Five Immune-Boosting Foods That Might Surprise You!

Papaya

Did you know that the papaya is loaded with vitamin C? A single papaya serves up over 200 % of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C. Plus, papayas contain potassium, B vitamins and folate which helps keep your body healthy and strong. And if that isn’t enough, the papaya has something called papain which is a digestive enzyme with anti-inflammatory effects.

Kiwi

Kiwis aren’t just tasty. They are full of essential nutrients that can boost your immune system. The kiwi has vitamin K, vitamin C, folate and potassium which all helps to keep your body strong to battle a virus or bacterial infection. The vitamin C aids in boosting white blood cells to fight infections

Poultry

How many times have you been told to have some chicken soup when you are sick? Well, it isn’t just an old wive’s tale! Research has found that chicken soup can improve symptoms of a cold and it has the ability to help keep you from getting sick. Chicken, turkey and other poultry is a wonderful source of vitamin B-6. A single serving of turkey or chicken has roughly 50 % of the daily recommended amount of vitamin B-6, which helps your body make a protein called interleukin-2, which helps direct the actions of white blood cells. It’s also vital to the formation of new and healthy red blood cells.

Sunflower Seeds

Get out those sunflower seeds!  These little seeds are full of nutrients, including phosphorous, magnesium, and vitamin B-6. They’re also incredibly high in vitamin E, which is a very powerful antioxidant. The benefits of vitamin E include the regulation and the ability to maintain making sure the immune system functions properly.  Adding sunflowers to a dark leafy green salad will boost your vitamin E consumption.

Shellfish

So many people are surprised when they find out that shellfish doesn’t just taste great but it’s also a great way to boost your immune system. If you are trying to add more zinc to your diet, there are some shellfish that are packed with it.  Zinc is involved in numerous aspects of cellular metabolism. It is required for the catalytic activity of approximately 100 enzymes and it plays a role in immune function, protein synthesis, wound healing, DNA synthesis, and cell division.

Varieties of shellfish that are high in zinc include:

• Crab
• Clams
• Lobster
• Mussels

Just be careful with zinc though because too much zinc can actually inhibit immune system function.