Boost your immunity with 4 super foods!

Medications are valuable when it comes to saving lives, but far too many people take it for granted and rely on it, rather than learning how to prevent a disease from happening. It is meant to treat the symptom rather than the pathology process, and those who’re not careful with what they eat on a daily basis will have their health consumed by this type of self-destructive of behaviour when they aged.

Most studies done on treating a certain illness is funded by pharmaceutical companies, and the so-called medical journals published are nothing but a space for them to advertise their products. Sure, it might help to cure the illness temporarily, but the more your use drugs, the smarter the virus is going to be, and the next time when you’re sick, you’ll have to use a higher dose of medication to treat the same illness. So why not focus on eating right, instead of exposing yourself to something that’ll compromise your health?

Mushrooms

The compounds found in mushrooms have been proven to promote the activity of natural killer T cells (NKT). NKTs are responsible for sensing any abnormal cells and removing them from the body. Mushrooms also have antigen-binding lectin (ABL), which is a form of amino acid that only bind with any cells that’s deemed as a threat to the body.

Consuming mushrooms regularly have also been associated with a reduction in breast cancer. White button, reishi, maitake, and portobello are just few of the mushrooms that inhibit the production of estrogen, which is one of the main hormones responsible for the development of breast cancer. The anti-estrogen compounds contained within the mushrooms are called ‘aromatase inhibitors’.

Consumed regularly, mushrooms are capable of promoting the production and formation of dendrite cells, which are essential in capturing the pathogens and presenting them to immune cells to be killed. Think of it as a ‘pitcher plant’ that lives within your body. Any sign that presents a cell as enemy, and they will help capturing them before sending them to be destroyed.

Mushrooms also contain angiogenesis inhibitor that prevents the development of tumors and other abnormal cells. Angiogenesis is a process that occurs during childhood growth and wound healing in adults, but if they’re produced in a large amount, they will contribute to unwanted side effects, such as obesity, inflammatory conditions, and cancer.

Garlic & Onions

Not only do these foods add flavour to your meals, it also help boost your immune function by enhancing the ability of white blood cells to destroy pathogen through a process called phagocytosis. Similar to mushroom, it also boost the number of T-cells, one of your body’s best killer.

Studies have shown that consumption of onions and garlic help prevent cancer. Several components found within these 2 foods, such as the diallyl disulfide (DADS), diallyl trisulfide (DATS), S-allylcysteine (SAC) and S-allylmercaptocysteine (SAMC), are associated with the reduction of risk in cancer.

Ever wondered why onions would make you cry? That’s because the outer layer of onions contains an enzyme called alliinase, which will produce a sulfuric acid smell when the onion is diced. While you’re busy finding tissues to wipe your tears dry, sulfide is starting to form. These compounds will help deter any cancerous cells from going further into your body.

While garlic is equally potent, keep in mind that it could cause contraindication if you’re using medications to treat tuberculosis and HIV. It will reduce the potency of the drugs prescribed, so discuss it with a doctor prior to adding garlic into your diet.

If you have trouble tolerating with the smell, consider supplementing it in powder form. Otherwise, include three cloves of garlic (taken together with meals) throughout the day will enhance the immune benefits. Like cruciferous vegetables, if you were to use them in cooking, crush or cut them into pieces before the pan is warmed up to release myrosinase.

For garlic supplementation, take 600 – 1,200 mg of aged garlic extract by splitting in into several intakes, and taken with meals. This will give you the benefits without the stinky smell.

Seeds

High in healthy fats and protein, while laden in micronutrients, seeds are a good choice for those who want to boost their immune function. As excessive intake of supplementary form of micronutrients will cause harm to your health, eating seeds in their natural form is definitely a wise choice.

The zinc content in seeds is acting as immunostimulant, which plays a vital role in promoting the T-cell function. Iron helps in fighting against the pathogens, copper helps with the maturation of immune cells, while Vitamin E acts as a powerful antioxidant and free-radical scavenger.

Colourful Berries

The antioxidants, anticarcinogenic, and anti-inflammatory elements of berries can prevent the proliferation of abnormal cells and oxidative stress caused by free radicals in our environment. The polyphenols, tannins, quercetin, anthocyanins and vitamin C have been proven to reduce restore the damaged genes back to normal.

The great thing about these berries is that they can be stored in the freezer for a long period without significant damage being done to their delicate anthocyanin antioxidants, as study has shown that the antioxidant activity is similar to the values measured shortly after they’re stored.