As the saying goes “eat good, feel good”, eating good and nutritious food can positively impact your body in more ways than you may think. This is especially important for those in their golden years as their immune system tend to be weaker. With a weakened immune system, mature adults tend to be more susceptible to sickness, and yet, take longer to recover due to the body’s reduced defenses. Hence, it is important to eat nutritious and beneficial food to keep mature adults healthy. Here is a guide to immune-boosting foods for those in their golden years.
Citrus Fruits
Do you know why most people try to eat more vitamin C after they have caught a cold? That is because it helps to increase the production of white blood cells, which helps you to fight infections. In addition, because your body does not naturally produce or store vitamin C, you need to consume vitamin C daily to be in good health. So where can you get vitamin Cs then? In citrus fruits. Almost all citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C, and can thus boost your immune system. Grapefruits, oranges, lemons, and limes are just some of the many citrus fruits that you can eat or add to your meals.
Broccoli
Do you love to eat broccoli? If your answer is yes, you are in luck. That is because broccolis are rich in vitamins A, C, and E, and minerals like fiber and many other beneficial antioxidants. In fact, broccoli is known to be one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat. Here is a tip. To maximize all the goodness in broccolis, try to cook it as little as possible. In particular, it has been found that steaming is the best method to keep more nutrients in the food.
Green Tea
Looking for something healthy but don’t quite feel like chewing on something? Opt for green teas then. Not only is green tea rich in flavonoids, but it is also packed with epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Both are incredible antioxidants that can boost your immune system. In fact, EGCG has been found to improve immune function. Another benefit of green tea? It is full of amino acid L-theanine which promotes the production of germ-fighting compounds in your T cells.
Sunflower Seeds
If you are looking for a healthy and nutritious snack, sunflower seeds are the one for you. They are full of nutrients like magnesium, phosphorous, and vitamins B-6 and E. All these nutrients are extremely beneficial for your health. For instance, Vitamin E helps to maintain and regulate your immune system function. At the same time, sunflower seeds are also incredibly rich in selenium, which has the potential to counter viral infections. In fact, they have such high levels of selenium that just 1 ounce of it contains nearly half the recommended selenium intake that the average adult needs daily. And selenium in sunflowers has been suggested that can counter viral infections such as swine flu (H1N1).
