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Baby food to increase immunity


5 Immune-Boosting Baby Foods

Colds, flu, and stomach bugs are no fun for anyone, of course, but these chilly-season illnesses can be especially challenging (or even a bit scary) when they infiltrate your family’s tiniest tykes. Parents, siblings, and caregivers can help prevent spreading sickness to babies by getting a flu shot (babies can get the vaccine, too, after six months), frequently washing their hands, covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue, and distancing themselves from little ones if they do get sick.

If your baby is eating solid foods, you can also support her good health by dishing up tasty foods that boost her immunity.* Add these five ingredients into your family’s meal rotation and help everyone keep those bad bugs at bay!

1. Whole-Fat Plain Yogurt

Plain yogurt is a great way to get probiotics, the good bacteria that help your baby fend off harmful bacteria in the digestive system, promote overall immunity, and ease side effects if she ends up needing antibiotics. (Look for products labeled with a “Live & Active Cultures” seal from the National Yogurt Association.) Yogurt is also a good source of the immunity-boosting crusader vitamin D and protein, which helps grow, maintain, and repair every single cell in the body, including infection-fighting white blood cells.

You can serve yogurt by itself (but don’t use sweetened varieties) or stir it into fruit or veggie purées as a healthy way to balance the tartness.

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2. Sweet Potatoes

These in-season yellow-orange tubers are packed with beta carotene—our bodies convert this nutrient into vitamin A, which is essential for healthy immune system function. Carrots, squash, pumpkins, mangoes, and dark, leafy greens are other good sources of beta-carotene.

Find out how to prepare your sweet potatoes with our easy guide.

3. Avocado

This deliciously creamy fruit is a good source of both vitamin E (a potent antioxidant) and vitamin B6, which helps build the cells of the immune system and increase immune response. The omega-3 fatty acids in avocados also help the body better absorb immune-boosting nutrients, so including it in baby’s dinner will make the most of all the healthful ingredients that go in his mouth.

Purée or mash avocado well before serving. If baby is around 10 months old, you could also try the Spunky Coconut’s simple DIY avocado-pear ice pops—they might even help with teething!

4. Brown Rice

These nutritious little grains are packed with the essential minerals magnesium (a macromineral—you need a lot of it) and selenium (a micromineral—you need it, but not a ton), which both enhance immunity and bolster resistance to viral infections.

Purée cooked brown rice with meats, veggies, or fruits—brown rice blended with roasted bananas, a dash of cinnamon, and a little water is so good we would eat it! It’s also delish mashed up with stewed dried fruits.

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5. Blueberries

Whether fresh or frozen (winter is coming), blueberries are a super source of multiple antioxidants (especially the flavonoid compound, anthocyanins), which can help fight off all sorts of illnesses. Blueberries are also a good source of vitamin C—and while research has found that vitamin C actually does little to prevent colds, it may help ease symptoms if your child is already sick.

Whole blueberries are a choking hazard, but you can blend these sweet-tart beauties up alone (if sweet enough) or mix them with apples, bananas, pears, yogurt, oatmeal, or beef for a heartier baby-friendly meal.

* Check with your doctor before serving any new foods to your baby: Most little ones take their first bites around six months, but regardless of age, he should be able to sit in a high chair and have good head control. The standard advice is to start with single-ingredient purées—wait three days before introducing another food to confirm your baby isn’t experiencing an allergic reaction such as rash, diarrhea, or vomiting. Never add salt or sweeteners.

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Top 10 Immune System Boosting Foods For Babies and Kids (with ideas and recipes)

last updated: by Kalyani


Immunity-Boosting  Foods For Babies And Kids - We are already dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and we have been worried sick about getting infected and are kids getting infected as well. With the onset of monsoon season, more infections are going around like dengue or malaria or a common cold, which means that the chances of kids getting one of the viral infections is high.

We should take the right precautions for COVID-19, but you cannot be safe from common cold or malaria/dengue as they don’t care if you are inside your home. They can attack you anytime, and thus, keeping your kids safe this is essential, now more than ever.

Therefore, trying to increase the immunity of your child is imperative right now. It doesn’t guarantee that your kid won’t get sick, but it can ensure that the body is powerful enough to fight those infections. 

Here are several food items that can help you increase your kid’s immunity. Let’s check them out.

