jump to navigation

Power Foods That Boost Your Immunity September 10, 2008

Posted by Mary Ellen Iafrate in : Nutrition , comments closed

Each passing day is bringing us closer to Fall and temperature and climate changes.  Preventive Magazine has some tips on eating to stay healthy and boost our immune system to fight off colds and viruses. 

It takes more than an apple a day to keep viruses at bay.  You can ensure your body and immunity run smoothly by getting your daily servings of fruits and veggies and eight to ten glasses of water a day.  The following can add extra flu-fighting punch to your winter meal plan.

Garlic

Garlic contains the active ingredient allicin, which fights infection and bacteria.  British researchers gave 146 people either a placebo or a garlic extract for 12 weeks; the garlic takers were two-thirds less likely to catch a cold.  Other studies suggest that garlic lovers who chow more than six cloves a week have a 30% lower rate of colorectal cancer and a 50% lower rate of stomach cancer. 

Optimal dose:  Two raw cloves a day and add crushed garlic to your cooking several times a week.

Yogurt

Probiotics, or the ”live active cultures” found in yogurt, are healthy bacteria that keep the gut and intestinal tract free of disease-causing germs.  Although they are available in supplement form, a recent study from the University of Vienna in Austria found that a daily 7-ounce dose of yogurt was just as effective in boosting immunity as popping pills.  In an 80-day Swedish study of 181 factory employees, those who drank a daily supplement of Lactobacillus reuteri–a specific probiotic that appears to stimulate white blood cells–took 33% fewer sick days than those given a placebo.   Any yogurt with a Live and Active Cultures seal contains some beneficial bugs, but Stonyfield Farm is the only US brand that contains this specific strain. 

Optimal dose:  Two 6-ounce servings a day.

Chicken Soup

Cold symptoms are a response to the cells’ accumulation in the bronchial tubes.  The amino acid cysteine, released from chicken during cooking, chemically resembles the bronchitis drug acetylcysteine.  Additionally, the soup’s salty broth keeps mucus thin the same way cough medicines do.  Added spices, such as garlic and onions, can increase soup’s immune-boosting power.

Optimal dose:  Have a bowl when feeling crummy.