We’ve talked about immune-boosting smoothies before, but what about juices? The main difference between a smoothie and a juice is the consistency and how it's made. Though in terms of immune-boosting, they are equal!
Juices are very popular right now, with juice shops and prescription companies popping up everywhere. But these places are normally expensive, and it would be very costly to visit them every day to get your juice fix.
So, next time you are craving a juice, try your hand at making it yourself! It’s not as hard as it sounds, and you don’t even need a fancy juicer to do it, just some fresh fruits and vegetables and a trusty blender.
Plus, if you want to strengthen your immune system even further, there are some great supplements on the market especially designed to help with that. We recommend Performance Lab Immune.
Key Takeaways
- Fresh juices rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds can help strengthen your immune system.
- Ingredients like citrus fruits, ginger, turmeric, carrots, beets, and leafy greens provide powerful immune-supporting nutrients.
- Drinking these juices regularly may reduce inflammation, improve energy levels, and support overall wellness.
- For best results, enjoy juices fresh, ideally in the morning, to maximize nutrient absorption.
- Juices are a great addition to a healthy diet but may be complemented by supplements like Performance Lab Immune or Mind Lab Pro® for consistent immune and cognitive support.
Why Make Immune-Boosting Juices?
Immune-boosting juices are a delicious and convenient way to give your body the support it needs to stay healthy year-round.
By blending or juicing fresh fruits and vegetables, you can create nutrient-packed drinks that help strengthen your immune system and improve your overall health.
These juices are loaded with essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that potentially work together to enhance immune function, fight off the common cold and flu, and reduce inflammation.
Whether you’re looking to add more nutrition to your diet, recover from illness, or simply enjoy a refreshing drink, immune-boosting juices are a tasty and effective choice.
With so many combinations of fresh ingredients, you can easily find a blend that suits your taste and helps keep your body’s natural defenses strong.
Meanwhile, supplements like Performance Lab Immune are a quick and easy choice - simply take one daily capsule.
How Can Juice Strengthen your Immune System?
Drinking immune-boosting juices offers a wide range of health benefits that go beyond just tasting great. Many of these juices are especially rich in vitamin C, a key nutrient for supporting immune health and helping your body fight off infections like the cold and flu.
Many of the ingredients used in these juices also have powerful anti-inflammatory properties, which can help reduce inflammation and promote faster healing.
The antioxidants found in fresh juices protect your body from harmful free radicals and oxidative stress, further supporting your immune function.
In a nutshell...
By making immune-boosting juices a regular part of your routine, you can help your body stay resilient, potentially reduce your risk of getting sick, and enjoy better overall health and wellness.
Check out these recipes for inspiration next time you want to try your hand at juicing!
Great Ingredients for Immune Support
Juices typically use fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs in various combinations. This is because these items contain the most immune-boosting properties. The combinations are endless!
Coconut water or normal water is also commonly used to make the juice thinner, but for extra vitamin C, add orange or apple juice on top of the fresh fruits and vegetables.
Honey is a common sweetener in juice, but you can also use agave, or regular sugar if you want more of a sweet drink. Play around with the sweeteners till you find the one that works best for you.
While there is no right or wrong way to make a juice, the combination of ingredients is endless. Consider carrot juice, ginger juice, lemon juice, turmeric juice... all have great anti-inflammatory benefits.
Some of the below can even help to reduce your blood pressure while helping to improve immunity. (1)
Some of the most common vegetables, fruits, and spices in juices include:
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Beets
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Carrots
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Green apples
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Ginger
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Lemon/lime
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Grapefruit
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Pear
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Spinach/kale
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Cucumber
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Tomato
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Pears
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Oranges
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Blueberries
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Honey
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Turmeric
These fruits, vegetables, and spices are usually used because they have significant immune-boosting properties, and they also taste great together no matter the combination!
Here are some key benefits these ingredients can offer:
How these Ingredients Support a Strong Immune System
Citrus fruits
These fruits are highest in vitamin C, which helps to increase immune defense cells and provide a barrier against viruses and pathogens you may run into. Great for immune health. Citrus fruits include oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, and kumquat. (2)
Zinc
Blueberries contain a good amount of zinc, which activates the cells that destroy viruses and bacteria, assisting them in their fight and making them react quicker. Zinc has been shown to shorten symptoms of the cold or flu and promote recovery post-illness. (3, 4)
Curcumin in Turmeric Juice
This is the active chemical found in fresh turmeric root and it promotes antibody response, meaning you can fight off a virus much quicker and reduce the overall amount of time you are sick.