1. Almonds


This dry fruit is a superfruit as it contains manganese and vitamin E,  they both are known for their immune-boosting power and for enhancing the activity of natural cell killers.   Here are the ways to make your child eat almonds

Recipes:

  • Almond Milk (1 year+)
  • Almond Powder (8 months+)
  • Almond Halwa (1 year+)
  • Almond Cookies (1 year+)
  • Almond Muffins (1 year+)
  • Almond Milkshake (1 year+)

2.Turmeric


This spice is known for its healing properties in India. It has an active agent known as curcumin which is rich in antioxidants. Turmeric helps with healing, inflammation, and is also an immune booster spice. It is best to use this spice daily in your recipes(at least a pinch).

Recipes:

  • Turmeric milk (1 year+)

3.Yogurt or curd


Yogurt/Curd is full of probiotics that help with our immune system. You can easily make yogurt/curd at home, Make sure the curd/yogurt has low or no sugar as sugar if buying in stores as it can decrease your immunity level. Do avoid giving curd to your child if the kid has a sore throat though.

Recipes:

  • Curd Rice (8 Months+)
  • Curd Oats (8 Months+)
  • Curd Khichdi (8 Months+)
  • Curd Poha (8 Months+)
  • Dahi Chura (8 Months+)
  • Mango Lassi (8 Months+)
  • Cucumber Lassi (8 Months+)
  • Strawberry Lassi (8 Months+)
  • Blueberry Smoothie (8 Months+)

4. Leafy vegetables


The best food for immunity boosting is leafy vegetables. They are rich in nutrients like Vitamin A, C, K, calcium, magnesium, beta-carotene, and more. Also, they help fight infection and keep the body healthy.

Try to include foods like spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, broccoli, and more into your kid’s diet.

Recipes:

  • Broccoli Recipes for babies and kids
  • Spinach Recipes babies and kids

5. Ginger, onion, pepper, and Garlic


They have flavonoids which help with building immunity. Different active agents in all three help with seasonal illness and also cancer. The best way to use them is to use them liberally while cooking up any dish.

Recipes:

  • Tomato Rasam (8 Months+)
  • Pepper Rasam (10 Months+)
  • Pepper kulambu (1 Year+)
  • Dry ginger milk (1 Year+)
  • Garlic Milk (1 Year+)

6. Eggs


Eggs are low in calories and are the natural source of vitamin D. If your body has low vitamin D, it is more susceptible to illnesses. Also, it has other nutrients like selenium.

Recipes:

Top 22 Egg recipes for babies, toddlers, and kids 

7. Fruits


All fruits are great for boosting immunity, and berries are a part of them too. Make sure your kids eat all seasonal fruits, and apple, and papaya especially.

Recipes:

  • Fruit salad and fruit custard (1 Year+)
  • Fruit Smoothies(1 Year+)
  • Fruit Dessert (1 Year+)
  • Fruit Jam(1 Year+)
  • Fruit Purees (6 Months+)
  • Fruit Milkshakes (1 Year+)

8. Sweet potato


Sweet potato is enriched with beta-carotene and also has vitamin c. It helps the body increase the number of white blood cells in the body, which helps fight infections. 

Recipes:

Sweet potato recipes for babies, toddlers, and kids

9.Oats


Oats are fulfilling and rich in fiber. The beta-glucans can help activate killer cells which keeps our body safe from viruses and bacteria and other infections.

Recipes:

Oats recipes for babies, toddlers, and kids

10.Fish and meat


They are rich in protein which helps muscle building. It also activates white blood cells which are critical for fighting infections.

Recipes:

Non-veg recipes for babies, toddlers, and kids

Boosting the immunity of your children and yourself is imperative for better safety and healthy life. Make a planner in which you can add your daily recipes for your baby that includes all these immunity-boosting foods.

Author Bio:

Kavita is an Outreach Specialist cum Content writer. When not glued to her laptop, she can be found making travel plans that rarely happen 😉 Connect with Kavita on Twitter @dreamerkavita

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How to raise the child's immunity. Folk remedies for immunity for children

Oh, this is a mysterious capacious word "immunity"! Pediatricians attribute numerous catarrhal childhood illnesses to his immaturity, saying that, they say, immunity will strengthen and the child will stop getting sick.

Do you really want to help the process of strengthening immunity and speed it up! What can you, a caring mother, do to protect the baby? It turns out that some products help strengthen the immune defense of the child. Well, it’s up to parents to ensure proper nutrition of the crumbs! Here are some of the most immune-boosting foods.

Dairy and fermented milk products enriched with probiotics, live lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. To date, it has been proven that the intestine is the largest organ of the immune system. It is the composition of the intestinal microflora that affects the formation and proper functioning of the immune system. If a child regularly receives probiotics with dairy and sour-milk products from the first days of life, this will contribute to the formation of healthy intestinal microflora, which will protect him from infections and allergies.

