How to eat for immunity for superflu season

Nobody wants to get the lurgy for Christmas, so with the countdown truly underway Lydia Spencer-Elliott lists the ingredients to add to your basket to give your body the best chance of staying fighting fit for the next week and beyond

It feels like everybody is ill with some sort of sickness right now. From the common cold to the fast-spreading superflu, every splutter across the office and sneeze from a neighbouring train passenger is sending the (still somehow) healthy among us rapidly reaching for the nearest bottle of hand sanitiser.

Children and teens are more likely to get infected due to their high contact rates in schools, where a lot of spread happens, and also because their immune systems are less experienced at dealing with flu viruses. Meanwhile, people over 64 are more likely to have existing health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe illness if they do become infected. On average, 3,140 people were in hospital with flu last week.

The next few days are the final festive hurdle standing in the way of a Christmas Day free of Lemsip, Olbas oil, paracetamol and crumpled tissues. So, here are the five foods scientifically proven to boost immunity to give the body its best chance of fighting off the latest mutation of nasty viruses alongside the all-important vaccine…

Kimchi

Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish made from fermented vegetables, garlic, ginger and chilli flakes (Getty/iStock)

Kimchi, a traditional Korean dish made from fermented vegetables (most commonly napa cabbage), garlic, ginger and chilli flakes, was found to strengthen immune defences and prevent harmful overreactions in a recent study. This handy benefit prevents over-inflammation and halts the immune system from mistakenly attacking the body’s own tissues.

The tangy side dish is often added to rice bowls, but adds a flavourful kick in more traditional recipes too, including this taleggio cheese toastie.

Citrus fruits

Keeping the fruit bowl filled with oranges, clementines and guavas is a good idea (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Vitamin C is a key nutrient for immune cell function that provides antioxidant protection and provokes white blood cell activity. At present, the NHS and World Health Organisation (WHO) recommend a daily intake of 40mg per day – and there’s 62mg just in one orange.

So, keeping the fruit bowl filled with oranges, clementines and guavas is a good idea. Plus, (festive) sprouts are particularly rich in vitamin C, as well as being high in fibre and low in fat.

Kefir

Kefir contains tonnes of beneficial bacteria (Getty Images)

While fermented yoghurt isn’t exactly the sexiest foodstuff, Kefir contains tonnes of beneficial bacteria that interact with immune cells in the gut to help regulate responses. The Independent’s fitness and wellbeing editor, Emilie Lavinia, drank it for a month and said she felt superhuman. So, it’s worth a shot or two.

The daily suggested serving for kefir is 250 millilitres, to help maximise the health benefits. You can read a comprehensive list of the best gut-healthy drinks on the market here.

Mushrooms

Just a couple of ordinary chestnut or button mushrooms can build your microbiome (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Shiitake mushrooms are rich in beta-glucans, which have been shown to activate immune cells like macrophages, as well as crucial innate immune lymphocytes that rapidly detect viruses, which are known as natural killer cells. Potassium can also reduce the negative impact of salt on the body. Win-win. And even just a couple of ordinary chestnut or button mushrooms can build your microbiome, sp here’s an easy mushroom flatbread recipe that’s packed with tonnes of flavour with minimal effort.

Bell peppers

Bell peppers are high in antioxidants (Getty Images)

Red, yellow or green; Bell peppers are high in antioxidants, which have been proven to protect immune cells from oxidative damage and support inflammation control. This is also true of other fruit and veg like berries or leafy greens. As a bonus, red peppers are also full of vitamin C, which can also improve dark spots and wrinkles, according to Harvard Medical School. Excellent news.

Further reading:

The symptoms to look out for to distinguish between the superflu and the common cold here.

Why you should get the flu jab, even if you’re young and healthy, here.