Curcumin is a well-known antiviral and antimicrobial agent and is generally "recognized as safe” by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). You may want to add black pepper to the mix as the piperine within it enhances curcumin's absorption. (5)
Honey
Honey is an antibacterial, which means it can act as an immune booster alongside your immune cells when you come into contact with a virus. In fact, studies have shown that honey has strong anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral benefits, as well as strong wound healing.
It's a powerhouse ingredient for immune health and wellbeing.
Honey has been shown to increase lymphocytes, which are the cells that help build antibodies and kill microbes that shouldn’t be in your body. (6, 7)
Anti-inflammatory Herbs
Most herbs have anti-inflammatory properties. When we get sick, our body's response to fight it ends up causing inflammation, which we normally experience in the form of a fever.
Ginger and turmeric help to counteract this inflammation. This leads to you feeling better quicker when you’re sick and promoting a lowered inflammatory response while allowing your immune cells to fight to their best ability.
Besides these immune-boosting properties, these ingredients also provide important vitamins and minerals like magnesium, potassium, Vitamin A, K, B6, and B9 to help support overall health. The healthier you are overall, the less likely it is that you will get sick. (8)
A Quick and Easy Choice: Performance Lab Immune
If you like the sound of juices but aren't sure if you can find the time to make one each day, there's another option: a supplement specially designed to support the immune system.
With Performance Lab Immune, you just need to take one capsule a day. It couldn't be simpler!
Immune includes important vitamins D3 and C, alongside minerals zinc and selenium - all important for proper immune function. Any deficiencies of these nutrients can weaken immunity and make you more susceptible to infections. (9)
They are backed up by LC-Plasma postbiotic, shown to activate five types of immune cells in clinical trials, and Setria Glutathione, a potent antioxidant.
Super nutrients for immune defense in just one capsule a day.
Tips for Juicing
Getting back to juicing... Prepping to juice usually takes the most amount of time, so give yourself a jump start by doing the following beforehand:
Peel or cut all fruits and vegetables you want to use ahead of time, then store them in bags labeled with the type of juice and keep them in your fridge or freezer. This way when you go to make a juice, you have everything ready to throw in the juicer.
Once made, juices can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, so you don't need to drink immediately, though you'll get the full spectrum of benefits if you do. They are a perfect snack to make ahead of time and keep cold for an easy grab-and-go option later on.
Using in-season produce is the best way to get the most benefits from your juice. Check out a local small grocery to see what is in season where you live.
Make sure you follow the instructions for your juicer as every brand is going to be different. If you don’t have a juicer available, you can use a blender too but may need to use cheesecloth to strain it after and get the chunks out so you’re left with the juice.
8 Immune-Booster Juice Recipes
With so many vibrant and healthy ingredients to choose from, making your own immune-boosting juice recipes is both easy and enjoyable.
Whether you prefer something sweet, tangy, or earthy, there’s a juice recipe out there to suit your taste buds and support your immune system.
Each of these recipes makes 3-4 servings. If you find a juice is too thick, add a liquid like water or coconut water. If you find the juice is too thin, add in more fruit or vegetables to thicken it.
You really can’t go wrong with any combination of the ingredients listed above, but below are some of our favorite combinations!
For all recipes, once the fruits and vegetables are prepared, place them in the blender or juicer and process them according to the equipment’s instructions.
If you need to, run the juice through a cheesecloth to strain to achieve a juice-like consistency. And then serve with a sprig of celery for garnish if you prefer!
1) Beet Ginger
This recipe is all about color, but also provides powerful antioxidants from the lemon, apples, and ginger to provide the best boost for your immune system.
- 4 beets: peeled, quartered
- 5 carrots: washed, peeled
- 2 green apples: washed, quartered
- 1 tbsp ginger: chopped, peeled if using fresh
- 1 lemon: peeled
2) Green Juice
Everyone loves a good green juice, and this one has all the immune-boosting goodies in it. Spinach or kale can be used as both provide lots of vitamin C to provide you with immune support.
