6 Superfoods to Supercharge Your Immunity: Nature’s Protection

September 3, 2024

In relation to holding your immune system in peak situation, particularly throughout these back-to-school months when flu season is lurking, the meals you select could make all of the distinction.

Think about harnessing the facility of nature to guard your self and your family members from the wave of seasonal bugs. It is not nearly including extra greens to your plate; it is about choosing the suitable superfoods that work in synergy to supercharge your immune defenses.

On this article, you will uncover six potent, nutrient-dense meals (you could simply discover at your native farmer’s market, grocery retailer, or on-line well being store) that I’ve handpicked for his or her immunity-boosting properties. These aren’t simply any superfoods—they’re tailor-made to provide your physique the most effective shot at warding off the same old suspects, from the widespread chilly to the extra cussed viruses that appear to make the rounds this time of yr.

Think about this your private information to constructing an invisible defend towards sickness. The easy, budget-friendly elements you’ll dive into are full of nutritional vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants designed to bolster your immune system, guaranteeing that you just and your loved ones keep wholesome and resilient. Whether or not you are packing lunches or planning your meals, these meals will play a key function in holding everybody in your family feeling their finest.

So, in the event you’re able to take management of your well being and arm your physique with the last word protection towards seasonal illness, learn on. That is greater than only a checklist—it is a strategic method to vitamin that prioritizes your well-being, serving to you keep forward of regardless of the season throws your approach.

Ben Greenfield’s 6 *Sport-Altering* Meals, Vegetation, & Herbs to Increase Your Immunity This Flu Season

1. Thieves Oil 

An outdated story from the fourteenth century recounts how, amid the bubonic plague ravaging Europe and Asia, 4 thieves gained infamy for looting the possessions of plague victims.

Remarkably, regardless of their fixed publicity to the extremely infectious illness, the thieves by no means contracted the plague.

In response to lore, after they had been caught and charged, the court docket Justice of the Peace supplied them a deal: in trade for a decreased sentence, they might share their secret to immunity from the plague. The thieves took the deal and advised of a mix of medicinal herbs they consumed each day, particularly cloves, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus, and rosemary (you can pick most of these ingredients up at Thrive Market). A whole bunch of years later, this mix of fragrant herbs was confirmed to be a potent approach to kill airborne micro organism, improve the exercise of white blood cells, and enhance lymph fluid circulation.

How you can Make Your Personal Thieves Oil

Whether or not or not the story is true, the “4 thieves” treatment was developed into an natural formulation in Europe between 1413 and 1722. A number of variations of this formulation have been handed down by way of the years. Thomas Jefferson is alleged to have fancied a model that consisted of vinegar spiked with lavender, rosemary, sage, wormwood, rue, mint, and garlic to maintain his presidential physique infection-free. In distinction, the Scientific American Cyclopedia of Preparations offers this components:

• 4 oz dried rosemary tops
• 4 oz dried sage
• 2 oz dried lavender
• 5 oz contemporary rue
• 1 oz camphor dissolved in vinegar
• ¼ oz sliced garlic
• 1 oz bruised cloves
• 1 gallon of strongly distilled wine vinegar

To make a batch of immunity-boosting thieves oil, you will must:

1. Digest your concoction: Permit your combination to take a seat and mix collectively for 7 or 8 days.
2. Often agitate it: Periodically shake or stir the combination to totally mix all elements.
3. Pour off liquor: After the infusion interval, separate the liquid a part of the combination from any strong residue.
4. Press out the rest: Extract the remaining liquid from the strong elements that had been left behind after pouring off the preliminary liquid. This may contain urgent or squeezing.
5. Filter the blended liquids: Lastly, filter the mixed liquid to take away any remaining strong particles and to make sure a transparent, purified closing product.

For extra data on contemporary superfoods and tinctures that battle sicknesses and enhance your immunity, I like to recommend trying out my podcasts with the founding father of Kauai Farmacy, Doug Wolkon, which yow will discover here, here, and here.

2. Elderberry

One of many highlights of my yr is when the outdated elderberry tree within the forest behind our home comes into full manufacturing and creates oodles of elderberries, which my spouse collects, ferments, and turns right into a darkish, dense, immune-boosting elderberry wine.

Elderberry teas, tinctures, and dietary supplements are all glorious choices to have readily available in your medicinal pantry.

