Nutritionists reveal the best foods to stock up on if you want to avoid getting sick this winter 

With cold and flu season approaching, nutritionists are sharing the foods you’ll need to stock up on to level up your immune system. 

As days become shorter and people begin to trade their tank tops for sweaters, the start of winter signals another dreadful beginning – the start of cold and flu season and of course, the third winter of COVID. 

To give your immune system a boost and help fight off this winter’s storm of viruses, nutritionists have revealed how your diet can help you avoid getting sick. 

From blueberries to leafy green vegetables and ginger, these ten foods will ensure you get through cold and flu season without so much as a cough. 

Small but mighty! Fight off the flu with blueberries 

Many nutritionists have praised this super fruit for its immune boosting properties. 

Packed with antioxidants that help your body ward off everyday toxins, and high in both potassium and vitamin C, blueberries are the top choice for boosting your immune system among doctors and nutritionists. 

These small but mighty fruits contain flavonoids – an antioxidant that helps reduce damage to cells and reacts with gut microbes to stop the flu from damaging tissue. 

Blueberries are also high in vitamin C, vitamin A, fiber and magnesium – all of which help prevent you from catching a cold. 

According to research by the University of Auckland, consuming flavonoids, which are found in blueberries, decreased adults chances of catching a cold by 33 per cent. 

Blueberries have become a popular remedy for the common cold and are also known for helping to prevent heart disease, lower blood pressure and improve brain function and memory, according to Healthline. 

Medicinal mushrooms! Say goodbye to your cold with these vegetables 

Mushrooms have been a staple ingredient in meals for fighting off viruses and helping to increase your immune system. 

According to Dr. Nancy Rahnama, an internist and obesity medicine specialist from Los Angeles, California, mushrooms are high in vitamin D, which makes you less likely to catch a cold or flu. 

By incorporating mushrooms into your daily routine, you can strengthen your immune system. 

These vegetables are high in antioxidants that help protect you against conditions like heart disease and cancer and can even protect you against damage from aging, in addition to boosting your immune system. 

Mushrooms are also a great source of selenium, which plays an important role in your immune system. 

Selenium helps lower oxidative stress in your body, which reduces inflammation and enhances immunity, according to Healthline

In addition to vitamin D, mushrooms are also rich in vitamin B. 

B vitamins include riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid, all of which help protect heart health, while also helping to prevent a common cough and cold. 

Gear up for this winter’s storm of viruses with ginger 

Ginger has several anti-inflammatory properties known to help increase your chances of fighting off a virus.

From drinking it as tea, to taking it as a shot, or eating it with honey, the spicy, aromatic root is one of the most popular home remedies to boost your immune system. 

Gingerol, which is a compound found in ginger, fights inflammation in the body while boosting calcium levels. 

An increase in the amount of calcium in your cells help to ease common cold symptoms, such as a sore throat, inflammation in the lungs and settle nausea that can often come with the flu as well as relieve the pain of general body aches from colds. 

According to the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, fresh ginger helps to prevent human respiratory viruses from attaching to and infecting upper respiratory cells. 

The root can also inhibit the production of mucus and clear up congestion, as well as lower the risk of cancer, support cardiovascular health and improve digestion, according to Medical News Today. 

Need a boost of vitamin C? Grab a bell pepper and beat off infections 

Although citrus fruits are known for their high amounts of vitamin C, many are often surprised to learn that bell peppers are actually three times higher in the disease-fighting vitamin and can aide in boosting your immune system.

One nutritionist, who goes by nutritiouslyeasy on TikTok, revealed bell peppers have ‘the most vitamin C of any fruit or veggies’, making them a great food to incorporate to help fight off viruses. 

Vitamin C is an essential vitamin, meaning your body can’t produce it on its own, and has many benefits that help strengthen you body’s defense to illness. 

Studies show that consuming more vitamin C in your day-to-day routine can increase your blood antioxidant and protect cells from harmful molecules. 

In addition to vitamin C, bell peppers are high in vitamin B6, which assist in the formation of red blood cells, vitamin K1, which increases bone health, and vitamin E, which is essential for healthy nerves and muscles. 

These vegetables are also a rich source of beta-carotene, which boost immune systems and keep your eyes and skin healthy. 

According to Healthline, bell peppers don’t just aide in fighting off the dreadful symptoms that come with a cold or flu, they also can improve eye health and prevent anemia. 

Get your mints ready! Garlic is a disease-fighting powerhouse 

Often called the stinky rose, this vegetable should be at the top of your eat-to-stay-healthy list for this upcoming flu season. 

According to nutritionists, garlic helps fight off infections while providing a wide variety of health benefits. 

Garlic contains a compound called alliin, when the vegetable is crushed or chewed, this compound turns into allicin, which helps boost the fighting response in white blood cells when they encounter viruses, such as the viruses that cause a cold or flu. 

Not only does garlic help prevent you from getting sick in the first place, it also reduces the amount of time you stay sick. 

According to a study in the Clinical Nutrition Journal, aged garlic extract can shorten your cold duration by 61 per cent. 

Another study found that colds were significantly shorter and less severe for those who ate 2.56 grams of aged garlic extract per day, compared to those who didn’t  incorporate any garlic into their diets. 

Garlic is also an anti-inflammatory and can help to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. 

Not only does it have many health benefits, but it’s also extremly easy to incorporate into your diet. 

You can put it in almost any recipe or find it supplement form if you’re not a fan of the taste. 

