Cold and flu season is upon us. With no cure for the common cold or flu, your best friend is prevention, particularly diet. What you eat can actually boost your immune system and help your body ward off illness. Divine.ca spoke to Linda Montpetit, a Montreal-based nutritionist and registered dietician, about the super foods you should be eating. While no one food can protect you from colds and flu, a healthy diet rich in antioxidants can help stave off illness, protecting your cells from the damage caused by free radicals.
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First, make sure you’re getting enough calories! If your intake is too low, your immune system won't function at an optimal level. A woman eating less than 1,300 calories per day will be more vulnerable to colds and flu, so make sure you’re eating enough.
Get your cruciferous veggies: broccoli, cabbage and brussel sprouts are all rich in antioxidants, and can help you stay healthy. Cook these with garlic and enjoy with a glass of red wine, for an extra antioxidant boost.
Snack on nuts. Almonds and sunflower seeds are rich in vitamin E. Research has indicated that vitamin E may help reduce the number and duration of common colds. Brazil nuts are rich in selenium which, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, may help protect you from respiratory infection. Researchers have concluded that a lack of selenium can hamper the body’s ability to fight off disease, so add more Brazil nuts to your diet.
Eat yogurt—particularly the kind containing live cultures of "healthy" bacteria. To get the full benefits, Linda recommends eating one probiotic-rich yogurt every day. “Specific probiotics work together to help your immune system, in the digestive track,” says Monpetit. In particular, she recommends BB-12® Bifidobacterium lactis, LA-5 ® and Lactobacillus acidophilus to boost immunity. Divine.ca likes Yoptimal immuni+MC; the first to contain these, plus antioxidants, to help ward off disease.
Sip green tea: it may be a key flu-fighter, according to research. Green tea was found to stimulate T-cells that boost the immunity system. Green tea supplements are available in pill form.
Open a can of tomato soup: a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that the lycopene in tomatoes acts as an antioxidant, boosting your immune system.
Spice it up! Chilli pepper contains capsaicin—the compound that makes the peppers hot—which may improve immune status, according to Korean researchers. Tip: a bowl of spicy tomato soup covers two nutrients at once!
Get your fats. A low-fat diet will keep both your heart and your immune system healthy. But don’t cut out all fats: omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are powerful immune system allies. You can get them in fatty fish like salmon and sardines. Other sources of these essential fatty acids include flaxseed, safflower oil, and eggs.