The Well being Advantages of Elderberry

The anthocyanins in elderberries have been proven to have potent immunostimulant results. In truth, a 2016 study confirmed that elderberry supplementation can vastly cut back the period and signs of colds in air vacationers. Another study discovered that when the elderberry extract is used inside the first forty-eight hours of the onset of flu signs, it shortens the period of signs by a mean of 4 days.

Due to its candy, tart, and refreshing style, elderberry juice is a superb different to elderberry wine, particularly in the event you don’t have time to make the wine. Good manufacturers embody River Hills, Biotta, Biona, and Wyldewood Cellars—all of which have a tart and tannic taste, with a light sweetness.

An elderberry tincture is one other good possibility. There’s a DIY elderberry tincture recipe in my guide Boundless Kitchen. Efficient doses of elderberry extract vary from 600 to 900mg per day.

*As a phrase of warning, the elderberry plant is POISONOUS apart from the berries, so must you select to organize an elderberry remedy your self, be sure you use solely the berries and to organize them correctly by way of a course of comparable to fermentation.

3. Bone Broth

There’s a purpose why native peoples have been consuming bone broths for thousands of years, why your grandmother’s hen soup at all times appeared to remedy what ailed you, and why there’s a South American proverb that claims “bone broth raises the lifeless.”

Whether or not bone broth is as magical a therapeutic help as it’s touted to be stays to be confirmed by sturdy analysis, however nonetheless, there are quite a few well being advantages to easily consuming liquid that has been simmering with the marrow and joint bones of beef, hen, lamb, and even fish for 24 to forty-eight hours.

The Dietary Advantages of Bone Broth

Bone broth contains substances that are vital to the innate immune system, such because the amino acids arginine (which is essential for the immune system and liver operate), glutamine (which assists with mobile metabolism), and glycine (which aids in glutathione manufacturing and improves sleep high quality). The marrow in bone broth incorporates lipids known as alkylglycerols which can be essential for the manufacturing of white blood cells. These identical alkylglycerols also appear in colostrum and have been proven to regulate the expansion of most cancers cells. According to research by Dr. Matthias Rath, the collagen in bone broth may additionally stop most cancers tumor metastasis, and the gelatin in bone broth is useful for autoimmune ailments associated to a leaky intestine. The glycosaminoglycans found in bone broth can equally assist restore a wholesome intestinal lining, whereas the chondroitin sulfate in bone broth has each anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory results.

Proceed with warning if you buy packaged bone broth, as not all bone broth is created equal. Nearly each firm promoting bone broth on-line—even those utilizing grass-fed and natural elements—is freezing their broth and delivery it with numerous dry ice and dangerous Styrofoam containers.

Moreover, many broths do not even checklist bones on the elements label. If bones aren’t talked about, the broth doubtless will not include very important vitamins from bone marrow, comparable to collagen, immune-boosting alkylglycerols, or omega-3 important fatty acids. For optimum high quality, choose broths made with high-quality bones from beef, hen, or fish, ideally sourced from natural, pasture-raised, or wild-caught animals.

Making Bone Broth at House

It’s easy to make your individual bone broth:

• Simply place the bones left over from hen, turkey, beef marrow bones, oxtails, beef ft, or beef neck bones (many of those odd cuts can be found for an excellent deal out of your native butcher) in a stockpot or gradual cooker and canopy them with water.
• Add a splash of apple cider vinegar to assist extract minerals from the bones.
• Optionally, embody aromatics like onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and herbs for added taste.
• Deliver the combination to a boil, then cut back the warmth to a simmer and let it prepare dinner for a minimum of 12 to 24 hours, and even longer for richer taste and elevated nutrient extraction.
• Skim off any foam or impurities that rise to the floor throughout cooking.
• As soon as accomplished, pressure the broth to take away the solids, then let it cool earlier than storing it within the fridge or freezer.

Advisable Bone Broth Manufacturers and Recipes

Though it’s finest to make your individual bone broth at house, one good, shelf-stable, done-for-you model is Kettle & Fire. They keep strict requirements to ship bone broth produced from the bones of cattle which can be humanely raised with out antibiotics or hormones and are

100% grass-fed and grass-finished.

