8 Best Fruits to Boost Your Immune System

8 Best Fruits to Boost Your Immune System

Apples are not the only fruit that help to keep your doctor away. There are several other fruits that help to boost your immune system and prevent you from falling sick easily. These fruits are a rich source of vitamins, fiber, minerals and water that have been conveniently packaged in their sweet-tasting natural self.

Almost everyone love fruits, each with their own list of favorite fruits. However, you should know which of those fruits are best for your immune system. A good rule of thumb is to include lots of colorful fruits and vegetables in your meal to maintain a vitamin-rich diet.

1. Kiwis

Kiwis are rich in vitamin C and vitamin E. Vitamin C is considered to be an important immune-boosting nutrient while vitamin E helps to raise the body’s T-cell count. Thus, Kiwi helps to strengthen the immune system and protects your body from viral and bacterial infections.

Kiwis are common everywhere and is not expensive to eat. One can make a smoothie out of the sweet green fruit, and it goes well with strawberries and spinach. Make an interesting salad with the fruit to get an antioxidant-rich meal!

2. Blueberries

Blueberries are an antioxidant-rich berry, available whole year round. It is high in vitamin C and vitamin A and helps with antibodies production. Packed with Vitamins C and E, blueberries are a nutritional powerhouse. Try eating berries with yogurt for a great immunity-boosting food combination. You can have blueberries as sauces at a main meal, or add them to a salad to make it more appetizing and nutritious.

3. Papaya

This tropical fruit is rich in beta-carotene and vitamin A. Easy to eat, you can eat it sliced or top with fresh lime juice.

Apart from improving your immune system, papaya is also known to promote better heart health as well as preventing cancer. It is well known for its high nutritional and medicinal value. Research studies has shown that the phytonutrient compounds in papaya wok as an immune enhancing and strong antioxidant.

4. Strawberries

Strawberries are not only beautiful to look at, delicious to eat but also carry amazing health benefits. They are packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidant and are low in calories.

Known as a nutrient powerhouse, this popular berry is full of vitamin A and C and are excellent to boost immunity. Eat strawberries whole or use them as a topping for a salad.

5. Red or Pink Grapefruit

Grapefruit carries all the immune-boosting essentials as it is packed with vitamin C. The red and pink varieties are both packed with bioflavonoids and phytonutrients. These naturally-occurring compounds give an immunity boost to our bodies.

Grapefruits stand in high regard amongst citrus fruits and contains calcium, sugar and phosphorous. It is also a wonderful appetizer at proper meal settings.

6. Watermelon

Watermelon is a delicious summertime treat that is a must-have to keep cool in the heat. Like other fruits, this immune-boosting food is packed with vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.

This super food has a large concentration of lycopene that gives it the red color. It offers an array of health-building benefits and helps prevent infection as well as reduces respiratory inflammation.

Make sure to include watermelon as part of your healthy fruit diet to keep your immunity strong.

7. Oranges And Lemons

 Oranges and lemons are known to be one of the best cold fighters and immunity builders. Because of their rich vitamin-C content, the citrus fruits are usually the first recommendations for curing cold and flu.

However, there is a lot more to orange and lemons. A recent study has found that these citrus fruits carry flavonoid compounds such as quercetin, hesperidin, rutin, apigenin and tangerine that are known to target immune malfunctions such as cancer development and excessive inflammation.

8. Purple Grapes

Purple grapes are full of anthocyanin which acts as powerful antioxidants for our bodies. Studies have shown that regular consumption of grape juice increases the antioxidant levels of immune cells in the intestines and lungs. Experiments showed that gamma delta T cells in the intestines and lungs act as a first line of protection against certain pathogens.

Apart from having these fruits to boost your immune system, your diet and lifestyle plays a significant role in boosting your immune system too. Besides eating well, you will also need to get quality sleep and exercise regularly to stay healthy.

It is sad to learn that most of us do not eat enough of fresh fruits and vegetables to keep ourselves healthy. These fruits are cheap, readily available at any grocery store and are packed with vitamins and other nutrients to keep the immune system strong.

The immune system is a system that needs balance and harmony to function optimally. While the intricacies of the immune response may still not be properly understood by researchers, there are strong links that prove the positive correlation between a healthy diet, exercise, lifestyle and the immune system. Therefore, do remember to add the above-listed fruits to your daily diet!