One of the best ways to keep your immune system strong and
prevent colds and flu is to shop your supermarket’s produce aisle.
Experts say a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can help you
ward off infections like colds and flu. That’s because these super foods
contain immune-boosting antioxidants.
What are antioxidants? They are vitamins, minerals, and other
nutrients that protect and repair cells from damage caused by free radicals.
Many experts believe this damage plays a part in a number of chronic diseases,
including hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), cancer, and arthritis.
Free radicals can also interfere with your immune system. So, fighting off
damage with antioxidants helps keep your immune system strong, making you
better able to ward off colds, flu, and other infections.
Antioxidants for
Immunity: Where to Find Them
Adding more fruit and vegetables of any kind to your diet
will improve your health. But some foods are higher in antioxidants than
others. The three major antioxidant vitamins are beta-carotene, vitamin C, and
vitamin E. You’ll find them in colourful fruits and vegetables – especially
those with purple, blue, red, orange, and yellow hues. To get the biggest
benefits of antioxidants, eat these foods raw or lightly steamed; don’t
overcook or boil.
Beta-carotene and other carotenoids: Apricots, asparagus,
beets, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, corn, green peppers, kale, mangoes,
turnip and collard greens, nectarines, peaches, pink grapefruit, pumpkin,
squash, spinach, sweet potato, tangerines, tomatoes, and watermelon.
Vitamin C: Berries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cantaloupe,
cauliflower, grapefruit, honeydew, kale, kiwi, mangoes, nectarines, orange,
papaya, red, green or yellow peppers, snow peas, sweet potato, strawberries,
and tomatoes.
Vitamin E: Broccoli, carrots, chard, mustard and turnip
greens, mangoes, nuts, papaya, pumpkin, red peppers, spinach, and sunflower
seeds.
Other super foods that
are rich in antioxidants include:
Prunes
Apples
Raisins
All berries
Plums
Red grapes
Alfalfa sprouts
Onions
Eggplant
Beans
Vitamins are not the
only antioxidants in food. Other antioxidants that may help boost immunity
include:
Zinc: Found in oysters, red meat, poultry, beans, nuts,
seafood, whole grains, fortified cereals, and dairy products.
Selenium: Found in Brazil nuts, tuna, beef, poultry and
fortified breads, and other grain products.
Antioxidant Super
Foods: How Much Do You Need?
For optimal health and immune functioning, you should eat the
recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of the antioxidant vitamins and minerals.
That’s the amount of a vitamin or nutrient that you need to stay healthy and
avoid a deficiency.
Here are the RDAs for
some antioxidants:
Zinc: 11 milligrams for men, 8 milligrams for women; if you
are a strict vegetarian, you may require as much as 50% more dietary zinc.
That’s because your body absorbs less zinc when you have a diet rich in
plant-based foods.
Selenium: 55 micrograms for men or women.
Beta-carotene: There is no RDA for beta-carotene. But the
Institute of Medicine says that if you get 3 to 6 milligrams of beta-carotene
daily, your body will have the levels that may lower risk of chronic diseases.
Vitamin C: 90 milligrams for men, 75 milligrams for women;
smokers should get extra vitamin C: 125 milligrams for men and 110 milligrams
for women.
Vitamin E: 15 milligrams for men and women.
How Foods Boost
Immunity
Can’t you get antioxidants from taking a vitamin or a
supplement? Yes, but you may be missing out on other nutrients that could
strengthen the immune system. Foods contain many different nutrients that work
together to promote health. For example, researchers delving into the mysteries
of fruits and vegetables and the complex antioxidants they contain have
discovered benefits of:
Quercetin: a plant-based chemical
(phytochemical) found in apples, onions, teas, red wines, and other foods; it
fights inflammation and may help reduce allergies.
Luteolin: a flavonoid found in abundance in
celery and green peppers; it also fights inflammation, and one study showed it
may help protect against inflammatory brain conditions like Alzheimer’s.
Catechins: a type of flavonoid found in tea;
catechins in tea may help reduce risk of heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s
disease.
.
If you can’t get enough antioxidants in your diet by eating
fresh produce, some experts recommend taking a multivitamin that contains
minerals, too. But be cautious about taking individual immune system
supplements to boost immunity. With antioxidants, as with most anything,
moderation is key. Vitamins A and E, for example, are stored in the body and
eliminated slowly. Getting too much can be toxic.
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