushrooms are treated with UV light to produce Vitamin D (check packaging to see if your mushrooms measure up)

Probiotics – 70 % of your immune system is in your gut so a healthy gut = healthy immune system. Probiotics (yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, miso soup, supplements – lets skip the label details and just keep this as a generic bottle of probiotics and I’ll say talk to your pharmacist about the best option) help support gut health so they are key to include regularly during the winter months. If you are put on antibiotics for any reason, talk to your doctor about taking a probiotic supplement.

Beta glucan – this type of fiber not only helps improve gut health and heart health, it can help support healthy immune function by boosting the function of 3 different types of immune cells. Top sources are oatmeal, barley and mushrooms. In my new book I have all sorts of ideas for making oatmeal more interesting and barley works great in soups and side dishes and I’m a huge fan of including mushrooms in everything to boost calories without boosting portions.

Chicken soup – this isn’t just a myth – lab studies have found that chicken soup contains several types of medicinal properties to help you fight respiratory infections one of which may be fighting inflammation by preventing. It may also help with congestion and help the tiny hairs in your nasal passages work better to fight infection. Home made is best (loaded with vegetables) but studies show benefits to store bought too. Bonus add ins: Oregano/thyme –both contain phytonutrients that help your body fight bacteria and viruses – they taste great together – I’m obsessed with a simple thyme roasted cauliflower and I try to add both to soups and sauces as often as I can. Garlic: Garlic stimulates white blood cells to multiply and increases the production of antibodies; fresh is best and after crushing let it sit for a few minutes before adding to food to release the powerful disease fighting nutrients – add to soups, salads, dressings and stir fry.