How to boost your immune system to ward off colds and flu - foods to eat and avoid

As the days get colder and winter beckons, so finding ways to boost your immune system should be at the forefront of our mind.

With a number of cold viruses, flu and unfortunately Covid, boosting your system has never been more important.

Fortunately, this does not always have to require copious amounts of medicine but rather some of the most effective ways to keep the body healthy is found in fridges and pantries.

A wide range of nutrients, especially vitamins and minerals, are essential in building and maintaining an effective immune system - but what are the best types of food you should be eating?

What to eat for a better immune system

By eating the right kinds of food you can ensure your immune system is at its peak state to fight off colds and flu (SHARED CONTENT UNIT)

The immune system is our first layer of defence, ready to protect us from the innumerable number of attacks it sustains each day, whether it’s from viruses, bacteria, parasites or toxic substances.

Health experts advise eating foods that are rich in Vitamin A, C, D and E, which are all essential for immune health.

Alongside these vitamins, eating more zinc and iron-type foods will ensure you are keeping sicknesses to a minimum.

Registered nutritionist and founder of Re:Nourish soups Nicci Clark says: “A healthy, balanced diet is incredibly important for supporting your body’s natural defence system.

“You need sufficient energy and nutrients for the immune system to function and a poor diet can compromise your ability to ward off infection.

“For the sake of your immune health, adding vitamin dense foods to your diet can help keep pesky bugs at bay.”

According to Clark, the best types of vegetables for boosting the immune system include:

• Kale - which is loaded with vitamins A, C and K.
• Spinach – rich in vitamin C and antioxidants
• Turmeric – anti-inflammatory and antioxidant content for a healthier immune system.

Zinc and iron

Foods such as kale and spinach are rich in vitamins A, C, E and K (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Zinc is found in cells throughout the body and helps the immune system fight off invading bacteria and viruses.

According to Simply Health, foods rich in zinc include oysters, beef, pecans, Brazil nuts, eggs, almonds, chicken and buckwheat.

Iron helps in improving haemoglobin levels, which boosts oxygen supply to damaged cells, tissues and organs, which makes for a healthy immune system.

Foods rich in iron, according to the NHS, include liver, red meat, nuts, dried fruit, fortified breakfast cereals and soy bean flour.

Vitamin drips

Apart from eating for a better immune system, a vitamin drip can be your one-stop shop for all nutrients and minerals to boost energy levels and keep the body in tip-top shape, ready to fight off any autumnal foreign invaders.

A skin health drip level one from Get A Drip provides a major dose of added vitamins while also providing optimum hydration for healthy-looking skin.

The drip is rich in vitamin C for:

• Maintaining normal function of the immune system during and after intense physical exercise
• Normal energy-yielding metabolism
• Normal functioning of the nervous system
• Normal psychological function
• Protection of cells from oxidative stress
• Reduction of tiredness and fatigue
• Increased iron absorption.

The vitamin drip is also rich in potassium helping with normal functioning of the nervous system, normal muscle function and maintenance of normal blood pressure.

Glutathione is another vitamin which is essential for the immune system's proper functioning and is vital in building and repairing tissue.

It also acts as an important antioxidant, which helps protect your body from damage to cells caused by free radicals.