How to Boost your Immune System

How can we Hispanics stay healthy and boost our immune systems to help fight off illnesses and germs in this cold, winter weather? There are some foods we can include in our diets that will have a beneficial effect on our health. Have a look at what you could eat today to boost your immune system.

Garlic is a powerful immune system booster. It also helps to lower cholesterol and fight infection. An age old remedy for colds and flu, as well as a way to boost your immunity, is to crush a glove of garlic, and drink it in hot water with honey and lemon to taste. If you don’t like the taste of garlic, you can chop it up small and add it into a stew or casserole, where you won’t really notice it; but it will still have beneficial effects. Garlic can also be bought prepared and odorless in capsule form from a health-food, or vitamin store. Chillies are really good for stimulating your circulation and raising your temperature. The extra heat in your stomach encourages gastric secretions, which in turn kill off harmful bacteria in the gut. Use it in the same ways as garlic.

You wouldn’t normally think of eating yogurt to cure a cough or a cold, but the bacteria in yogurt can keep your digestive system running smoothly, which in turn keeps your immune system healthy. Choose yogurts or yogurt drinks that contains live bacteria and consume once a day. Fish like tuna, salmon and mackerel contain omega 3 fatty acids, and these increase the activity of the white blood cells that kill bacteria. If you don’t like fish you can buy omega 3 in capsule form to boost your immune system. It’s also found in flax oil which can be taken daily for the same effect.

Zinc is another effective, immune system booster, because it also increases germ-busting white blood cells. It can be found in beef, turkey, crab, beans and fortified cereals. Zinc is also great for fighting infection, but too much can have an opposite effect. Take a daily supplement that contains the recommended dose, or include some zinc rich foods in your diet. However, vitamin C is the best immune booster, as it helps your body produce antibodies to fight off viruses. It can be found in lots of fruit and vegetables, including oranges, lemons and limes.

Boost your immune system by including garlic, chillies, yogurt, fish and zinc and vitamin C in your diet. Stay healthy and free from illness by eating well, and making sure your body gets all the nutrients it needs.