Best Immune Booster Foods | Natural Methods & Guide to Boost Immunity

Best Immune Booster Guide | Natural Methods to Boost Immunity

Best Immune booster guide is here to brighten your day. Generally speaking, one can’t put enough emphasis on the great immune system. It saves a great many trips to your GP’s office. Consequently, it saves a big sum of money which may come handy. It’s a win-win situation no matter who you are or what your financial status. In addition to that, you must have heard the phrase you are what you eat. To put it in other words, you can keep it fit just by making healthy choices and eating a well-curated balanced diet.

A balanced diet is not a new trend. Several pieces of research have suggested a longer life span amongst those who keep up with the exercise and their dietary needs. And if you keep putting junk inside your body sooner or later it is going to show up in the form of tiredness, constipation, catching up infections more often. It will result in to further depilating repercussions and may result in anemia and malnutrition. A weakened immune system coupled with a malnourished body is a recipe for disaster. It makes the body home to more pathogens such as bacteria and viruses.  You may become prone to catching them and includes a virus responsible for COVID-19.

Also read Review for the Best Immunity Boosters for Kids online

What is Immune-system?

Immune-system is the protective system of your body. Think of it as an army that keeps citizens of a country safe from all sorts of threats. In this case, threats would be the disease-causing pathogens namely virus, bacteria, and parasites. A strong immune system would keep them at bay and vice versa. To put things more simply, your immunity system consists of several organs that function as a check-post against these pathogens. This check-post mainly contains lymph nodes, lymphoid tissue (such as tonsils in your throat, spleen and bone marrow.

The system essentially is made of two kinds of cells: innate and acquired. The innate system is the first line of defense. The second line of defense is an acquired immune system that contains B and T cells. This is important for times when pathogens may slip off the first line of defense.  Now, these cells take longer to form because they rely on the experience of past behavior. The good news is they tend to live longer than the innate cells.  This is the method that helps you develop immunity via vaccines.

Best Immune Booster Guide – What To Do To Better Immune-system?

There is, alas, no magic wand that would do the magic for you. However, there are many food items which certainly help boost the immune system. It is not an easy shift from moving junk food to healthy foods. But we are certain with baby steps you’ll eventually reach your goal. The key is to stick to the process and slowly introduce healthy food in your diet. To make the transition a little easier for you we have compiled an immune booster guide.

To make matters worse 90% of COVID surviving patients return with some form of lung damage. This can have drastic effects on anyone’s general and emotional well-being. The best choice to save yourself from all this hassle is to keep your immunity system strong. To help you do so, we compiled a Best Immune Booster guide. Read on to know more.

1. Dietary supplements

Our food intake plays a major role in keeping our body systems in good working conditions. However, there are certain elements in our diet that need more attention than others for different reasons. For example, vitamin B-12 makes up a major chunk of the myelin sheath (insulation around axons i.e. a part of neurons). Myelin sheath is responsible for better conduction of electrical impulses along the neurons. A deficiency of Vit B-12 will cause a hampered sensation resulting in tingling, numbness, and chronic fatigue. Likewise, there are several nutritional requirements that may be coming between you and a better immune system. Written below is some information about a few of the most important such nutrients. Now all you got to do Is just plan your meals keeping these food items into consideration.

a) Protein-Rich Diet

Biologically speaking, the membrane of the basic units of our body i.e. cells are made of lipo-protein or a layer of fat and protein as many of you might recall from your biology class. The basic fighters of our immune system are antibodies which again are made of lipo-protein. A protein-deficient diet is sure to result in a weakened immune system. Consequently, making you more vulnerable to infections.

Additionally, protein is also essential to support weight management, lean muscles, and the production of hormones. Being Indians, whose diet consists of mainly carbohydrates and fat, we are bound to lose sight of protein in our food.

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1. Vegetarian protein-rich foods – Yoghurt, Paneer (cottage cheese) Soya beans or soya chunks, richest protein source, Milk, pulses, legumes, and good old rajma (kidney beans).
2. Non-veg protein-rich foods – Eggs, milk, fish, and chicken.
3. Vegan protein-rich diet – Soya bean, rajma, pulses, and legumes.