Choose a milk for a baby over a year old

Fresh fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins A, E and C, which are essential for the immune system. The leader among immunity assistants is vitamin C. There is a lot of it in young cabbage, citrus fruits and other fruits, in greens. Vitamin A is rich in carrots, sweet peppers, and tomatoes. Tomatoes also contain the substance lycopene, which belongs to antioxidants and protects our body from adverse environmental influences. Vitamin E is involved in the production of specific antibodies that fight viruses. He settled in spinach and lettuce, as well as in beets.

Berries are a storehouse of vitamins and trace elements and a faithful helper of the immune system. Rosehip is a berry favorite - it contains a large amount of vitamins A and C. Therefore, a rosehip decoction must be present in the child's diet. Sea buckthorn and blackcurrant are also rich in vitamin C. Do not ignore cranberries and blueberries, give these berries to your child regularly.

Nuts, seeds - rich in vitamin A, E. Pumpkin seeds also contain zinc. Studies have shown that zinc inhibits the reproduction of rhinoviruses, the causative agents of the common cold. In the case of taking zinc preparations, the frequency and duration of ARVI is reduced. Walnuts contain ellagic acid, which is a good antioxidant.

Fatty fish contains omega-3 fatty acids that protect against many diseases. Vegetable oil is also rich in polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids. It is recommended to use in the diet not only the usual sunflower oil, but also olive, mustard, hemp, corn and so on.

Meat is rich in protein, which is very important for the functioning of the immune system. But the meat should be lean, with a minimum fat content. It is in it that zinc is contained in large quantities, which protects a person from various infections.

Onions and garlic are natural antiseptics due to the content of antimicrobial substances - phytoncides.

Teas, both black and green to a greater extent, contain antioxidants that protect our body from the attack of harmful substances.

Seafood is rich in zinc, which is necessary for the production of white blood cells that fight pathogens.

Of course, it should be borne in mind that not all of the listed products are suitable for a child, especially a very small one. Of course, a baby who has only recently become acquainted with the taste of products other than mother's milk should not be given garlic or seeds. But in no case should you forget about such products as meat, vegetable oil, fruits and berries, kefir and vegetable oil. Give them regularly, in sufficient quantity and assortment, thereby laying the foundations for good health and reliable functioning of the child's immunity.

Immunity Boosting Products: List of Immunity Boosting Products for Adults and Children

The immune system has a difficult task: it must always be ready to notice and respond correctly to the "invasion" of pathogens, to identify the "enemy". To function properly, the immune system needs a balanced diet, which should include immune-healthy foods. Therefore, scientists consider optimal nutrition to be the one that supports the functioning of the body, including immune cells, allowing you to quickly launch and regulate the immune response when necessary. Read more in the source "> 1.

List of products that increase immunity

The benefits of products for immunity are due to their composition, namely the nutrients they contain (biologically active elements that come from food and participate in the metabolism, necessary for the life of the body). Micronutrients are necessary for a variety of processes in the body, but some vitamins and minerals play a special role in ensuring the normal functioning of the immune system in case of violations.

Among the primary nutrients that increase immunity, there are vitamins such as A , C , D and groups B , as well as trace elements selenium, iron, zinc and copper Read more in the source "> 2.

Berries are a source of antioxidants Read more in the source ">3

Maintaining immunity largely depends on whether the body receives enough micronutrients, including antioxidants to fight free radicals. Free radicals are a by-product of a vital chemical process: thanks to oxygen, cells receive energy, but in parallel, reactive oxygen species, oxidants, are formed that destroy cells. The body has its own antioxidant defense, but it is not omnipotent - otherwise a person would not get sick and grow old.

Berries are a good source of antioxidants. List of berries richest in antioxidant properties Read more in the source "> 4, Read more in the source"> 5.

  • sea buckthorn
  • blueberry
  • grapes
  • cherry
  • chokeberry
  • currant

Foods rich in vitamin C

Vitamin C is one of the most famous antioxidants. It has an anti-inflammatory effect and enhances the effect of other antioxidants. Read more in the source "> 6. Many animals can synthesize it, but humans cannot. Read more in the source"> 7. In addition, this useful vitamin does not accumulate in the body. Therefore, foods rich in vitamin From , must be in the diet constantly.

