5 Best Foods to Boost Your Immune System

I will introduce 5 of the best ways to improve your immune system through food. Immunity refers to the body's ability to resist pathogens that enter from the outside, and if your immunity is weak, your risk of getting sick increases. This time, I will introduce 5 of the best foods that boost your immune system.

Foods that Boost Immunity

Recently, the importance of immunity has increased due to various viruses and contaminated air. Experts say that the food we eat and drink every day is the most important factor in boosting our immunity. So today, I will introduce 5 of the best foods that will significantly strengthen your immunity, the power that protects our health.

1. Green Tea

First is green tea. Green tea exhibits excellent antiviral properties against various pathogenic microorganisms as well as the influenza virus, a major cause of respiratory diseases. This is due to L-theanine, a type of amino acid abundant in green tea, and catechin, a bioactive compound.

According to a study by Harvard University in the United States, those who drank 5 cups of green tea every day for 2 weeks had 10 times stronger ability to overcome viruses than those who drank just hot water. I hope you can improve your immunity and maintain your health with refreshing green tea instead of coffee.

2. Garlic

Second is garlic. Garlic is one of the best natural foods for boosting immunity. The abundant selenium, magnesium, and vitamins in garlic greatly help improve the body's immune system. In particular, allicin, the component that gives garlic its pungent taste, eliminates various viruses and bacteria, strengthening the body's immune system. It also helps eliminate harmful heavy metals in the body and promotes insulin secretion, making it highly effective in preventing diabetes, so it's good to consume it regularly.

3. Mushrooms

Third is mushrooms. According to Donguibogam (a Korean medical book), mushrooms invigorate the body and strengthen the stomach. The beta-glucan contained in mushrooms enhances immunity and has antiviral effects, making it effective against colds and various infectious viral diseases. According to a study by Comenius University in Slovakia, the beta-glucan component of mushrooms reduced the frequency of recurrent respiratory infections in patients.

In particular, maitake mushrooms contain 7 times more vitamin C than oyster mushrooms and 10 times more than enoki mushrooms, and they contain more minerals than other mushrooms, so please keep this in mind.

4. Turmeric

Fourth is turmeric. Turmeric's abundant curcumin content is known to be effective in improving immunity, as well as having anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. According to EurekAlert!, a US scientific journal website, turmeric's curcumin increases the levels of immune system proteins, which greatly helps fight harmful bacteria and viruses in our bodies.

Also, according to a study by the University of South Carolina, turmeric exhibited the most outstanding effect on improving inflammation among 45 foods containing anti-inflammatory ingredients. I hope you can benefit from the regular consumption of turmeric in terms of immunity, anti-cancer, anti-inflammation, and dementia prevention.

5. Barley and Brown Rice

Fifth are barley and brown rice. Barley and brown rice are rich in beta-glucan. In addition, they contain 10 times more dietary fiber, iron, and magnesium than white rice. Beta-glucan is a type of fiber with antibacterial and anti-aging functions. When ingested, it not only enhances immunity but also improves healing and recovery power and enhances antibiotic function. Eating at least one meal a day with barley and brown rice will greatly help improve your immunity.

In Conclusion

We've learned about the 5 best foods to boost our immune system. As with all foods, it is also important to find and eat foods that suit your constitution and health condition.