Ways To Fight The Flu With Food

#1

When you can feel a tickle in the back of your throat or your nose is beginning to run, is it already too late to reduce the risk of catching a cold or the flu? Not at all! The best thing you can do is take action quickly and not wait until you get sick by eating foods that will boost your immune system and beat the bugs before they can really take hold.

Here are the best immune boosting foods you can eat to fight a cold or the flu.

#2 Chicken soup

Although Grandma’s favorite cold fighter hasn’t yet yielded up all its healing secrets, researchers are beginning to puzzle out why it may work. For starters, hot chicken soup raises the temperature in your nose and throat, creating an inhospitable environment for viruses that prefer cooler, drier climes. Next, just like a hot, steamy shower, hot, steamy soup thins out mucus so you can more easily blow it out. Studies have proved it works better at this than plain old hot water.

And finally, according to a laboratory study of both homemade and store-bought soups done at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the soup inhibits white blood cells called neutrophils that are released in huge numbers when you have a cold. It’s the congregation of these white cells that causes a cold’s hallmark congestion.

#3 Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A, which fights free radicals that could weaken your immune system

#4 Yogurt

If you haven’t yet heard of probiotics, then you’ve been living under an unhealthy rock. The live cultures (good bacteria) in yogurt protect our digestive systems and improve our immunity to infections and cold

#5 Garlic

Thought to ward off everything from vampires to the plague, garlic has a long history of protecting us against all that ails. Garlic’s disease-fighting abilities appear to come from the sulphur compounds responsible for its pungent smell.

In addition to demonstrating powerful antioxidant abilities, garlic is thought to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties that preliminary research suggests may be useful in battling the common cold

#6 Citrus fruits

Vitamin C, most commonly found in citrus fruits, is an antioxidant that can reduce cold symptoms by 23 percent, studies have found. A review of 21 studies found that just 1 to 8 grams (1,000 to 8,000 milligrams) of the vitamin will do the trick, which you can get from supplements or from citrus fruits, red bell peppers, broccoli, brussels sprouts, butternut squash, papaya, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes.

For some people, high amounts of vitamin C can cause digestive problems, so cut back on your dose if symptoms arise.



#7 Green Tea

When you're sick, fluids are critical. But even if you feel fine and dandy right now, green tea's high levels of polyphenols and catechins (including epigallocatechin gallate, a.k.a. EGCG, which is among the most powerful known antioxidants) can help fight off viruses and promote healthy immune function,These are just the properties related to flu season; don't forget the potential support you could receive for your heart, brain, joints, metabolic, and overall cell health by drinking green tea.

#8 Fish

Oily fish—including salmon, tuna, and mackerel—are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, compounds that help reduce harmful inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation prevents your immune system from working properly, and can contribute to colds and flu as well as more serious diseases.

Omega 3s may fight colds on more than one front. In a placebo-controlled 2011 study published in Brain, Behavior and Immunity, medical students who took fish oil supplements for three months had lower inflammation levels and also fewer symptoms of anxiety—a condition that can itself weaken immune function.

#9 Acai Berry

A small fruit with a big impact. The antioxidants found in these little guys protect our cells from being vulnerable and therefore defend our bodies against viruses and bacteria.

With a chemical composition better than most other berries such as strawberries and raspberries, acai berries are the ticket to maintaining a healthy body and defending it against illnesses.

#10 Carrots

They're rich in beta-carotene, which your body uses to ward off respiratory infections. Other good sources are dark green vegetables, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and winter squash.

#11 Turmeric

One of the most recent spices to be crowned a super food, turmeric is a rich yellow powder often used in curry dishes.

It’s high in antioxidants and considered a natural anti-inflammatory. “If you take it on a daily basis, it is known to relieve the body of toxins,” says Mirchandani. “It has been shown that people who consume turmeric are less susceptible to colds, coughs and congestion.” Order up a curry from your favorite Indian restaurant or mix up this Fresh Turmeric Tonic for a quick immunity boost.

#12 Ginger

Great for prevention as well as when you’re in the thick of a bad cold, Ginger’s warming circulatory stimulant and inflammatory actions encourages detoxification and helps raise body temperature to aid the body in fighting off those winter bugs.

Steep some chopped fresh ginger into a mug of boiling water and sip throughout the day during the winter months, it also makes a delicious addition to winter dishes like soups and stews.

#13 Lean meat

Good iron levels are essential for a strong immune system and the most efficient way to maintain good iron levels is by eating lean meat. Not only does it supply a source of iron that is easily absorbed by the body, it also contains good supplies of zinc, another infection-fighting mineral.

So if you're feeling a little sniffly, eating a piece of lean red meat, poultry (chicken soup perhaps?), fish or shellfish will help you fight those bugs.