Food to eat to stop viruses in winter: Professor's advice
Illustrative photo (Freepik)
A well-known professor Tim Spector has identified three key foods that should be included in your diet to boost your immune system and safeguard against viruses during the colder months.
Types of foods to include in your diet for immunity
The nutrition expert advised people on the best types of food they can consume to protect themselves from unpleasant seasonal illnesses.
As is known, during the fall and winter months, we become more vulnerable to colds, flu, COVID, and other viruses.
Lower temperatures and the fact that we spend more time indoors rather than outdoors significantly affect our immunity.
“With winter approaching, along with it come viruses and infections, and people are asking me what they can do to maximize their immune system. Our number one weapon is the food choices we make,” said the nutrition expert.
1. Eat 30 different vegetables a week
Research from the American Gut Project showed that the more varied vegetables you eat, the more diverse your gut microbiome will be.
While 30 may seem like a large number, keep in mind that this list includes nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, spices, herbs, fruits, and vegetables. This makes it much easier to incorporate these foods into your diet.
2. Eat colorful fruits and vegetables
These foods, thanks to polyphenols, nourish beneficial gut bacteria. By consuming a variety of brightly colored fruits and vegetables, you feed diverse microbes, which, in turn, support your health.
3. Include some fermented foods in your daily diet
The trick with fermented foods is to maximize the benefits of probiotics, including increasing the diversity of the gut microbiome.
Tim Spector also advised reducing the consumption of ultra-processed foods, which negatively impact our gut health. Try to replace them with homemade alternatives whenever possible.
This material is for informational purposes only and should not be used for medical diagnosis or self-treatment. Our goal is to provide readers with accurate information about symptoms, causes, and methods of detecting diseases. RBС-Ukraine is not responsible for any diagnoses that readers may make based on materials from the resource. We do not recommend self-treatment and advise consulting a doctor in case of any health concerns.
