The winter season brings its fair share of colds and flu, and that means boosting the entire family’s immune systems is more important than ever. While many beneficial supplements and interventions exist to help mitigate the symptoms of the common cold and flu, it’s also important to be proactive before sickness strikes in the first place. The food we consume plays a large role in fostering a healthy immune system as it helps support and prepare our body’s defences to protect us against pesky bugs and germs that may want to do us harm. Nutrition is also a foundational pillar of overall health and instilling healthy habits not only during the winter months but also year-round can help benefit multiple facets of health. One significant and beneficial way to boost immunity through nutrition is by increasing our intake of antioxidant-rich foods.
ANTIOXIDANTS
Antioxidants are phytochemicals derived from foods (most often from plants) that eliminate free radicals. In other words, these constituents help defend the body against damage to cells, which can protect against illness. A few essential antioxidants are vitamins A, C, and E. Some other well-known antioxidants are anthocyanins found in red/purple fruits and vegetables, lycopene in red/pink fruits and vegetables, and beta-carotene found in yellow/orange fruits and vegetables. While these antioxidants are found naturally in foods, they are often taken in supplement form and help increase the body’s resistance to infection with similar effectiveness.
ANTIOXIDANT-RICH FOODS
Generally, plant-based foods have a higher antioxidant content than animal-based or mixed foods. Some foods high in antioxidants include:
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Blackberries
- Raspberries
- Spinach
- Grapes
- Citrus fruits (e.g., oranges, lemons, grapefruit)
- Broccoli
- Tomatoes
- Apricots
- Brussels sprouts
- Red peppers
- Nuts
- Carrots
Spices and herbs should not be discounted as they have excellent antioxidant content and can be added to many recipes you make at home. These include:
- Turmeric
- Ginger
- Cumin
- Clove
- Mint
- Thyme
- Cinnamon
- Cocoa
- Black pepper
- Green tea
- Sage
- Basil
- Rosemary
Overall, a diet that incorporates lots of colour with a diverse and adequate intake of fruits and vegetables will ensure you are receiving sufficient antioxidants to reduce oxidative stress.
A great meal idea that is quick and can incorporate a lot of the herbs, spices, and vegetables mentioned above is a hearty vegetable soup. Cooking in the kitchen together and incorporating antioxidant-rich foods can be a fun and healthy learning experience for the whole family—soups are also warming and a great meal for the cold winter months. Another great way to incorporate antioxidant-rich foods into your family’s diet is through smoothies; these are quick, easy, and a delicious way to utilise high-antioxidant fruits and vegetables. Blended smoothies can be frozen in a bowl and scooped to make fruit-based “ice cream.” This sweet treat is sure to pique the interest of even the choosiest of eaters.
VITAMIN C
One of the most popular antioxidants is vitamin C (i.e., L-ascorbic acid). Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin and an essential part of our diet as we are not able to synthesise it on our own. In addition to being a powerful antioxidant, vitamin C has further benefits for the body; it has the capability of regenerating other antioxidants like vitamin E, which is why vitamins C and E are often prescribed alongside one another. Vitamin C also improves the absorption of non-heme iron, which is why iron pills are also often taken alongside a source of vitamin C such as a glass of orange juice.
FOODS RICH IN “C”
The top food sources for high vitamin C content include:
- Citrus fruits
- Tomatoes
- Tomato juice
- Potatoes
- Red and green peppers
- Kiwi
- Broccoli
- Strawberries
- Brussels sprouts
- Cantaloupe
It’s important to note that the vitamin C content is optimal when these foods are consumed raw, as heat can destroy it. To mitigate the loss of antioxidant effects, steaming is a better alternative. In addition to its role as an antioxidant and immune booster, vitamin C may play a role in cardiovascular disease, age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and cancer—in specific doses and methods of supplementation (e.g., cancer research discusses the use of intravenous vitamin C).
It’s important to note that when it comes to supplementing vitamin C (versus incorporating high vitamin C foods into the diet) for specific illnesses and diseases, it is critical to discuss dosage and safety with a healthcare professional.
While supplementation of vitamin C is popular, research has shown that food-derived vitamin C and synthetic vitamin C are equally bioavailable. Ingesting vitamin C from food sources is a preferable method to synthetic supplementation as it involves the consumption of other important nutrients and phytochemicals that can aid its absorption and provide further important health benefits.
Vitamin C is a very important and powerful antioxidant that is essential for the human body. Its levels can be optimised by incorporating foods high in vitamin C in your diet, especially through the winter months, which can help boost the immune system and mitigate the effects of the common cold and flu for you and your family.
