Supporting your immune system is key as winter approaches. The best way to do this is by eating a healthy diet that is rich in an immune system supporting foods. Eating foods rich in key vitamins and minerals will prevent you from picking up bugs or prevent you from becoming too sick. Here are a few foods to help support the immune system.

Tips to keep the bugs at bay and covid away Supporting your immune system is key as winter approaches. The best way to do this is by eating a healthy diet that is rich in an immune system supporting foods. Eating foods rich in key vitamins and minerals will prevent you from picking up bugs or prevent you from becoming too sick. Here are a few foods to help support the immune system. 

Garlic is a powerful and must-eat vegetable to include in your diet. With its antifungal and antibacterial properties, garlic helps keep gut bacteria healthy which is essential for immune health.

Garlic is high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties which can help protect against pathogens. Top tips: add garlic into cooking, soups, curries and stir-fries. Chop garlic and leave for a few minutes to help release allicin a compound that has great antimicrobial effects. Also, 70% of your immune cells reside in the gut so having a healthy gastrointestinal system is incredibly important. Ginger is another strong anti-inflammatory with antioxidant, antiviral and antibacterial properties. Ginger is great for stimulating digestive enzymes and great for motility. Supporting the digestive system will help support immune health. Top tip: add diced ginger to food or add to warm water. Mushrooms (especially shitake, oyster and reishi ) are great for supporting the immune system, boosting energy and reducing inflammation in the body. The beta-glucans help stimulate the immune system to work more efficiently and promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut. Medicinal mushrooms have been used for centuries for medicinal purposes Orange/ Red fruit / Vegetables – are rich in beta carotene: this is a red-orange pigment converted to vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is an anti-inflammatory vitamin, and it helps protect the mucous membranes that line the nose, sinuses and mouth. Your mucous membranes are a natural physical barrier against pathogens, preventing microorganisms (bacteria and viruses) from entering the body. Turmeric contains curcumin, a powerful compound with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that helps to protect immune cells from damage and block the action of inflammatory molecules. Turmeric can also help with autoimmune conditions like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Add Turmeric to fat to aid with absorption. E.g Turmeric to milk or to an omelette.