30 Best Immune-Boosting Foods

30 Best Immune-Boosting Foods

1) Citrus Fruits

Vitamin C is always a go-to for boosting your immune system due to its antioxidant properties, helping to increase white blood cells that help fight infections.

Vitamin C can’t be made in your body, so you need to get it from your diet. Citrus fruits are full of vitamin C and can easily be added to every meal and snack! Examples include grapefruit, oranges, lemons, limes, and clementines.

2) Papaya

Papaya isn’t a citrus fruit, but it's just as high in vitamin C and still plays a role in increasing white blood cells to help you fight off infections.

3) Kiwi

Kiwi is also high in vitamin C and can help to reduce the duration of cold symptoms when you get sick. Eating some kiwi as a snack when you feel a cold coming on will help give your immune system the boost it needs!

4) Blueberries

Blueberries contain a flavonoid called anthocyanin, an antioxidant that boosts your immune cells, especially in your respiratory tract. This helps give your cells a boost when you breathe in a virus they must fight.

5) Red Bell Peppers

Besides citrus fruits, red bell peppers are also very high in vitamin C. However, some methods of cooking can kill the vitamins in peppers so try to stir-fry or roast them to help maintain nutrient density, or just eat them raw.

6) Tomatoes

It's not just fruit that can provide immune support, vegetables like tomatoes also can have a big impact. Tomatoes are high in vitamin C, and in one study were shown to play a role in assisting phagocytes, the main component of the immune system that destroys viruses.¹

7) Broccoli

Vitamins and minerals are the best way to provide support for your immune system, and broccoli is packed full of them! Vitamins A, C, and E, as well as many other antioxidants, are found in broccoli.

8) Mushrooms

Research has shown that eating mushrooms consistently actually increases the number of T cells your body has to fight off viruses.² So, maybe the saying should be "a mushroom a day keeps the doctor away"!

9) Sweet Potatoes

These are high in beta-carotene. When consumed, beta-carotene converts to vitamin A, the anti-inflammation vitamin, another key nutrient that plays a role in maintaining your body's natural defenses.

Receive unique insights, advice and exclusive offers.

Email address Subscribe

10) Spinach

Another vitamin C-packed food! Spinach is often considered a superfood because of its impressive nutritional profile. Folate is the most notable nutrient, helping your body make new cells to better fight off disease.

11) Garlic

Garlic is known around the world for its health properties. It has been shown to slow down heart disease progression and support immune function. When consumed, the nutrients in garlic can fight bacteria and viruses alongside the immune cells.

12) Ginger

Ginger is another food that has been used for its health benefits for thousands of years. That’s because it's full of antioxidants when consumed directly from the herb. Add it into your cooking or teas to get the most benefits.

13) Yogurt

Yogurt is full of probiotics that help keep your gut healthy. Your gut houses 70% of the cells that make up your immune system, so when you have a healthy gut, you’ll have a healthy immune system.³

Make sure your yogurt label says “live and active cultures” to ensure you’re getting the most out of your probiotics.

14) Kefir

Much like yogurt, kefir is a fermented drink full of probiotic live cultures. Kefir can help create a healthy gut system and, in turn, a healthy immune system by fighting bacteria and reducing inflammation.

15) Almonds

The antioxidants and vitamin E found in almonds make them a powerful immune support food. While vitamin C helps boost immune support, vitamin E helps to regulate it. Add in a small handful of almonds as a snack to support your overall immune system function.

16) Sunflower seeds

Like almonds, sunflower seeds are full of vitamin E and antioxidants that help boost and regulate immune function by fighting off damaging cells.

17) Turmeric

Turmeric is common in alternative medicines because it can improve your immune response when you do come into contact with an illness. Turmeric contains curcumin which is full of antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory effects.

18) Rosemary

Another herb full of antioxidants, rosemary helps to regulate your gut and digestion leading to a healthier immune system overall.

19) Green tea

High in an antioxidant called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), green tea can be used to enhance your immune system through aiding T cells, the main illness-fighting immunity cells. Tea also contains polyphenols and flavonoids, antioxidants that seek out cells that are out to cause damage and destroy them.

20) Poultry

You may not think about meat being an immune booster, but chicken and turkey fit the criteria! This is because they support a healthy gut and contain a high number of vitamins and minerals. Carnosine is usually found in chicken and can help protect you against the flu virus cells.

21) Chicken noodle soup

Chicken noodle soup does a lot more for you when you’re sick than just comfort. It contains vegetables and chicken that are full of key nutrients to help prevent illness, as well as electrolytes to help with rehydration while sick.

22) Shellfish

Zinc is the most abundant nutrient shellfish. Zinc can help immune cells, like T cells, function at their highest and always be on alert. Zinc also helps to make more white blood cells that assist during an immune response.

Research has shown that zinc (specifically zinc lozenges) helps to reduce the severity and duration of cold and flu symptoms when taken at the start of an illness.⁴ Good sources of zinc include oysters, crab, lobsters, and mussels.

23) Beans

Beans are also high in zinc and help the T cells fight off any infection that comes your way.

24) Miso

Another soup you should add to your sick day menu! Miso, typically found in miso soup, is fermented soybeans made into a paste. It's full of probiotics that help boost the diversity in your gut microbiome, helping to give your immune system a little boost, too.

25) Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate contains an antioxidant that protects the body from damaging cells. Good news for all the chocolate lovers out there!

26) Eggs

Eggs are high in vitamin D, which is essential to immune function and maintenance. Vitamin D also contributes to bone health!

27) Water

While this may seem like an odd one, staying hydrated is just as important when it comes to immune function. While sick, you lose more fluids than normal, so it's important to drink water regularly to ensure your body can properly fight off infections.

28) Olive Oil

Not only does it make your food taste good, but olive oil also has anti-inflammatory properties. When your immune system responds to a virus, it causes an all-over inflammatory response while fighting off the virus.

When you consume anti-inflammatory food, the inflammatory response can be lessened, which means you see fewer symptoms of your cold!

29) Whole Grain Bread

Another anti-inflammatory food is whole grain bread. Besides being anti-inflammatory, whole grain bread also helps keep your gut healthy due to the fiber content.

30) Honey

Not only is it a natural sweetener, but honey is also antibacterial. That means it can support your immune system in fighting off viruses and germs when needed.