Nobody likes to get sick. We all spend quite a lot of time working hard to avoid coming down with a cold or the flu. We go out of our way to stay clear of anyone who appears to be sick, don’t we? We buy lots of hand sanitizer. We buy lots of dietary supplements. We read articles about how to keep ourselves healthy. It’s no secret that a balanced, healthy diet is important. The problem is that we don’t always know which foods are the best choices for enhancing our immune system so we can avoid ill health. If you want to build a strong immune system – and who doesn’t? – include the following superfoods in your menu each week.

Do you regularly eat Brazil Nuts? You should try them! They are loaded with selenium. If you want a good source of selenium, Brazil Nuts are considered one of the best. Selenium helps protect against deterioration caused by free radicals. It can also protect you against heart disease, cancer, and a variety of infections. It is particularly useful in fighting against the bacteria that takes up residence in your gut area. Brazil Nuts are easy to add to foods while you cook. You can also toss them into the salad that you are eating. Brazil Nuts are perfect to snack on plain.

Kale is great for your immune system, but it should be eaten raw. Raw kale supplies a form of Vitamin C that is highly rated. Not only that, but it is low in sugar and really high in fiber. It’s better to eat kale raw because, when it’s cooked, part of the Vitamin C is destroyed.

Heat is the enemy of Vitamin C and causes it to break down. This is why it is important to keep the kale in the salad raw. You already know that vitamin C is best for your immune system, so make sure you eat raw kale at least once a week to keep your immune system strong.

Do you like sunflower seeds? Did you know that they are a very potent superfood for your immune system? Vitamin E is the “secret sauce” in sunflower seeds. Your body needs Vitamin E in order to have healthy mucous membranes.

It’s important for these membranes to stay healthy, because they fight infections when they first begin. Switch from your normal “junk food” salty snacks to sunflower seeds. They make a great replacement. When you’re making a nice, big salad full of vegetables, increase the protein in the salad by adding the “meat” of the sunflower seeds. A big handful would be nice! It’s easy to see why sunflower seeds are important for your immune system and thought of as one of nature’s superfoods.

The list of superfoods that have the nutrients to keep your immune system healthy is growing each week. For the most part, these are foods that are easy enough to cook into the other foods you eat at meals. We have talked about a few of those foods in this article. We’ve barely touched the tip of the iceberg regarding the different superfoods you can eat that will boost your immune system. Continue with your research on superfoods and you will find that there are many that can help you maintain your health.