Fruits and vegetables abound in this nutrient. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends eating at least 400 grams (5 servings) of vegetables and fruits per day. Read more in the source "> 8. This will allow you to provide yourself with a daily intake of vitamin C .

A lot of vitamin C in exotic fruits "However, Russian nutritionists treat them with doubt: the fruits are harvested immature, they still do not have enough necessary vitamins. In addition, the fruits are subjected to chemical treatment for safety during transportation. Read more in the source"\u003e 9. Therefore, it will be more reliable to include in your diet the following products that strengthen immunity Read more in the source "> 10.

  • blackcurrant
  • parsley
  • broccoli
  • Brussels sprouts
  • red and green peppers
  • strawberries
  • citrus
  • tomato juice and tomatoes
  • spinach
  • melon

Choose your own impaired

Raspberry seal

Forest berries

Multipher

Tutti-Frutti

Strawberries

products rich in Lizin

for immunity, “Building materials” of the organism: they consist of necessary for life: they consist of necessary for life. amino acids Read more in the source "> 11. One of them is lysine Read more in the source"> 12. The body itself cannot produce this amino acid. You can only get it from food or nutritional supplements. Symptoms of lysine deficiency largely coincide with signs of reduced immunity: fatigue, weakness, poor appetite, deterioration of the skin and hair. At the same time, studies have shown that lysine supplements helped children who often get colds Read more in the source "> 13.

Lysine is also needed to create antibodies that fight pathogens Read more in the source "> 14, Read more in the source"> 15. One form of this amino acid has anti-inflammatory properties and supports intestinal health, which, in turn, is responsible for the absorption of substances necessary for immunity Read more in the source "> 16.

Lysine is abundant in animal products Read more in the source" :

  • dairy and fermented milk products, especially cheese
  • chicken eggs
  • sea oily fish and seafood
  • rabbit meat
  • beef, veal, lamb, pork

Lysine is also found in plant foods - legumes, nuts, cereals. However, the concentration of this acid in them is much less.

Medicinal herbs Read more in the source "> 18

Over the past two decades, the number of studies on the antiviral and immunostimulating properties of plants has increased 10 times. Experts believe that some herbs can help block the enzymes of the virus, prevent it from penetrating into the body, and this can already strengthen the immune system.The most useful of the herbs are:

Chamomile: relieves fever and slows down inflammation. Read more in the source ">19.

Sage Read more in the source"> 20: has an immunomodulatory, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect.

Milk thistle: contains a complex of antioxidant substances that help boost immunity Read more in the source ">21. Scientists call rosemary a promising agent for combating pathogenic microorganisms. Read more in the source "> 23.

Calendula: it contains a lot of beta-carotene, from which vitamin A is synthesized . Reduces inflammation, has antibacterial properties. Read more in the source ">24.

St. John's wort: is rich in antioxidants, has antibacterial and antiviral activity. Read more in the source">25.

Melissa officinalis: high in antioxidants and essential oil. Melissa has antibacterial and antiviral properties Read more in the source "> 26.

The use of any medicinal herbs should be approached with caution due to their pronounced effect on the body, they should not be treated as ordinary herbal tea. Their turnover is regulated by the Law "On the Circulation of Medicines", therefore medicinal herbs are sold in pharmacies. In addition, many herbs have contraindications for use.

Fresh greens

As a rule, greens are rich in vitamins A , E and group B .

Parsley has long been used for many ailments. Some of its properties, including anti-inflammatory, are also used by modern medicine. Read more in the source "> 27.

Spinach is rich in substances that in the body are converted into vitamin A with very high efficiency Read more in the source"> 28.

Arugula contains anti-inflammatory substances. Arugula contains beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A , as well as vitamins B , C , K Read more in the source "> 29, Read more in the source"> 30.

Dill showed an anti-inflammatory effect in laboratory experiments. It also contains a lot of vitamins A , B3 and antioxidant substances Read more in the source "> 31.

Cilantro - a potential source of substances that play an immunomodulatory role, contains many bioactive substances Read more in the source"> 32.

Oils

Vegetable oils are the richest source of vitamin important for immunity E . But oils are very high in calories, you need to use them little by little. For example, add to a salad as a dressing. Cold-pressed oils are especially useful. Read more in the source "> 33: in this case, the seeds are crushed raw and nutrients are better preserved.