- 6 cup spinach or kale: washed, chopped
- 1 cucumber: washed
- 2 green apples: washed, quartered
- 2 green pears: washed, quartered
- 1 lemon: peeled
3) Orange Juice
This isn’t your typical orange juice. With added lemon and ginger, this one will make your taste buds dance and keep the viruses at bay.
- 5 carrots: washed
- 3 oranges: peeled
- 1 lemon: peeled
- 1 tbsp ginger: chopped, peeled if using fresh
4) Blueberry Kick
Honey makes this juice sweet and antibacterial, while the other ingredients provide you with vitamin C to make a perfect shield to any bacteria that you encounter.
- 1 cup blueberries: washed
- 1 green apple
- 4 cup spinach: washed
- 1 lemon: peeled
- ½ tbsp honey
5) Tomato Juice
This juice gets cooked rather than blended. Add all ingredients to a large pot and bring to a simmer then cook uncovered for 25 minutes. Once cooled, pour the mixture through a cheesecloth to strain.
- 6 Tomatoes: peeled, chopped
- 1 tbsp honey
- Optional- 6-8 drops of tabasco sauce
6) Turmeric Lemon
This tart, sour juice is perfect for those who like to take juice shots. Make a large batch of it and keep it in your fridge to take an immunity shot every time you feel a cold coming on.
- 2 tbsp ginger: chopped, peeled if using fresh
- 2 tbsp turmeric
- 2 lemons
7) Cucumber Cooler
Perfect for a summer day, this juice provides hydration and immune-boosting support.
- 1 bunch of kale: washed, chopped
- 1 cucumber: peeled, chopped
- 1 pear: chopped
- Optional- coconut water if too thick
8) Tropical Juice
This juice will make you feel like you’re on a tropical island while supporting your immune cells from the inside out! Add in honey if you want a sweater tropical treat.
- 4 grapefruits: peeled, chopped
- 1 tbsp ginger: chopped, peeled if using fresh
- 4 large carrots: peeled, chopped
- ½ tsp turmeric
Take Home Thoughts
We strive to be as healthy as we can be, and when it's as easy as drinking a delicious juice every day, why wouldn’t you!
These recipes are quick and easy and make for a great breakfast, snack, or addition to any meal. Try out our favorite juice recipes, or test out your own to find the perfect juice for you.
Remember, the secret to a truly effective immune-boosting juice lies in the ingredients you choose.
By mixing and matching these key ingredients, you can create delicious juices that are as nutritious as they are flavorful.
And if all that seems a little too much to do on a daily basis, there's always Performance Lab Immune to fall back on, including several super nutrients for immune defense in one easy capsule.
References
- Healthline. (n.d.). What drinks can help lower blood pressure quickly? Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/drinks-to-lower-blood-pressure
- Mayo Clinic Health System. (n.d.). Boost your senses with citrus fruits. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/boost-your-senses-with-citrus-fruits
- Rao, G., & Rowland, K. (2011). PURLs: Zinc for the common cold—Not if, but when. The Journal of Family Practice, 60(11), 669–671.
- Wessels, I., Maywald, M., & Rink, L. (2017). Zinc as a gatekeeper of immune function. Nutrients, 9(12), 1286. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9121286
- Jennings, M. R., & Parks, R. J. (2020). Curcumin as an antiviral agent. Viruses, 12(11), 1242. https://doi.org/10.3390/v12111242
- Mandal, M. D., & Mandal, S. (2011). Honey: Its medicinal property and antibacterial activity. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, 1(2), 154–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2221-1691(11)60016-6
- Ahmed, S., Sulaiman, S. A., Baig, A. A., Ibrahim, M., Liaqat, S., Fatima, S., Jabeen, S., Shamim, N., & Othman, N. H. (2018). Honey as a potential natural antioxidant medicine: An insight into its molecular mechanisms of action. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2018, 8367846. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/8367846
- Zhou, X., Afzal, S., Wohlmuth, H., Münch, G., Leach, D., Low, M., & Li, C. G. (2022). Synergistic anti-inflammatory activity of ginger and turmeric extracts in inhibiting lipopolysaccharide and interferon-γ-induced proinflammatory mediators. Molecules, 27(12), 3877. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27123877
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. (n.d.). Dietary supplements for immune function and infectious diseases: Factsheet for health professionals. Retrieved from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/ImmuneFunction-HealthProfessional/
