3 Natural Immunity Boosters Beyond Vitamin C

At Ruan Living, we prefer a precautionary approach towards taking medicine. Before taking medication or pharmaceuticals, we first try natural remedies that are often ancient-old healers with our physicians blessing.

We’ve all heard that vitamin C- packed foods are great immunity boosters, but when you’ve had enough OJ and grapefruit, what else can you turn to?  Here is a list of three of our favorite natural immunity boosters.

Crimini (button) Mushrooms

Crimini mushrooms contain selenium (also found in many tree nuts)  and antioxidants.  Selenium is a micromineral that protects the body’s cells from free-radical damage. Vitamin B, riboflavin and niacin are also found in crimini mushrooms and are key fighters for a healthy immune system.

Garlic

Garlic has been known to fight illness for centuries.  This onion relative is known to fight against high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease.  The active chemical allicin is what makes garlic such a powerful fighter and it is also responsible for the smell of garlic.  Some suggest the stronger smelling garlic, the better its fighting attributes.  Nutritionists recommend chopping peeled garlic cloves and letting them sit for 20 minutes before cooking in order to activate  the immunity boosting nutrients to develop to their fullest potential.

Stretching

Although when you’re sick you usually just want to lay in bed and do nothing, it’s important to reconsider what movement, especially walking and stretching, might be able to do for your body.  Immune cells travel through your body through lympahtic fluid which means if your body is tight then cells are unable to circulate through the body to fight.  Simply stretching your body helps facilitate the flow of immune cells to promote defense.

Do you have any natural immunity boosting foods or habits that you employ when you're sick?