Immune Boosting Nutrition
Keeping our immune systems healthy is important for our everyday wellness. When we feel well, we’re more likely to be active, social, and able to do the things we need and love. Our nutrition plays a key role in general health, recovery, and in lowering inflammation. Learn how certain foods, vitamins, minerals, herbs, and spices can support our immune systems and complement other healthy lifestyle behaviors.
Important Education Takeaways
Focus on minimizing highly processed foods. These are associated with increased levels of inflammation due to their high content of added sugars, refined carbohydrates, excessive sodium, preservatives, and other low-quality ingredients.
Instead choose mostly fresh foods and meals prepared at home.
This Sheet Pan Dinner is a great example a versatile meal to make any night of the week or try making your own Tofu Crumble Street Tacos with homemade Taco Truck Salsa Verde.
Eat a diet that is rich in fiber. Incorporate lots of plant-foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds.
Many of the fibers found in vegetables act to feed the good bugs residing in your gut. These desirable gut bugs send signals to your body’s immune system to keep inflammation at bay. Consuming a variety of these foods will not only ensure adequate fiber intake, but also optimize your intake of many vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and flavonoids. All of which work to keep your gut and whole body functioning smoothly and feeling its’ best.
To learn about building a healthy, fiber filled grocery cart watch this video.
Switch things up and add variety in what you eat. Remember to include more immune-boosting superfoods like those found below.
Leafy greens: Spinach, kale, arugula, collard greens, Swiss chard, and broccoli are especially high in antioxidants. Other veggies like celery and carrots are rich in flavonoid apigenin, which also possess anti-inflammatory properties.
Leafy greens: Spinach, kale, arugula, collard greens, Swiss chard, and broccoli are especially high in antioxidants. Other veggies like celery and carrots are rich in flavonoid apigenin, which also possess anti-inflammatory properties.
Colorful fruits: Berries, especially blueberries and cherries are great sources of fiber as well as inflammation busting flavonoids. Citrus fruits such as oranges, tangerines, and grapefruit contain high amounts of vitamin C, which is a potent antioxidant. Lycopene, a cancer-fighting, blood pressure lowering carotenoid, is found in tomatoes and other red, pink, and orange fruits such as pink grapefruits, watermelons, apricots, and pink guavas. So whatever fruits you choose, remember to eat the rainbow, and eat in season whenever you can.
Legumes, nuts, and seeds: Beans, lentils, and soy-based foods are power-houses when it comes to their anti-inflammatory fiber content. They also offer valuable vitamins and minerals such as folate and magnesium that can help boost our immune systems. Nuts and seeds, especially pumpkin seeds, offer high amounts of zinc, which works to fight off germs and support wound healing.
Herbs & spices: Many herbs and spices have potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Turmeric is high in a polyphenol called curcumin that is a strong anti-inflammatory compound which may help benefit inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and cardiovascular disease. Other spices like oregano and its’ strong antioxidant qualities, may help to reduce inflammation and possibly fight off cancers. Thyme, known for its’ anti-bacterial properties, may help reduce infection and illness. Allicin, an active compound found in garlic, is thought to aid in the management of blood pressure. Cinnamon contains cinnamaldehyde, which may play a role blood sugar regulation. Beyond adding great flavor to your dishes, many herbs and spices come with added health benefits!
Fermented foods: Foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, and kombucha are rich sources of pre- and pro-biotics. These foods work to keep our gut microbiota balanced and thriving, which we think is likely to play a huge role in our overall health!
Healthy fats: Salmon, tuna, eggs, walnuts, flax and chia seeds are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids which offer anti-inflammatory benefits and may support heart health.
Coffee & tea: Black coffee, green, or black teas have known antioxidant compounds that may help protect cells from oxidative damage. These have been linked to reduced cardiovascular and cancer risk. Just be sure to choose those with minimal to no added sugars.
Chronic inflammation is associated with increased risk for many healthy conditions. When it comes to preventing or managing many acute or chronic illnesses — cardiovascular disease, cancer, arthritis, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, obesity — certain foods can help with inflammation.
The vitamins, minerals, and flavonoids found in foods can help strengthen our body's immune systems. Many of these "super foods" provide powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits that protect our bodies from damage and stressors that can cause many acute illnesses and chronic diseases.
Your immune system is affected by more than what you eat. Beyond the foods you eat, remember to stay hydrated, move your body, manage your stress levels, and get adequate sleep.
Learn about the impacts of stress and exercise on your heart in these videos.
In our April 2024 Ask the RD post, we discuss the importance of getting enough sleep for maintaining a healthy weight and overall health.
Recipes
Recipe of the month: Immune Boosting Ramen
As always, this recipe is the showcase of our live taught, virtual cooking class. Our chef and registered dietitian bring the recipe to life as they walk you through food prep, swaps to meet dietary or taste preferences, plus tips and tools to support you being your own healthy chef at home.
Bonus recipe: Chicken & Rice Super Soup
From Jamie’s kitchen to yours, our monthly bonus recipes are published on our website and social media the 4th Wednesday of each month. We invite you to browse our recipe collection and come back often to find more flavorful and heart-healthy recipes.
We invite you to join us for the live taught, virtual nutrition classes each month to gather more information on our nutrition topics. This is also an opportunity to ask topic-related questions of our experts as well as connect socially with attendees for idea sharing. As a registered participant for our In the Kitchen program, you receive a few reminders ahead of each scheduled monthly classes, but here’s an easy to remember schedule: Nutrition Education (30-minutes, 2nd Wednesday, 12pm), Cooking Class (up to 60-minutes, 3rd Monday, 12pm).
Contributing author: Jamie Libera, RD, LD, CCTD, registered dietitian, Providence.