How-To: Strengthen Your Immune System

During quarantine, many of us are staying indoors, social distancing and washing our hands, doing all we can to stay safe and healthy. While all of these efforts can go a long way to ensure we’re preventing contact with germs, one of the best ways to combat illness is by amending our diet to include highly nutritious superfoods.

As we know, certain foods are known to possess more vitamins, fibers and antioxidants that we need to perform our best and strengthen our immune system, but which ones are most essential to our health?

Below, we’ve rounded up the top five superfoods that provide the most important immune-boosting nutrients:

Broccoli

An important source of vitamin C, beta-carotene, glutathione, broccoli is a powerful antioxidant. This antioxidant rids the body of free radicals and reduces inflammation.

Eggs

Protein is a vital source of energy for immune-boosting. High in protein, eggs are also rich in vitamin D, zinc, selenium, vitamin E, and omega-3 that the body needs for proper immune functioning.

Spinach

Spinach is a great source of vitamin C and packed with lots of antioxidants and beta carotene, which studies show may have infection-fighting properties. To get the most nutrients from Spinach, try cooking this superfood lightly, or blend it raw in your smoothie to enhance the vitamin A it contains.

Salmon

Rich in omega-3, salmon is key to combating inflammation. As a result, the immune system is then free to focus on defending the body from unwanted viruses and bacteria to fight illness.

Ginger

Ginger is perhaps best known as an ingredient recommended to those with a cold, but it can also do wonders as a preventative measure to boost your immune system. Ginger helps reduce inflammation, chronic pain and nausea.