Soya bean, Yoghurt, and rajma collectively and on individual-level are just the protein resources you didn’t think you needed in your life. Yogurts contain lactobacilli which are amazing for your digestive system. It activates good bacteria present in the mucous of your gut through the innate immune system. Especially amazing for our vegetarian readers. We’d suggest sweetening it with honey or fruits instead of dreadful sugars. May we suggest you try parfaits recipe? Oh, while we are at it how about you give soya chunks a shot? You can use these in a variety of ways. As a matter of fact, these are excellent meat replacement and they are fantastic for lip-smacking vegan dishes. The best part about this is one raw ingredient can create dishes that cater to different dietary needs, almost serving the whole family.

b) Green Leafy Vegetables & Herbs

Can you tell me one green leafy thing that’s practically vital to beautifying all Indian foods? Dhania or coriander. This common Indian herb is rich in fiber, vitamin k, and protein. Just in case you are into on friendly terms with this herb (how could you be so cruel?) There are many more, green leafy vegetables that are super rich in folic acid, and antioxidants that keep the immunity system in perfect shape. Just remember the darker in color the richer they are in the useful ingredients.

As a matter of fact, one study found the antibacterial activity of different Ocimum sanctum extracts against Klebsiella pneumonia (Gram-positive bacteria) and Staphylococcus aureus  (Gram-negative bacteria)  were studied. According to the results, all different types of extracts obtained from Ocimum sanctum leaves shown to be with antibacterial activity against tested microbial pathogens.

1. Ashwagandha

Just in case you want to take extra precaution, we’d suggest you to involve herbs such as Ashwagandha – an ancient medicinal herb from India. Clinically proven to be a powerful adaptogen, it enhances the body’s resilience to stress. Ashwagandha improves the body’s defense against disease by improving the cell-mediated immunity. It also possesses potent antioxidant properties that help protect against cellular damage caused by free radicals. Check out this Ashwagandha capsules. Additionally, you can also drink Ashwagandha tea. It comes with additional benefits of mulethi, giloy and tulsi.

We’ll also recommend using Giloy or Guduchi as many of us call it. You can either use it in its powder form or you can go for the good old kadha.

2. Tulsi

Holy basil or Tulsi is another herb pretty prevalent in Indian households. We have all grown drinking ‘Tulsi wali chai’ (Chai made with Tulsi). From treating malaria to reducing anxiety and stress, tulsi has been a great aid in Indian medicine for ages. Rich in multivitamins such as vitamin A and C Holy basil is full of anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties.

Just in case you can’t grow a tulsi plant in your home we have brought a Tulsi Chai for you.

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c) Multivitamin Rich Food

While some vitamins such as C and E have received widespread attention as an immune booster, the specific effects are still unknown. Although Vitamin A and D have shown very specific ways to positively affect your immune system. Even though slightly vague in their utility, you can’t deny the importance of food which is rich in all four vitamins. It’s nearly impossible to find food items that have the presence of all four of these. However, we have found sources that contain at least one of these.

1. Vitamin C

From warding off common cold to preventing long term vitamin c has an important role in enhancing the immune system. Vitamin C increases the production of Lymphocytes or WBCs as they are more commonly known. WBCs are the key to a better immune system as aforementioned.

Your body, however, neither synthesize nor stores vitamin c. So, you need a daily intake of the recommended portion of Vitamin C.

• 75 mg for women
• 90 mg for men

 
Citrus Fruits
Almost all citrus fruits contain vitamin c. To name a few common ones:

• Indian Gooseberry (Amla)
• Oranges
• Lemon
• Sweet lime (mausambi)

Just in case you’re not a fan of the citrus flavor, we have got just the right replacement for you. It is capsicum or our beloved Shimla Mirch. It contains 3 times more vitamin – C than citrus fruits. However, vitamin c is very delicate and usually disintegrates when cooked. We would recommend steaming bell peppers or using it in salad or raita to get the best benefit of vitamin c.

Try incorporating spinach in your meals. It is not only extremely rich i9n vitamin-c, but it also contains beta carotene and anti-oxidants proven to be one of the best immune booster. Check out this Vitamin C Fizzy Tablets. They are orange flavored and the fizzle will make your kids love it in no time.

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2. Vitamin E

If you’re a skincare enthusiast you’d know Vitamin E is crucial for skin health. Putting it in another way, regular usage of vitamin e prevents early onset of wrinkles and may give better hair health. However, that’s not the only benefit of including vitamin e. Since it promotes cell division and LI-2 producing capacity of naïve t cells increasing percentage of t cells that create an effective immune system connection. To put things more simply, a significant amount of vitamin-e in your body will help your immune cells function just a little better with the help of a protein called Cytokines or LI-2. Plant-based oil nuts seeds

Additionally, vitamin e is also an antioxidant that curbs free radicals. And top it all a sufficient amount of Vitamin E is helpful in preventing fatty chain lever. Now that you know a plethora of reasons to include vitamin e in your meals, let’s have a look at food items that contain high levels of vitamin e.