For a nourishing morning breakfast, you possibly can experiment with Dr. Thomas Cowan’s therapeutic broth recipe. The next is customized

from his glorious guide Cancer and the New Biology of Water:

• Warmth a beneficiant quantity of grass-fed ghee in a saucepan over medium warmth, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons of turmeric powder and stir till it dissolves.
• Add 3 to 7 greens of alternative (the sprouting mixes from The Sprouting Company are my favorites, particularly the high-protein combine) and/or a mix of vegetable powders and sauté till the greens are tender.
• Subsequent, add 1 to 2 cups of bone broth. Flip the warmth all the way down to low and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, then stir in a beneficiant portion of powdered vegetable extract.
• Lastly, ladle the broth right into a bowl and add 1 tablespoon every of naturally fermented miso and natto.

For this recipe, I like to recommend a vegetable powder mix like ashitaba, burdock, low-oxalate greens, or the savory Threefold Blend of powdered vegetable extracts from Dr. Cowan’s website.

Concerns for Histamine Sensitivities

Lastly, be aware that these with histamine sensitivities or mast cell issues could must proceed with warning on the subject of bone broth and fermented meals—pay shut consideration to any signs you expertise after consuming them.

4. Fermented Meals

For those who open my fridge, you will note that your entire prime shelf is chock-full of mason jars full of fermented greens—from sauerkraut to pickles to kimchi and past—together with homemade coconut yogurt, water kefir, dairy kefir, natto, miso, and loads of different enjoyable fermentation merchandise.

My lunchtime salad and aspect dish at dinner usually embody a heaping tablespoon of those ferments, comparable to sauerkraut or kimchi, a dollop of yogurt, a fermented pickle, a teaspoon of miso, or a glass of my spouse’s homemade kombucha or kefir.

Once I started incorporating a lot of these fermented meals and probiotics into my weight-reduction plan, my frequent seasonal colds dwindled (I used to be getting sick every year reasonably than as soon as a month!). By supporting my intestine micro organism, I used to be drastically enhancing my immune system.

The Energy of Probiotics and Intestine Well being Assist

It’s estimated that three-quarters of your immune system resides in your intestine. Certainly, immunity begins with the micro organism in your digestive tract, as these creatures play very important roles in nutrient absorption, mucosal barrier operate, help of intestine lymphoid tissue, and immune operate.

For instance, take lactic acid micro organism, also called Lactobacillus paracasei, which is present in naturally fermented meals like sauerkraut and yogurt. It produces the enzyme lactocepin, which is ready to destroy immune system messengers known as chemokines. In a wholesome intestine, chemokines information white blood cells to an an infection, however in people with inflammatory bowel illness, they’ll exacerbate an autoimmune response. Consuming sources of lactic acid micro organism can thus cut back autoimmune signs.

One other pressure of micro organism, the probiotic Bifidobacteria, secretes gamma-aminobutyric acid. Macrophages, that are immune cells that engulf micro organism and virus-infested cells, include butyric acid receptors that, when activated by the acid, can cut back the manufacturing of inflammatory compounds. The cell walls of Bifidobacteria also contain a dipeptide that prompts the synthesis of lymphocytes, that are immune cells that produce antibodies and are answerable for acquired immunity. Scientists have additionally examined the effect of kefir, which is probiotic-rich fermented milk, on the immune techniques of rats. The rats got kefir each day for twenty-eight days after which injected with a cholera toxin. The rats that had been eating a daily dose of kefir exhibited significantly higher antibodies to the toxin than the management group.

Methods for Restoring and Defending Intestine Biodiversity

To get extra particulars on supporting pure, wholesome intestine flora, I like to recommend combining a excessive consumption of all kinds of fermented meals with each day use of gut-nourishing compounds like colostrum, L-glutamine, or the supplement ION* (you need to use code BEN15 to avoid wasting 15% off your first order).

Over the past sixty years, there was a gentle lack of biodiversity within the intestine membrane’s bacterial ecosystem, and a big a part of this is because of manufacturing unit farming, processed meals, and widespread antibiotic use. This lack of biodiversity has left our intestine membrane partitions weak. However probably the most potent of the widespread causes of harm to the intestine wall in our weight-reduction plan is glyphosate—an ingredient in weed killers—as a result of it triggers the activation of a protein called zonulin. Zonulin is produced within the intestine, the place it opens the tight junctions between cells in the intestinal lining, then circulates systemically and might open the blood-brain barrier, kidney tubule techniques, and blood vessel partitions.

