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It's our poor immunity, not bad weather, that keeps us getting infections all the time. How to strengthen the body's immune system? Start eating differently and the flu and runny nose will not have access to you! Here are the principles of an immune boosting diet.

It's true - our body is weakened in autumn and winter. Lack of adequate light, less exercise in the fresh air and monotonousdietmake theimmune system(immune) less at coping with viruses. To strengthen it, you need to provide it with the right amount of vitamins and minerals.

To boost your immunity, don't leave without breakfast

Those who forget it often develop upper respiratory tract infections. This is because the cells of the immune system only fight viruses and bacteria when they are fed regularly in the morning. Breakfast should be warming and filling. If you compose them well, you will start the day full of energy and at the same time you will feel light. It should not lack carbohydrates from cereal products as well as protein and calcium, i.e. milk and its products.

Eat, for example, a bowl of oatmeal and a cheese or egg sandwich. Choose wholemeal bread, crunchy with coarse flour is also good. And don't forget about fresh fruit or vegetable juice (it can be cardboard, no sugar!). Or eat some fruit. This way, your body will receive a dose of vitamins and minerals.

See the gallery of 12 photosImportant

Oatmeal is an excellent source of beta-glucan - a water-soluble fiber that has many beneficial properties. Beta-glucan slows down the process of sugar absorption, so it prevents obesity and type 2 diabetes, binds fatty acids and toxic substances and increases their excretion, prevents the multiplication of cancer cells. It has also been proven thatstrengthens the immune system, because it stimulates the phagocytes responsible for the absorption of bacteria, virusesthat attack the body to greater activity. For this reason, it is an ingredient in many immune-boosting supplements.

Bacterial- and virucidal elements

Zinc, selenium and ironincrease the number of antibodies and inhibit the reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms. Selenium and zinc can be found in manydietary supplements that increase immunity, but it is better to provide them with food - for better absorption they often need the company of other elements. For example, zinc must have copper to help, and in the right proportions. Excess zinc used in supplement form may result in a deficiency of copper, which is also responsible for the proper functioning of the immune system.

Therefore, eat fish, lean meat, legumes, sprouts, sunflower seeds, nuts, which are good sources of these elements. Since the absorption of iron is improved by vitamin C, sprinkle the meat with parsley and remember about the salad. And after your meal, drink a glass of orange or blackcurrant juice. However, you should give up after-dinner tea and coffee because they limit the absorption of iron.

Brazil nuts are the richest natural source of selenium. Do you know that it is enough to eat only one Brazil nut to meet the daily demand for this element - with a large supply -?

This will be useful to you

Recipe for instant porridge to boost immunity

Pour over half a bowl of oatmeal with boiling water and let it sit for a few minutes until the flakes are soaked. There should be enough water to absorb all the liquid - about 1 cm above the surface of the petals. Then add frozen fruit, e.g. raspberries, cherries, strawberries (you can slightly mix them with hot flakes - then they will defrost faster - or take them out of the freezer in advance), a few tablespoons of Greek or natural yoghurt (unsweetened) and sprinkle with chopped Brazil nuts and almond flakes. You can also sprinkle the porridge with a little liquid honey.

Vitamins for better immunity

The greatest power is hidden in colorful fruits and vegetables: red, green, yellow and orange. Why? Because they contain a lot of vitamins: A, C and group B, which stimulate the immune system and increase its effectiveness in the fight against microbes attacking the body. You will find vitamin A in peppers, tomatoes, cabbage, carrots, broccoli and apricots (also dried). Its rich sources are also dairy products and the liver.

Lots of vitamin C in: parsley, sauerkraut, spinach, broccoli, citrus, elderberry, rosehip, kiwi. Beans, sprouts, seeds and nuts will provide you with B vitamins. You can also find them in fish, dairy, poultry and beef. You can replace seasonal vegetables and fruits with frozen food in winter. Properly prepared, they have almost the same nutritional value as fresh. It is best to put them in boiling water and cook for a short time. Do not defrost them beforehand, and do not freeze them once defrosted. BrilliantThe source of vitamins is also frozen fruit, which you can add, for example, to hot porridge for breakfast.

We also cannot forget about vitamin D, which we are exposed to deficiency, especially in winter. To supplement it, let's eat fatty fish: herring, mackerel, salmon. If you do not like fish, try fish oil.

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Eat more often, but in moderation - you will strengthen your immunity

If you eat 4-5 times a day, approximately every three hours, your body - with the right amount of energy - will more easily fend off any attack of viruses. Some fruit or yoghurt is enough for lunch and afternoon tea. Dinner should also be light and not too rich, e.g. pasta with olive oil and herbs. But the dinner has to be decent. Choose a vegetable soup that does not make you fat, but warms you up and provides many vitamins. Eat a piece of lean meat or fish, with salad and groats or brown rice.

You must do it
  • Eat a sandwich with garlic for dinner or add it to hot milk and drink it before going to bed - you will mobilize the defense system to fight the disease. Allicin in garlic is antibacterial and kills many viruses that cause colds. To get rid of the garlic smell, eat an apple, chew on parsley, rinse your mouth with lemon juice.
  • Keep orange pieces, dried apricots, almonds and pumpkin seeds on hand. They will replace sweets and make you stronger.
  • Add parsley and watercress to salads, soups and sandwiches.
  • Sprinkle your food with wheat germ, sunflower seeds or linseed. They accelerate the production of cytokines - molecules that mobilize the immune system to work better.
  • Drink 2 liters of fluid a day to moisturize the mucous membranes. Air overheated by radiators dries the mucosa of the nose and throat, and then it becomes susceptible to bacterial infections.
  • Eat yogurt every day. It contains good bacteria that mobilize defense cells in the digestive tract to work. Thus, they increase the amount of antibodies that fight viruses.

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Immune system