Ways to boost immunity: how to boost immunity

POWER FOODS TO BOOST IMMUNITY

It takes more than an apple a day keep the doctor away. It turns out that eating some pretty surprising nutrients will help keep your immune system on guard. you can  ensure your body and immunity run smoothly by rounding out your plate with plenty of colorful serving of fruit and veggies, plus 8 to 10 glasses of water per day, at least. The following ingredients can add extra flu-fighting punch to your winter meal plan.

YOGURT: Probiotics, or the "live active cultures" found in yogurt, are healthy bacteria that keep the gut and intestinal tract free of disease-causing germs. Although they're available in supplement form, a study from the University of Vienna in Austria found that a daily 7- ounce dose of yogurt was just as effective in boosting immunity as popping pills. Be sure to pick up containers free of excess added sugar. Plain varieties(which you can flavor with cinnamon and fresh fruit) are your best bets, but anything with less that 8 total grams of sugar still a wholesome option.

TEAS: People who drank 5 cups a day of black tea for 2 weeks had 10 times more virus-fighting interferon in their blood than other who drank a placebo hot drink, in a Harvard study. The amino acid that's responsible for this immune boost, L-thea-nine, is abundant in both black and green tea-decaf versions have it, too.

CHICKEN SOUP: When University of Nebraska researchers tested 13 brands, they found that all but one (chicken-flavored ramen noodles) blocked the migration of inflammatory white cells accumulation in the bronchial tubes. The amino acid cysteine, released from chicken during cooking, chemically resemble the bronchitis drug acetylcysteine, which may explain the results. The soup's salty broth keeps mucus thin the same way cough medicines do. Added spices, such as garlic and onions, can increased soup's immune boosting power.

FORTIFIED CEREALS: Not a meat person? Many fortified bowls of cereal pack an entire day's worth of zinc. For example, a serving of Kellogg's Smart Start or General Mills Whole Grain Total, has about 15 mg of the mineral. For a point of comparison, a 3-ounce serving of beef has about 7 mg of zinc.

GARLIC: This potent onion relatives contain the active ingredient allicin, which fight infection and bacteria. British researchers gave 146 people either a placebo or a garlic extract for 12 weeks; the garlic takers were two-third less likely to catch a cold. Other studies suggest that garlic lovers who chow more than six cloves a week have a 30% lower rate of colorectal cancer and a 50% lower rate of stomach cancer.

FISH: Selenium, plentiful in shellfish such as oysters, lobster, crabs, and calms, helps white blood cells produce cytokines-proteins that help clear flu viruses out of the body