ION* is a liquid complement that delivers bacterial metabolites to advertise a wholesome firewall of tight junctions within the intestine wall and blood-brain barrier and quickly will increase the manufacturing of the enzymes that break down zonulin. Though I at all times purchase natural, due to the widespread prevalence of glyphosate toxins even in natural meals, I take ION* a number of instances per day. 

5. Mushrooms

Mushrooms are a nutritional powerhouse, offering B nutritional vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, antioxidants, beta-glucans, and different bioactive molecules that battle dangerous micro organism, viruses, and toxins.

Many mushrooms are additionally immunomodulators that stimulate the immune system’s defense mechanisms.

The Advantages of Shiitake Mushrooms

For instance, one study found that each day consumption of 5 to 10g of shiitake mushrooms for 4 weeks considerably improved immunity and lowered irritation. Shiitake mushrooms also exert antitumor activity and, when used together with chemotherapy, have been proven to extend survival time, restore immunological parameters, and enhance high quality of life. The American School of Diet has discovered that shiitake mushrooms can improve the effectivity of the immune system, enhance intestine immunity, and reduce irritation, and lab exams on human cell strains present that shiitake mushrooms can stop malignant tumor development by signaling tumor cells to burst in a course of known as apoptosis. Lastly, shiitake mushrooms have potent antimicrobial properties, making them efficient pure antibiotics. Amazingly, one study confirmed that shiitake solely killed disease-causing microbes, leaving helpful micro organism unhurt (in distinction, prescription antibiotics kill off each helpful and dangerous micro organism in your physique).

Immunomodulating Properties of Maitake and Cordyceps Mushrooms

Maitake mushrooms are also powerful immunomodulators that stimulate the immune system’s protection response by way of enhanced cytokine manufacturing, phagocytosis, and NK cell exercise. Cordyceps, which is a fungus that lives on sure caterpillars within the excessive mountain areas of China, additionally displays potent antitumor results and immunomodulating results. Studies have shown that cordyceps can assist enhance the physique’s innate immune operate, and it’s so efficient in modulating immunity (which includes each enhancing an immune response to an invader or tumor and lowering an immune overreaction like bronchial asthma) that it has even shown benefits in research on individuals with extreme bronchial asthma. Evidence also suggests that cordyceps can assist autoimmune points and reduce the variety of dangerous micro organism within the intestine.

The Immune-Boosting Energy of Turkey Tail Mushrooms

The turkey tail mushroom contains bioactive compounds called beta-glucans, which may stimulate the immune system by enhancing macrophage and pure killer cell operate. Studies also suggest that beta-glucans can assist the immune system gradual the expansion of tumors and shield the physique from the consequences of cancer-causing compounds. Turkey tail also contains a high number of prebiotics, which feed the nice micro organism in your intestine and help immunity.

Tremella: A Lesser-Recognized Mushroom with Potent Advantages

One other little-known however extremely efficient mushroom is the tremella, which is wealthy in vitamin D and fiber, and contains specific compounds that protect the liver. Research suggests that tremella mushrooms can assist the physique battle infections, and in ancestral medication, it has lengthy been used as an immune tonic.

Chaga: The King of Medicinal Mushrooms

Lastly, there’s some of the highly effective mushrooms for immune techniques, the “king of medicinal mushrooms”: chaga. Chaga has an abundance of beta-glucans, and research has also shown that it prompts immune cells answerable for combating most cancers development. Chaga increases the production of immune cells IL-6 and lymphocytes, which can assist enhance the power to battle pathogens. Other compounds in chaga assist the immune system to distinguish between the physique’s cells and international cells. Chaga reduces immune hypersensitivity and even reduces the danger of cardiac shock from extreme allergic reactions. Chaga also has antiviral properties and can assist battle off viral infections—it could even cut back the power of HIV to duplicate and stop herpes and Epstein-Barr viruses from infecting new cells and replicating.

Enhancing Immunity with Mushroom Modulation and Blends

Most of these mushrooms help regulate cell-mediated and adaptive immunity by way of the method of modulation—each potentiating and suppressing the immune system just like the way in which that an adaptogen can modulate endocrine and hormonal stability.

