While your immune system is naturally smart and resilient, it needs your help to stay that way. One of the most simple ways you can help your immune system is with what you eat. Many foods and herbs have properties that boost your body’s natural immune response, such as garlic.

Yes, garlic has a long-time reputation for keeping vampires away, but it also strengthens your body’s natural immune function by stimulating the cells in your immune system, including your natural killer cells and other white blood cells.

Elderberries, specifically black elderberry extract, is another powerful food with antiviral properties. Researchers found it to be effective against 10 different influenza strains, and to reduce the flu symptoms in three to four days. These tiny dark berries are not only beneficial because of the antiviral properties they contain, but also because they naturally stimulate the immune response to fight against pathogens.

There are plenty of foods out there that you can add to your diet to strengthen its ability to fight illnesses. If you click here, you‘ll find 9 of them.

This story was one of the best from 2019, and we are happy to include it in our “12 Days of Optimism” as we get ready to welcome 2020!