Getting sick during cold and flu season may seem inevitable. However, it’s possible to give your immune system a well-needed boost with a few easy adjustments to your diet. Here’s what you need to know about the link between what you eat and how well your body can fight off diseases.
How Eating The Right Food Helps Your Immune System
Researchers are still learning a lot about the link between nutrition and how it affects the body’s defenses. One thing that’s clear, however, is that eating well has a positive impact on the immune system.
While it’s normal for persons to grab a supplement during cold and flu season, that’s not usually enough. The immune system is a complex structure that includes the skin, respiratory system, digestive system, and an entire tracking network that targets pathogens.
That means the immune system is more likely to benefit from a regular infusion of nutrients than the occasional boost of vitamins and minerals. To get to the bottom of this phenomenon, scientists have identified that maintaining a healthy gut microbiome is key.
This microbiome consists of trillions of microorganisms whose activities directly influence a healthy immune response.
For example, certain microorganisms focus on breaking down the short-chain fatty acids that typically stimulate activity in immune cells.
By maintaining the right diet, you’ll encourage the growth of those beneficial microorganisms in the gut microbiome.
Key Foods for Flu To Include In Your Diet
The good thing about this list of foods is that many of them have multiple benefits or have the same effect on the immune system so you don’t have to worry about including every single one. Here are the foods you should be looking out for.
