Seven food items that boost and improve your immune system

LAHORE - Feeding your body certain foods may help keep your immune system strong. If you're looking for ways to prevent severe flu and even coronavirus, your first step should be to maintain a healthy immune system for fighting the pandemic.

Plan your meals to include these 7 powerful immune system boosters.

1. Bell pepper: The red bell peppers contain twice as much vitamin C as citrus. They’re also a rich source of beta carotene. Besides boosting your immune system, vitamin C may help maintain healthy skin. Beta carotene helps keep your eyes and skin healthy.    

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2. Broccoli: This vegetable is supercharged with vitamins and minerals. Packed with vitamins A, C, and E, as well as many other antioxidants and fibre, broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables you can put on your table.

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3. Garlic: Garlic is found in almost every cuisine in the world. It adds a little zing to food and it's a must-have for your health. Early civilizations recognized its value in fighting infections.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative HealthTrusted Source, garlic may also help lower blood pressure and slow down hardening of the arteries.

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4. Ginger: Ginger is another ingredient many turns to after getting sick. Ginger may help decrease inflammation, which can help reduce a sore throat and other inflammatory illnesses. Ginger may also help decrease nausea.

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5. Yoghurt: Look for yoghurts that have "live and active cultures" printed on the label, like Greek yoghurt. These cultures may stimulate your immune system to help fight diseases. 

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6. Citrus fruits: Most people turn to vitamin C after they've caught a cold. That’s because it helps build up your immune system. Vitamin C is thought to increase the production of white blood cells. These are key to fighting infections. 

Popular citrus fruits include grapefruit, oranges, tangerines, lemons, limes.

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7. Papaya: Papaya is another fruit loaded with vitamin C. You can find 224 per cent of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C in a single papaya. Papayas also have a digestive enzyme called papain that has anti-inflammatory effects.

Papayas have decent amounts of potassium, B vitamins, and folate, all of which are beneficial to your overall health.

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Variety is the key to proper nutrition. Eating just one of these foods won’t be enough to help fight off the flu, even if you eat it constantly. Pay attention to serving sizes and recommended daily intake so that you don’t get too much of a single vitamin and too little of others.

Stay fit and healthy with these nutritious food items.