Research shows many vitamins, minerals, and nutrients found in food can support and strengthen immune function, including vitamins A, C, and E; selenium; zinc; magnesium; omega-3s; and probiotics. Below, you’ll find some of these nutrients, foods you can find them in, and tips on how to incorporate them into your daily food intake (it’s not as difficult as you may think).
Foods and Nutrients for Healthy Immune Function
Oxidation, which equates to rusting of our cells, can cause free radicals, which may damage our cells.Dietary antioxidants like vitamins A, C, E, and selenium can assist our immune system. Vitamin A is an essential, fat-soluble antioxidant that plays an important role in our immunity. Foods high in vitamin A include beef liver, cod liver oil, salmon, pumpkins, spinach, sweet potatoes, carrots, and more. Try adding some of these into a main dish such as a soup, stir-fry, or salad.
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient and antioxidant that’s important for immune health. It can help speed the production of new cells, is key to the synthesis of hormones involved in adrenal gland functioning, and normalizes cortisol and ACTH (adrenocoricotropic hormone) during times of stress (the adrenals use up a large amount of vitamin C during times of increased stress).
Stress heavily impacts our immunity. Most foods that contain vitamin C also contain bioflavonoids – and they work as a team to boost our immune function. Foods containing vitamin C include citrus fruits, strawberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, bell peppers, and tomatoes. Incorporate these into a salad, or have a veggie omelet with fruit on the side. (Note: prolonged storage or cooking may reduce vitamin C content in foods.)
Vitamin E is another fat-soluble vitamin and antioxidant that’s important for our immune system. Try adding it into your diet with foods such as eggs, sunflower seeds, almonds, dark leafy greens, broccoli, avocados, squash, sweet potatoes, shrimp, olive oil, or wheat germ oil.
Selenium is a mineral with antioxidant properties that’s needed for proper thyroid and immune function. It’s found in the soil and occurs naturally in certain foods such as Brazil nuts, whole grains, seafood (oysters, wild-caught salmon, Yellowfin tuna), turkey, chicken, cooked mushrooms, eggs, and sunflower seeds. The nuts or seeds can easily be incorporated as a snack during the day.
Zinc is another mineral that’s crucial for the normal development and function of cells mediating immunity. We can get zinc through our diet by eating red meat, seafood, pork and poultry, almonds, baked beans, cashews, and cheese. Aim for 15-25 mg/day between food intake and supplementation. Keep in mind too much zinc can inhibit immune function.
Magnesium also greatly impacts our immunity. It regulates more than 325 enzymes in the body and helps activate vitamin D (a key player in our immune system), keeps adrenal stress hormones under control, and so much more. Seaweed, spinach, Swiss chard, some beans, nuts, seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame), and avocados are rich in magnesium. Incorporate these as a snack or into a salad.
Omega-3s, which contain EPA and DHA, support healthy immune function. Some of the best omega-3 food sources include wild-caught Alaskan salmon, sardines, tuna, and anchovies. If you are having trouble adding these foods into your diet, cod liver oil is a great choice of supplement that also provides vitamins A and D3.
Research shows 70 to 80% of our immune system is in our GI (gastrointestinal) tract. Sugary foods can throw off the balance of our beneficial bacteria to non-beneficial bacteria in our gut. Probiotics are microflora (beneficial bacteria) that assist the body build natural immunity. They work to keep homeostasis inside our intestines and modulate the immune system. Food sources containing beneficial bacteria are cultured foods like yogurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, tempeh, pickles, other pickled veggies, buttermilk, and some cheeses. Try adding a daily cup of high-quality yogurt into your routine or in a smoothie.
To support a healthy immune system and overall optimal health, add high-quality protein sources, healthy fats, and fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet. It’s also best for immunity to eat homemade meals instead of fast foods. Try to eat foods low in sugar and avoid alcohol.Â
