Based on research, eating fruits and vegetables keeps us healthy overall. So are there any foods that we can prioritize during seasons of illness to try to give us a healthy edge?
In studies, foods that contain specific types of nutrients have shown to help improve health outcomes. Trying to consume these foods in larger amounts may help keep us healthy and possibly help our immune system fight whatever antagonists come our way.
Anthocyanins, a member of the flavonoid family, have been shown to help our immune system. Top anthocyanin containing foods (blue, purple or red hue) are:
- Berries – blueberries, blackberries, elderberries, cranberries and bilberries are rich sources of anthocyanins. Blueberries rank number one in terms of antioxidant activity in tests carried out at the USDA.
- Cherries – tart cherries have higher anthocyanin levels than sweet cherries.
- Purple grapes – a great source of anthocyanins and also resveratrol.
- Eggplant, purple asparagus and red cabbage – cooked red cabbage in particular have 36 different types of anthocyanins.
Antioxidants like Vitamins A, C and E counteract the oxidative assault in our body from everyday toxins and stress, but also from health attacks from germs (both bacterial and viral).
- Highest sources of Vitamin C are citrus fruits, berries, bell peppers (especially red), broccoli, spinach, papaya and kiwi.
- Vitamin A sources include sunflower seeds, almonds, broccoli, carrots, sweet potato, spinach, Swiss chard and mango.
- Vitamin E sources include sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts, avocados, spinach and Swiss chard.
If we aren’t eating these foods, we should try to add some of them to our meal plan. It’s always best to eat a wide variety of colorful foods, organic whenever possible. We can have a good immune defense to help us stay healthy through cold and flu season.
So, get enough sleep, cover your cough and wash your hands, OFTEN, especially before food preparation and before eating.
Publisher’s Note / The monthly deadline for stories published by contributing columnists is the 20th of the month prior to print publication. This story appears in the April 2020 issue of PN, now available at local supermarkets. Columns are published in rotation a few at a time on different days throughout the month. Thanks for reading in print monthly and online daily.