Certainly one of my favourite methods to get a each day dose of immune-boosting mushrooms is to make use of Four Sigmatic’s 10 Mushroom Blend, which features a healthy dose of vitamin C (from rosehips), together with chaga, reishi, cordyceps, lion’s mane, shiitake, maitake, and some different alternative immune-boosting mushrooms. You possibly can put a teaspoon of this mix in your morning cup of coffee or tea. Different good manufacturers embody Real Mushrooms, Cymbiotika, and Host Defense.

6. Bee Merchandise

In relation to creating compounds that help the immune system, bees could be a helpful useful resource.

You’re little doubt conversant in honey, however there are additionally three different immune-supporting bee merchandise: bee pollen, royal jelly, and propolis.

The Fact About Actual Uncooked Honey

Actual uncooked honey stands in stark distinction to the pretend, pesticide- and herbicide-laden, nutrient-poor honey you discover within the common plastic honey bear on the grocery retailer. Raw honey has so many enzymes that it’s the one meals on this planet that by no means goes dangerous, and it’s stuffed with minerals and antioxidants. As well as, honey contains minor amounts of the same type of bioactive components present in antioxidant-rich vegatables and fruits, together with phenolic acid, flavonoids, α-tocopherol, ascorbic acid, proteins, and carotenoids.

The Antiviral Energy of Manuka Honey

Honey also has potent antiviral properties and might velocity restoration from viral infections. Manuka honey, a kind of honey produced by bees that feed on the nectar of the tea tree, inhibits flu virus replication and has been proven to be more practical than the energetic elements in in style cough medicines at enhancing each cough and sleep high quality in people with higher respiratory infections. Methylglyoxal (MGO) is the primary anti-flu component of manuka honey. When choosing manuka honey, search for the MGO label on the jar and select a model with an MGO content material of 83 or above (the upper the MGO ranking, the upper the extent of antiviral exercise of the honey).

Bee Pollen: Nature’s Nutrient Powerhouse

Bee pollen is one of the most nutrient-dense foods found in nature. It’s packed stuffed with nutritional vitamins and minerals, and it has practically a full spectrum of important vitamins. Pollen is the colostrum of the insect world—it contains more protein per gram than any other animal-based food, in addition to free-forming amino acids. Research suggests that bee pollen has potent antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, liver-protecting, and native analgesic properties.

Royal Jelly: The Elixir of Longevity

Royal jelly, secreted by glands within the heads of nurse bees, is the unique meals of queen bees, who dwell about forty instances longer than employee bees. Cleopatra used royal jelly on her pores and skin commonly due to its regenerative and therapeutic results. Research suggests that nutrient-dense royal jelly may additionally help nerve well being, psychological acuity, and reminiscence, and shield towards nerve injury due to its excessive acetylcholine content material. It’s definitely a superfood. It contains proteins, fatty acids, polyphenols, adenosine monophosphate, and hormones like testosterone, estradiol, progesterone, and prolactin.

Propolis: Nature’s Immune Protector

Lastly, there’s propolis, which is the most potent of the immune-supporting compounds you possibly can borrow from the bees. Propolis, taken from the Greek phrases for protection (professional) and metropolis or neighborhood (polis), is thought generally as “bee glue” and is actually the immune safety for the beehive. Bees use propolis to seal holes and cracks in the beehive; it hardens the partitions and even makes the within of the hive aseptic. Studies on humans have shown that it has a number of functions in treating a number of ailments due to its antiseptic, antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antiulcer, antimycotic, anticancer, and immunomodulatory properties. It contains over three hundred natural compounds which were proven to assist immunity, and there’s proof that people have been utilizing propolis to help well being since 300 BC.

In my pantry, you’ll discover royal jelly, propolis, bee pollen, and uncooked honey from Beekeeper’s Naturals; a choice of different native, uncooked natural honeys; and even a drinkable mix of royal jelly, propolis, bee pollen, and wasp extract from Vespa (which can be a keto-friendly gasoline for athletes).

Incorporating these immune-boosting meals into your routine is a strong step towards safeguarding your well being in the course of the flu season and past. Every meals on this checklist gives distinctive advantages, from the protecting properties of thieves oil to the gut-nourishing energy of fermented meals. By making these nutrient-dense decisions a part of your each day weight-reduction plan, you possibly can construct a sturdy protection system that retains sickness at bay and helps general well-being.

Strengthening Your Protection: Boosting Immunity for Flu Season and Past