In addition to the well-known olive and sunflower oils, which are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids Omega 3 , 6 and 9 , useful for immunity are:

  • grape seed oil Read more in the source "> 34, Read more in the source"> 35
  • cedar oil Read more in the source">36
  • black cumin seed oil Read more in the source">37
  • sesame oil Read more in the source">38
  • camelina oil Read more in the source">39

There is another special group of oils that have long been used in medicine - essential oils. For example, basil essential oil exhibits antimicrobial activity. Read more in the source "> 40. However, not all essential oils have been proven to be effective. In addition, they may be contraindicated for some people.

Fresh juices Read more in the source"> 41

In general, fruits are preferred over juices. Fruits have a lot of fiber, and it creates a feeling of satiety. There is little fiber in juices, which is why we risk consuming more calories, giving preference to them. Read more in the source "> 42.

However, juice helps to quickly get a large dosage of essential vitamins.

For example, 100 grams of tomatoes contain 13.7 milligrams of vitamin C. Read more in the source "> 43, and 100 grams of tomato juice - 45 milligrams. Read more in the source"> 44.

Unlike juices in bags, fresh juices retain almost all vitamins, if you drink them immediately after preparation, we risk consuming more calories, giving them preference Read more in the source "> 45. Some juices are undesirable to drink in a concentrated form: they can irritate the gastric mucosa "It is recommended to dilute them with water. Also, nutritionists do not recommend drinking fresh juices on an empty stomach. But you should not abuse juices and drink more than one glass a day.

The most useful juices are considered:

  • apple juice Read more in the source "> 46 - not so much because of the presence of vitamin C , but because of the overall antioxidant activity: in 1 apple it is equivalent to 1500 milligrams of vitamin C .
  • orange Read more in source ">47" - contains vitamins C , B-6 , magnesium, potassium.
  • carrot Read more in the source "> 48 - one of the most important sources beta-carotene , but to convert it into vitamin A necessary for immunity, fats are needed, for example, a drop of vegetable oil or cream.
  • tomato Read more in the source "> 49 - one glass contains the daily norm of the antioxidant substance lycopene . This juice has a beneficial effect on the intestinal microflora Read more in the source "> 50.
  • unsweetened green vegetable juices - they contain a lot of chlorophyll, or a substance that strengthens the immune system, creates an uncomfortable environment for pathogens Read more in the source "> 51. Fresh juices can be created from combinations of cucumber, celery, broccoli, green herbs, green bell pepper, spinach

Fish and seafood

Fish, especially from cold seas, as well as seafood are rich in Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Read more in the source "> 52. They are important for the integrity of cell membranes, have anti-inflammatory activity, optimize protective functions in the body.

Leaders in Omega-3 :

  • sardine
  • salmon
  • trout
  • cod
  • shrimp

Nuts Read more in the source "> 53

Nuts are rich in vitamin E , as well as polyunsaturated fatty acids omega-3 . However, they are very calorie, nutritionists advise to eat no more than 30 grams per day.

Walnut contains a lot of Omega-3 Read more in the source "> 54. Cedar - a source of many minerals, including zinc, which is necessary for immunity. Read more in the source "> 55. Almond contains not only vitamin E , due to which it is considered a natural antioxidant, but also other valuable vitamins, minerals and biologically active substances that have beneficial properties for health Read more in the source "> 56. Hazelnut reduces the risk of inflammatory processes, rich in vitamins, minerals and compounds that affect the immune system Read more in the source "> 57. Pistachios are less fat and caloric than all other nuts, they have the highest level of unsaturated fatty acids, potassium, vitamin E Read more in the source ">58.

Brazil nuts are actually seeds: it does not have a shell. This is one of the richest sources of the trace element selenium Read more in the source"> 59.

Also useful are pecan and macadamia .

In all cases, preference should be given to unsalted nuts.

Fermented Dairy Products

Fermented Dairy Products are an example of how beneficial probiotic microorganisms from the outside help the immune system. For example, the fermented milk drink "Imunele" contains live probiotic lactobacilli: they prevent the development of pathogenic microorganisms, help our own microbiota protect the intestinal mucosa and ensure good immune function. Also in "Imunel" there is a complex of vitamins necessary for immunity A , E , D and groups B . One bottle of this drink provides up to 30% of the daily value of these micronutrients. Two bottles a day are enough to maintain immunity.

Green tea

Unlike black tea, this tea is not fermented: the fresh leaves are dried and steamed. This allows you to save more antioxidants, including the substance epigallocatechin gallate, EGCG Read more in the source "> 60. Scientists see great potential in it, so they are currently actively researching its properties for use in medicine Read more in the source"> 61.

Vegetables

Dietitians recommend using vegetables of different colors, because the predominance of certain microelements and vitamins gives them a hue.

Learn more