13 Foods to Boost Your Immune System Constantly washing your hands isn't the only way to stay healthy. Add these immune system-boosters to your diet for an extra illness-fighting punch. ( COURTECY;- By Amanda MacMillan And Tamara Schryver, RD Jul 7, 2018 AD )

13 Foods to Boost Your Immune System

Constantly washing your hands isn't the only way to stay healthy. Add these immune system-boosters to your diet for an extra illness-fighting punch.

By Amanda MacMillan And Tamara Schryver, RD

Jul 7, 2018

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Whether you want to keep away the stomach flu that’s spreading around the office or avoid catching a debilitating cold, you're going to need a strong immune system. Sure, getting a flu shot, washing your hands, and staying away from stray coughs and sneezes can help keep germs away, but at some point or another, your body is going to become exposed to a bug.

How to make your immune system strongerIdeally, when this happens, your immune system (the tissues and organs that produce, store, and carry white blood cells that fight infections and diseases) will attack and destroy the disease-causing germs that invade your body. But sometimes it fails, and an organism or substance makes you sick.

The odds of a bug overcoming your immune system and making you sick are much lower if you live a healthy lifestyle. Learning to manage your stress levels, ditching your cigarette habit, exercising regularly, and maintaining a healthy weight are all things that can help keep your immune system strong and keep illnesses at bay, according to resources from Harvard. Eating a healthy diet rich in these nutrient-packed immune-boosting foods can also help.

Yogurt

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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 than 8 total grams of sugar is still a wholesome option.

Your optimal dose: One 7-ounce serving daily.