As you may know I was taken down with a head cold / flu this month and it completely wiped me out. I figured it was the perfect time to think about how to look after your immune system. What little things you can look at nutrition wise to help support the immune system, and how you can look after yourself when you are taken down with illness.


Eating for immunity isn’t a singular, one nutrient path. It’s a multiple of different vitamins, minerals and macronutrients that work together to help aid the function of the immune system.


The immune system itself is a complex group that works in all different parts of the body, helping our body fight off unwanted pathogens.


Looking after your gut health will also really benefit the function of the immune system. Eating a variety of fruits, vegetables and wholegrain food can help support good gut function and improve the functioning of the immune system. Read more about gut health here.


Below are just a few key nutrients that specifically support immune function, which are great to incorporate into your diet for overall immune health.

Vitamin C is an important nutrient for the overall health and functionality of the immune system. It is an essential vitamin meaning our bodies cannot produce it and it is water soluble, which means our bodies will only absorb what we need with the rest being sent out of our body through our bladder. This essentially means we need to be eating vitamin C rich foods daily to get what we need.


Zinc is a mineral important for immunity. It is used by most of our white blood cells within our immune system to code their genes. Zinc plays a key role in enzyme function, which means that low levels of zinc prevents your cells and tissues, including the tissues that make up your immune system, from working properly. Zinc also helps fight infections and heal wounds.


Vitamin E helps maintain healthy skin and eyes, and strengthen the body's natural defence against illness and infection (the immune system).


Garlic contains several elements beneficial to the immune system. The sulfur in garlic helps the body absorb the trace element zinc, which is also a key nutrient for immunity as mentioned above. The sulphur compounds from garlic enter the body from the digestive tract and travel all over the body, where it exerts its potent biological effects. Once through the digestive system they can only be removed from the body via the respiratory tract. As they are breathed out, they can pick up bugs and viruses on the mucous membranes, stopping them entering the body.


Shitake and oyster mushrooms contain B vitamins, zinc and vitamin D. They have been used in Chinese medicine for many years, specifically to boost health. Shitake mushrooms have one of the highest amounts of natural copper, a mineral that supports healthy blood vessels, bones, and immune support. They are also rich in polysaccharides including lentinans and beta glucans. Polysaccharides can help aid the immune system. Compounds, lentinans and beta glucans protect against cell damage, help your immune system and boost white blood cell production for fighting off microbes.

Diet isn’t the only way of helping support the immune system, reducing alcohol, avoiding smoking, regular exercise, getting enough sleep and managing stress will also help keep an active immune system.


If you are already run down with a cold or any of the bugs going around this winter then I suggest taking time out to rest. Rest is so important to help give your body the time to do it's job and fight off those unwanted bugs.


Keep hydrated, water is essential for almost every bodily function and it will keep your body working as it should. I like to have warm water with slices of lemon, ginger, and a touch of manuka honey. These all have natural antibacterial properties.


Eating well isn’t always a priority when you are feeling rubbish, and if you are like me and have no one else to cook for you I know you reach for what is the easiest and quickest meal option. The easiest way to make sure you have a boost of nutrients inside you is to supplement with a vitamin tablet, I prefer to take a Vitamin-C with Zinc supplement, or one specifically aimed at immunity, rather than a multi vitamin because you have a more concentrated dose of what you need for your immune system.


I usually try to have a smoothie combining my vitamin tablet (one that dissolves in water), mixed dark berries, which have a whole range of different antioxidants that support immune health, avocado to help slow down the release of blood sugars and contains Vitamin E, ginger for its anti inflammatory properties, and spinach to get some extra nutrients inside me.

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