Loaded with vitamins! Stay from viruses by eating sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are much more than just a fall favorite food, these starchy vegetables are loaded with vitamins and antioxidants that help boost your immune system. 

Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A, which help to fight off viruses and support the immune system. 

One study found that vitamin A is one of the most important nutrients for immune support, adding that it helps to support T-cells, a type of white blood cell that’s essential for fighting off diseases. 

The vegetables also pack a punch when it comes to vitamin C, which decreases your chances of catching a cold and helps fights the virus off if you do get sick. 

Additionally, help to improve eyesight, boost brain function and improve gut health. 

Severe vitamin A deficiency is linked to a special kind of blindness known as xerophthalmia. Eating these starchy vegetables, which are rich in beta-carotenes, Eating foods rich in beta-carotene, may help improve your eyesight and prevent this condition. 

And while sweet potatoes may be your favorite Thanksgiving dish, these orange-colored vegetables should be eaten year-round to soak up their immune boasting properties. 

TikTok chef Sophie Piccirilli has been showing her followers how to incorporate sweet potatoes into a delicious dish on her channel. 

One dish she calls the ‘sweet potato overload’, includes several immune boosting foods, including sweet potatoes, garlic and broccoli, making it the perfect meal for the cold and flu season. 

Bring on the broccoli! Beat this cold and flu season with these green veggies 

Broccoli is supercharged with many vitamins that help boost your immune system, ensuring you’re ready to fight off any virus that may come your way. 

Broccoli is packed with vitamins A, C and E, making it one of the healthiest vegetables you can put on your plate. 

One cup of broccoli provides as much vitamin C as an orange, making it a nutrient-packed powerhouse. 

The vegetables is also rich in beta-carotene, potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron and an array of B vitamins, all of which help keep you immune system in the best shape possible for the upcoming flu season. 

According to a study by UCLA, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, sulforaphane, a chemical found in broccoli, enables a set of antioxidant genes and enzymes in immune cells to combat free radicals that can damage cells and lead to disease. 

Broccoli is also known as the ‘master regulator’ of antioxidants, meaning it helps to increase the production of other antioxidants in the body. 

So although you may have been pushing these green veggies to the side as a kid, you may want to start filling you plate up with broccoli if you are trying to avoid catching the flu this year. 

Spice up your immune system! Turmeric is a powerhouse of antioxidants  

This bright yellow-orange root is a staple spice in many cultures and also contains a magical compound known as curcumin, which provides many health benefits. 

Turmeric is a powerful antioxidant that offers a big boost to your immune system with curcumin, a chemical found in the spice, because it works its way into cell membranes and improves their ability to ward off infections. 

When colds and the flu run rampant in the winter season, turmeric can help save the day because it helps prevent illness and helps you fight off a cold too.

Research shows that turmeric can activate T-cells, B-cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells, as well as enhance the body’s antibody responses.

This means that the spice doesn’t just boost your immune system bust also helps to reduce effects of arthritis, allergy, asthma, atherosclerosis, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and cancer. 

It also encourages the growth of beneficial strains of bacteria in the gut, improving digestion and lowering disease-causing bacteria. 

This spice can also help you stay active with its magical compound curcumin, which helps to decrease exercise-induced muscle damage. 

Whether you’re adding turmeric as a spice in your cooking or taking supplements, this root can ensure you’ll be ready to fight off that cold.  

Leafy greens to the rescue! Never worry about another cold while nutrient-packed spinach 

This leafy green is loaded with antioxidants and nutrients like Vitamin E and C, which helps the immune system beat infections.

Spinach is rich in vitamin C and packed with numerous antioxidants and beta carotene, which both work to increase the infection-fighting abilities of immune systems. 

This vegetable, which is loaded with potassium, has been shown to be a natural immunity booster that can also benefit your health in multiple other ways.

Spinach has nutritious vitamins and minerals, including folate, iron and lutein, is a great source of Omega-3s and includes phytonutrients that help ward off diseases and germs. 

It can also help you maintain good vision because of its high levels of chlorophyll and support healthy bones because of its vitamin K. 

Spinach can even help to increase energy levels because it’s rich in iron, which plays a large role in the function of red blood that aide in transporting oxygen and supporting energy production and DNA synthesis. 

If you want to soak up spinach’s health-boosting potential, it’s an easy vegetable to incorporate in your diet as you can eat it raw, cook it with almost any recipe or even blend it in a smoothie. 

Kick your cold to the side with nutrient-packed kiwis

These fruits may be small, but they sure pack a punch as their filled with vitamins, minerals and plant compounds. 

Kiwis contain vitamin C, E and are an excellent source of plant compounds that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidants effects on your body. 

The flavorful fruits are high in carotenoids like lutein, zeaxanthin and beta carotene, all of which help to fight of diseases. 

Studies show that diets high in carotenoids may help protect against heart disease and cancer. 

Kiwis are also extremly high in vitamin C, making them a great fruit to help beat this season’s cold and flu.

Studies have shown that just eating even one kiwi per day can help you reach optimal blood levels of vitamin C. 

A study in 15 males with low vitamin C levels showed that eating one kiwi per day for six weeks was enough to reach ‘healthy’ levels of vitamin C.

Kiwis also contain insoluble and soluble fiber that help benefit digestive health, help regulate blood sugar levels and support heart health. 

Adding one of these nutrient-packed fruits into your diet can help defend you against cold and flu season; you can even blend kiwis into a smoothie with other immune-boosting fruits like blueberries to keep the flu as far away as possible.