Want to dig a little deeper? These key nutrients help keep your
body’s immune system in tip-top shape.
Immune boosting nutrient Key food sources
Vitamin A
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
Zinc
Folate
Selenium
sweet potato, pumpkin, carrots, spinach, butternut squash, cantaloupe, liver,
soft goat cheese, milk, salmon, egg
fortified cereals, beans, poultry, fish, and some vegetables and fruits,
especially dark leafy greens, papayas, oranges, cantaloupe
fish, poultry, meat, eggs, dairy products, fortified breakfast cereals and enriched soy
or rice milk, Red Star nutritional yeast
sweet peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, tomato, potato,
strawberries, kiwi, oranges, papaya, guava, mango, pineapple, pink grapefruit
milk, fortified soy and rice beverages, fortified orange juice, fish like salmon and
sardine, egg yolks, fortified yogurts (check the label)
nuts, seeds, avocado, vegetable oils, wheat germ, leafy greens, fish
oysters, fish, seafood, beef, wheat germ, pumpkin seeds, baked beans, lentils, cheese
fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, breakfast cereals, fortified grains
and grain products
mushrooms, nuts, liver, fish eggs, whole grains, pasta, dairy foods
While these superstar foods contain immune-boosting nutrients, a vitamin D supplement is recommended during the winter months. We don’t get
enough sun exposure to make the right amount of
vitamin D. A 1000 IU supplement every day will
do the trick.
PRObiotics: Probiotics are good bacteria that help
keep your immune system healthy. To fight colds,
you need about 10 billion active probiotic cultures
a day. This amount can be found in some yogurt
with added probiotics. Check the label. Regular
yogurt does not contain enough probiotics to see
these effects. Probiotics can also be found in capsules and pills.
To help fight colds, you have to take probiotics
every day for at least three months before the cold
season begins. There are many different types of
probiotics. Look for products that specifically contain
• Lactobacillus gasseri, CECT5714 or PA16/8
• Lactobacillus acidophilus, 74-2 or NCFM
• Lactobacillus casei, DN 114
• Bifidobacterium longum, SP07/3
• Bifidobacterium bifidum MF 20/5
Probiotics are also found in fermented foods,
which have been produced or preserved using
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good bacteria. Examples: yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut,
kimchi/kimchee (Korean pickled cabbage), miso,
tempeh, injera, fish sauce, soy sauce and
Worcestershire sauce.
PREbiotics: Prebiotics are carbohydrates that
cannot be digested but act as “food” for
probiotics. Prebiotics can be found in:
• Vegetables: artichoke, asparagus, bananas,
garlic, leeks, onion, tomatoes
• Grains: barley, rye, whole grains
• Roots: chicory root, dandelion root
A different group of prebiotics come from
fermented foods like yogurt, buttermilk and kefir
(fermented milk).
Spices: Garlic, ginger and turmeric are known to
have anti-inflammatory properties. One study
showed that those who ate garlic every day for
three months had fewer colds.
Sources
• Tips for Staying Well During Cold and Flu Season, PEN Handout (Practice-based Evidence in Nutrition),
Dietitians of Canada
• Immune System Background, PEN (Practice-based Evidence in Nutrition), Dietitians of Canada
• Your Brain on Nature, Eva Selhub and Alan Logan
• Three of the B vitamins: folate, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. Harvard School of Public Health
• What you need to know about vitamin C, EatRight Ontario
• What you need to know about vitamin A, EatRight Ontario
• What you need to know about vitamin D, EatRight Ontario
• What you need to know about vitamin E, EatRight Ontario
• What you need to know about zinc, EatRight Ontario
• The scoop on selenium, EatRight Ontario
• Food sources of selenium, PEN handout (Practice-based Evidence in Nutrition), Dietitians of Canada
• Prebiotics, EatRight Ontario
• List of ferm