 
Almonds

I remember being fed a fist full of almonds as a kid because it was said to sharpen your brain. I can’t say for sure whether or not that is the case; however, almond is one of the richest sources of vitamin E. Thus, becoming very crucial in the best immune booster guide journey. Incidentally, almost all nuts such as pine nut, hazelnut, and brazil nut are pretty rich in vitamin e-content. Daily value recommendation for vitamin- e is 15 mg per day in an average adult human. 30 grams of almonds contain 7.3 mg of vitamin e. You can get 500 grams of premium quality Almonds at 21% off of the retail price if you shop now. Hurry!

 
Seeds

As much as we love nuts in Indian households the downside of nuts is that they often cause allergies. Inarguably so, no one likes rushing to the hospital when they’re eating something. While you really can’t do much about your food-related allergies other than avoiding the said food altogether, you can definitely have a look at alternate vitamin E resources. For instance, 30 grams of Sunflower seeds have 10 grams of vitamin e in them fulfilling 66% of daily value requirements.

 
Plant-based Oil

Pretty much all vegetable oils are very rich in vitamin e. However, wheat germ oil is considered best for vitamin E needs.  1 tablespoon of it contains 20 mg of vitamin e, making it 135% of the daily value. However, there’s a catch. Most vegetable oils lose their nutrient content to a great extent when heated. Thus, making them bad choices for frying. To put things into perspective, you should use these oils as a salad dressing or drizzle it on to various dishes to get the best of them.

We understand, not all of have the luxury of time to do some rigorous research on food items. So, if you are one of those people, we’d recommend you opt for vitamin e capsules. It’s relatively hassle-free and has a much-reduced risk of allergy or flavor related issues. Check out Simply herbal’s Glutathione. It is all-natural, vegetable resourced herbal extract capsules. Each piece contains concentrated grape seed powder making it rich in its vitamin e and c content. Buy now and save 78%.

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3. Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin D. It is essential to our body for various reasons, a better immune system being one of them. Admittedly, various researches have found it to be essential for warding off respiratory illness. Although, we are yet to have a cure for COVID-19, and prevention is the best cure quite literally in this matter, maintaining sufficient levels of vitamin D can be a way to prevent yourself from contracting it. This, however, is nowhere a way to not take the necessary precaution and maintaining hygiene.

Although, vitamin D deficiency has proven to enhance a phenomenon known as “cytokine storm”. Cytokine, as aforementioned, are proteins integrated in the immune system. However, they are responsible for tissue damage. The term cytokine storm, in other words, is nothing but an uncontrolled release of the protein. This phenomenon can be life-threatening. A sufficient intake of vitamin D prevents it. Thus, making your immune system just a little better.

 
Mushrooms & Eggs

Although the effect of vitamin d supplements is still under trial for covid-19 patients, it is wise to keep your vitamin d levels in surplus. The adult daily recommended value is 1000 international unit. Unfortunately, there are only two food resources that contain vitamin D, namely:

• Mushroom – 7IU per 100 gms
• Eggs – 400IU per egg.

So, you can either opt for a kg of mushroom per day (may God help you!) or 3 eggs. If neither one is of your liking you can opt for sunbathing between 8 A.M. and 10 A.M. only for 15-20 minutes. However, you have to ensure you receive direct sunlight without any clothing. Although this Caucasian race. If you’re southeast Asian or African, then increase the time to at least half an hour or so. Please remember the darker the skin tone, the more time it will take for the skin to produce vitamin D. Since it is a fat-soluble vitamin, the body retains it for a longer time. However, the effect of taking Vitamin D supplements is the same as that of sunbathing.

Since we are all lazy people and won’t opt for sunbathing, we recommend you give this vitamin d supplement a shot.

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4. Vitamin A

Also known as retinol, vitamin a is a godsend for wrinkles. Vitamin A is essential for the maintenance of the immune system and good vision. It is a micronutrient. In simpler words, you need a very small amount of vitamin A to enhance your immune system. Vitamin A regulates cellular immune response. It means at a sufficient level it will trigger the cells to respond correctly in a shorter span of time. Although the immune regulatory mechanism of vitamin A is still in the process of understanding, that is not to say you can skip it.

