Choose Frozen When You Can’T Get Fresh
“Manufacturers freeze frozen fruits and veggies at ‘peak’ ripeness, which means they’ll pack a similar nutritional value as their fresh counterparts,” she says. “Just choose plain frozen foods rather than those with added sugars or sodium.”.
#1. Vitamin C
Strengthening your immune system is vital to protecting your body from infection.
Research has found supplementing with certain minerals, vitamins and herbs may be beneficial in supporting our immune system and promoting longevity. See below the Top 10 Immune-Boosting Herbs and Supplements:
#1. Vitamin C
Vitamin C (or its chemical form L-ascorbic acid) is known for its potent antioxidant and antiviral effects.
It can be found in many foods including sweet potato, peppers, kale, broccoli, and citrus fruits, berries and more. Several studies have found that consuming Vitamin C may activate an immune response against certain flu viruses. Research has shown that supplementing with L-ascorbic acid can enhance the immune response to pathogens by up-regulating the activity of natural killer (NK) cells and of T lymphocytes – immune cells that kill non-specific pathogens (NK) and specific antigens (T-cells) as well as produce immunological memory.
Increasing the activity of these immune cells ensures the body is equipped to fight off a wide range of pathogenic microbes. [1]
Moreover, Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant. By boosting Vitamin C uptake through food or Ascorbic acid supplements, Vitamin C is found to decrease oxidative damage, promoting health and lowering the risk of certain conditions.
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How To Best Support Your Immune System
Whilst there is not much we can do about our genes, the one thing we can do to support the immune system is to control our diets. There are certain vitamins and minerals that help the immune system function normally, so making sure that we keep them topped up is key.