Adding more plant-based foods is an essential step in maintaining your health. This is especially important as you get older and vitamin deficiencies become more likely.
In addition to maintaining good health, certain foods provide the nutrients needed to strengthen immunity and fight off disease. Image Source: Pexels
Fight Infections With Citrus Fruits
There's a reason doctors recommend orange juice and other citrus fruits for people with colds and fevers. The high content of vitamin C in these natural foods helps to strengthen the immune system, giving your body the resources it needs to fight off viruses and other infections. Specifically, researchers believe vitamin C plays an important part in helping the body produce more white blood cells. The immune system uses white blood cells to attack and neutralize infections in the blood. Unfortunately, the body doesn't naturally produce vitamin C, and that's why you should be taking in vitamin C from multiple sources on a daily basis. Men should get 90 mg of vitamin C per day, while women need about 75 mg.
Protect Your Arteries With Garlic
There are plenty of recipes that call for garlic, making it an extremely useful food. You can even add garlic to your staple foods for a little extra zing without making meals taste too spicy. The health benefits of garlic are vast, but it's primarily known for improving heart health. Some research has suggested that eating garlic on a regular basis can prevent or slow down the hardening of the arteries. In protecting your arteries, garlic may also be partly responsible for keeping blood pressure within a healthier range. People who consume more garlic are less likely to develop hypertension.
Recover From a Stroke Faster With Antioxidant-Rich Foods
You can experience a better stroke recovery when you add more natural foods to your diet. In particular, look for foods that provide the body with powerful antioxidants. Some examples include blueberries, green tea, red pepper, and dark chocolate. Antioxidants attack free radicals in the brain and throughout the body, reducing the oxidative stress that can damage cells. This is why people who eat more antioxidant-rich foods have a lower risk for stroke. Adding these foods to your diet can make future strokes less likely, while also making it easier for your brain to heal itself when you do suffer a stroke.
Fermented Foods Will Boost Overall Immunity
Even though many people don't regularly eat fermented foods, doing so is one of the best ways of strengthening your immune system. The immune system relies partly on the helpful bacteria in your gut. Maintaining a diverse range of good bacteria in your gut is easy when you know to eat foods that will provide your body with those beneficial microorganisms. Fermented foods are the best sources of these bacteria. Look for plain yoghurt with live and active cultures. You can sweeten it up with fruit or add granola for a crunchy texture. Other fermented foods include sauerkraut, kimchi, and sourdough bread.
Guard Against Disease With More Nuts and Seeds
Vitamin E has been found to be effective in protecting several biological systems throughout the body. It benefits vision, cardiovascular health, and brain health. Getting more vitamin E is as easy as eating more seeds and nuts. Although almonds offer the highest level of vitamin E, there is a significant amount of this nutrient in most seeds and nuts. Additionally, these foods are nutritional powerhouses, packed with a broad range of nutrients that will boost immunity. Nuts and seeds are also great sources of antioxidants.
Reduce Inflammation With Turmeric
Turmeric is a bright yellow spice that offers a slightly bitter taste to popular recipes. Keeping a container of this spice on hand can help you boost your overall health. Regularly consuming this spice will help the immune system fight chronic inflammation, which is the cause of muscle and joint pain. It's also effective in helping the body repair and build muscle, making it an important food for those living active lifestyles. Researchers believe it also has antiviral properties.
Closing Thoughts
While you should get most of your nutrients from natural foods, you can enhance your vitamin intake with a daily supplement. Talk to your doctor about adding a supplement to avoid adverse reactions with any medication you're taking. Your doctor may also recommend a specific supplement to compensate for any deficiency you're experiencing.