The recommended allowance for vitamin A is:

• 900 mcg per day for men
• 700 mcg per day women.

Vitamin A is available to humans in two forms:

Vitamin A and Beta carotene. All plant resources contain beta-carotene which converts into vitamin a in the body. The best source of vitamin A are eggs, cod liver oil, orange, and yellow-colored vegetables and fruits. Other resources include dark green leafy vegetables such as broccoli and spinach. Check out this vitamin a supplement if you or your family are fussy about food.

d) Trace Elements Rich Food

Trace elements comprise of non-metallic minerals that are present in the human body in a very small amount. While some of them are nutritionally essentials and others might not be, let’s not forget there is a lack of substantial evidence in that area. These elements are essential for metabolic activities in the body. Hence a deficiency of these might result in an unhealthy metabolism resulting in further issues. Without further ado, let’s see what these elements are:

1. Zinc

Falling on the second position in terms of concentration Zinc is responsible for many cellular activities. It is also responsible for activating at least 100 different enzymes. Presently, the recommended daily allowance for zinc is:

• 8 milligrams for women
• 11 milligrams for men

Zinc, as mentioned above, plays a major role in cellular activities. It enables cell division and cell growth.  It is also known to enhance the immune system by activating T-cells of the immune system. A deficiency of zinc may cause a loss of sense of smell and taste. Incidentally, this is one of the symptoms of COVID-19.

Not only this but zinc has also proven to reduce the duration of common cold at least by 33%. You can find zinc in yogurt, wild rice, pecans, etc.

It is also available in supplement form. The tolerable upper limit for Zinc in adults is 40 milligrams.

2. Selenium

Selenium is another essential trace element that is essential for your body. It is responsible to synthesize a protein called anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants are responsible for preventing cell damage. Some of the good sources of selenium are fish, red meat, grains, eggs, poultry, and garlic.

3. Copper

The daily requirement for Copper is 900 mcg per day. The function of copper in the body is to release phagocytes by the innate immune system response. Concentration of Copper kills the bacteria. Copper along with other minerals like zinc helps maintain optimal thyroid gland function. The good sources of Copper include oysters, nuts, seeds, mushrooms, leafy green vegetables, and dark chocolate.

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2. Physical Exercise

I know what I am about to tell you is probably going to hit your blah reaction through the roof. But hold your horses. You’ll be surprised to know that regular moderate exercise has been seen as one of the best immune booster, at least for the last four decades. A benchmark study by Dr. Campbell and Dr. Turner states, “exercise can help the immune system find and deal with pathogens, and in the long term, regular exercise slows down changes that happen to the immune system with aging, therefore reducing the risk of infections.”

Regular to moderate aerobic exercise such as running, walking or cycling are some of the best physical exercises to boost your immunity.

In addition to personal hygiene should have a great emphasis while using gym equipment, especially washing your hands with soap or hand sanitizer.
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3. Sleep Hygiene

Inculcating all the best immune booster and maintaining a routine of 150 hours of weekly exercise will certainly do wonders for your immunity. However, let’s forget our resting phase known as sleep. General sleep duration recommendation for adults is 6 to 8 hours through the night. The earlier you go to bed, the better it is for your body. Additionally, stay as away from blue light as possible at least an hour before going to bed. Reading can also be a good way to induce sleep. In order for your immune system to get the best from your sleep, you should have your dinner at least two hours before going to bed. Lavender has been used for centuries as a natural sleep inducer. Check out this lavender tea to aid you in getting a good night’s sleep.

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Best Immune Booster Foods & Supplements in India Review 2020 – Conclusion

A global pandemic has gotten us all pretty scared. Maintaining proper hygiene and keeping yourself updated on the latest happenings is essential to avoid any mishaps. However, it is imperial to not ultimately it is your immune system that is going to kick off the virus. In order to procure that, obviously, you eat the healthiest diet, exercise regularly, and maintain a sleep routine.

We have tried to cover everything that can help you boost your immunity in the best manner possible. Hopefully, our best immune booster guide would be able to help you. Although if you feel we have missed out on something, don’t shy away from dropping a comment. We, as usual, will try to update and keep your points in mind when composing the next post. Till then stay fit and stay healthy. Adios!