4 Natural Immunity Boosters

It's that time of year where everyone starts to get the sniffles, and we all feel a little run down and sad about the incoming colder months! What natural things can we eat when we're feeling unwell and need a boost, or just want to avoid catching the latest cold?

1. Yogurt

Yogurt contains live active cultures, which are the healthy bacteria that keeps the gut and intestinal tract free from germs. You can take probiotics to supplement your diet, but having yogurt is a great way of including both calcium and live active cultures in your diet - win win!

2. Garlic

Garlic contains the active ingredient allicin, which fights infection and bacteria. A British study found that people who took a garlic extract for 12 weeks were 60% less likely to catch a cold. If you don't like loading your food with garlic, take a supplement containing garlic to get all the extra benefits.

3. Chicken Soup

When we're ill, people always want chicken soup; but are the curing benefits of chicken soup a myth? We're pleased to report it isn't! Researchers have found that chicken soup blocked the migration of inflammatory white cells, which is significant as cold symptoms are a response to the cells' accumulation in the bronchial tubes. The amino acid cysteine, which is released from chicken during cooking, chemically resembles the bronchitis drug acetylcysteine, and the soups salty broth keeps mucus thin the same way cough medicines do. If you add other spices such as onions or garlic, this adds to the soup's immune-boosting power.

4. Tea

People who drank 5 cups of black tea for 2 weeks had 10 times more virus-fighting interferon in their blood than others who drank a placebo hot drink, said a Harvard study. The amino acid responsible for this is L-theanine, which is found in both black and green tea. You can also find it in decaf versions!

What's your favourite way to prevent a cold? Let us know @office_fruit!