The 5 best superfoods to boost your immune system

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They say you are what you eat, so if you want to avoid getting struck down by the lurgy this winter, you should stock up on foods proven to boost your immune system. If you’re feeling sick, it can be easy to opt for convenience foods to make you feel better, often items high in sugar, but you should instead choose healthy superfoods. Here are five of the best superfoods for your immune system.

1 – Citrus fruits

Eating oranges is often recommended when you’re feeling under the weather and with good reason.

Citrus fruits are high in vitamin C, which is known for boosting your white blood cell count and therefore helping your body fight off infections and illnesses.

Oranges, grapefruits, clementines and tangerines are all delicious foods for boosting your immune system.

2 – Broccoli

This green vegetable is such a superfood it should be flying around with a cape.

Broccoli is full of vitamins A, C and E, and is packed with fibre and antioxidants too.

To get the most out of your broccoli, you should try not to over-cook it.

Steam it or boil it very briefly, or even better, eat it raw – just make sure you wash it thoroughly first.

3 – Garlic

Since ancient civilisations, people have been using garlic for its medicinal and antibacterial properties.

Garlic contains many sulfur compounds, including one active ingredient called allicin, which is what gives garlic its pungent smell.

As having a cold can also dull your sense of taste, adding strong flavours like garlic and spices to your meals can improve your mealtimes.

Plus, if you’re ill already, you probably won’t have to worry about anyone coming close to you – so you can go heavy on the garlic and chuck in an extra clove or two.

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4 – Ginger

Another strong-tasting spice bound to tickle your tastebuds, ginger is a delicious addition to soups, curries and stir-fries.

You can even brew fresh ginger in hot water to make a ginger tea, brilliant for soothing a sore throat.

Ginger is also often recommended as a cure for nausea and can be used to treat travel or morning sickness.

Gingerol is the active compound in ginger giving it the distinctive taste and smell, and this is where the anti-inflammatory medicinal properties come from.

5 – Chicken

A cup of chicken soup is usually offered to someone when they’re feeling poorly.

It’s not just the warm soup making you feel better, the chicken is a good source of vitamin B6.

Vitamin B6 is vital for your body to build new red blood cells.

Chicken is also an anti-inflammatory source of protein, which will have you feeling on the mend.

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