It’s getting to be that time of year when everybody is sniffling, sneezing, coughing, and feeling like trash. The first step is to boost your immune system with foods that will help your body fight off those pesky bugs that make us sick. Have you ever wondered what some of the best immune boosting foods are to help protect your immune system? Properly feeding your body will help build immune systems that can fight off those infectious germs that bring us down with the cold or flu. Most people don’t know that in addition to several vitamins, there are many everyday foods that work as immune boosters, and it's very simple to add them into your diet each day.

Vitamin C and vitamin E are two of the most powerful vitamins that will help build immune system health.

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that protects against infection and enhances immunity. The way Vitamin C works is by increasing the production of white blood cells and antibodies, which fight off the common cold and help prevent the entry of viruses. Some of the best Vitamin C sources include citrus fruits, potatoes, green peppers, strawberries, and pineapple.

Vitamin E is very important to help build immune systems that are healthy because it enhances the production of B-cells, the immune cells that produce antibodies that destroy bacteria. There is ample research showing that people who eat vitamin E rich foods have higher immunity. Some good sources of vitamin E include seeds, vegetable oils and grains.

1.      Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a good source of Vitamin C and Beta-Carotene. When eaten with garlic and oregano tomatoes can pack a powerful immune boosting punch.

2.      Garlic

Much of the immune-boosting properties of garlic come from its sulfur-containing compounds which are effective against bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic infections. They also enhance the immune system and have anti-tumor and antioxidant features, which keep you from catching a cold.

3.      Oregano

Oregano is one of the highest antioxidant herbs due to its high content of phenolic acids and flavenoids.  Oregano can help protect against the common cold, influenze, fevers and indigestion.  When used with tomatoes and garlic it creates a synergistic effect for even more immune system health.

4.       Broccoli

Broccoli is one of those “superfoods” as it is high in Vitamins A, C, and E.  As mentioned under Tomatoes, Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant.  Vitamin E is affective because it produces B-cells. These are antibodies that destroy bacteria in the body and, in turn, keep us from getting sick. Vitamin A helps the proteins that regulate cell-to-cell communication, which is the foundation of the immune system. Broccoli is also high in glucosinolates which stimulate the body's immune system.

If you feel that it's difficult to include all of these powerful foods into your diet, you may want to consider taking a daily immune booster. My favorite immune booster is produced by Sun Dew. It contains Zinc, EpiCor, antioxidant berries, and many other uncompromised quality ingredients. Not only does it keep me healthy and feeling great, it also tastes amazing!