It's like getting ready for a blizzard by eating the appropriate kind of breakfast. It's all about keeping yourself safe from the elements. A nutritious breakfast can boost your immune system and help you fight infection, particularly viruses that cause respiratory illnesses like the common cold, flu, and even COVID-19.
Choosing between winter boots or flip-flops to wear on a snowy commute should be as simple as deciding what to eat for breakfast to support your body's immunological response. A doughnut will help your immune system about as much as flip-flops will protect your toes from the cold. However, having an immune-friendly breakfast entails more than just knowing what to avoid. Not only is it feasible to consume a meal that will not weaken your infection defenses, but it is also conceivable to eat one that will strengthen them even more than usual.
The best immune-system-boosting breakfast, according to Isa Kujawski, MPH, RDN, a functional registered dietitian nutritionist and the founder of Mea Nutrition, doesn't have to be complicated. Still, it should include critical ingredients like oats, nuts and seeds, blueberries, and cinnamon with a side of green tea. Here's how to make an infection-fighting breakfast that you can consume daily.
1. Oatmeal: The Base
"A big component of our immune system—roughly 70%—is located in the gut, and the health of our gut microbiota is heavily dependent on it," adds Kujawski. "Dietary fiber in foods like oats feeds friendly gut flora, which helps to maintain the immune system and keep harmful bacteria at bay. Oats' complex carbs give a consistent amount of slow-burning fuel to power your day and keep you feeling full throughout the day "she continues. Choose plain oatmeal as your base because flavored oatmeal is generally filled with additional sugars.
2. The B-Cell Boosters: Nuts & Seeds
Pumpkin seeds, walnuts, or chia seeds can be sprinkled on top of the porridge. According to Kujawski, these nuts and seeds are high in micronutrients like iron, zinc, and magnesium, which all have a role in immunity. Iron and zinc, for example, are essential for the formation of B-cell lymphocytes, the immune system's "special operations" unit that generates antibodies to attack germs and viruses, according to research.
Magnesium is also beneficial because it stimulates vitamin D in the body, which helps to boost the immune system. According to a study conducted by researchers at Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, raising magnesium and vitamin D levels may assist COVID-19 patients in fighting the virus.
Another reason to keep nuts and seeds on hand to thicken up your oatmeal is that their healthy fats can help keep blood sugar levels in check. "It's critical to keep blood sugar under control because too much sugar can damage the immune system, especially if blood sugar is consistently high," Kujawski explains. Additionally, starting the day with stable blood sugar may reduce the chance of later-day cravings for sugary snacks, leading to weight gain.
3. Blueberries: The Sweetness
Oats and nuts make for a deliciously earthy breakfast, but you can naturally sweeten it by adding fruit. Blueberries, an intense fruit filled with immune-boosting antioxidants, including that legendary sickness fighter vitamin C, are used to improve the dietitian's porridge. Blueberries have been identified as having exceptionally high quantities of antioxidants. According to several studies, these substances protect your cells from harm caused by molecules known as free radicals, including one published in Nutrition Journal.
4. Cinnamon: The Spice
Just a sprinkling takes plain oatmeal to a whole new level of deliciousness. But it goes beyond that. "Cinnamon has been demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory qualities as well as blood sugar lowering properties," Kujawski explains. In fact, according to a review of studies published in the journal Pharmacognosy Research, cinnamon can protect the body by limiting Alzheimer's-related changes in the brain, reducing oxidative stress in the liver, increasing cardio-protective nitric oxide, and lowering blood pressure and cholesterol.
5. Drink This!
With a massive mug of green tea, wash down that immune-boosting breakfast you just made. According to Kujawski, green tea contains chemicals that have antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory activities. "By boosting good immune cells, they attack infectious agents."
6. But, what if...?
What if the texture of oatmeal turns you off, or you prefer a savorer breakfast? Kujawski recommends making a sweet potato and egg hash with colorful veggies like spinach, red bell pepper, garlic, and mushrooms in a skillet. Like the power oatmeal, this flavorful meal will give a great mix of complex carbs, fiber, protein, and fats to provide a consistent stream of energy while keeping blood sugar levels in check.
The sweet potato is high in beta carotene, an antioxidant that has been shown to improve immunological function. Garlic is typically promoted for its antibacterial capabilities, while spinach contains antioxidants and vitamins C and E, which help the immune system. Antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects have been reported in mushrooms. "Keep in mind that the health advantages of garlic may be deteriorated by cooking," says Kujawski, "so it's best to add it at the end of cooking for some more flavor."