Our immune systems are fighting to keep us healthy every day, so we should take every chance we get to help support them!
Making the right choices can help you stay healthy by supporting your immune system through proper nutrition and lifestyle habits. That means exercising regularly, taking rest days when needed, and eating healthily.
While foods rich in essential nutrients can’t prevent you from getting sick, they can help support your immune system to make sure it is functioning at its best every day and give it a boost when needed.
Consuming a variety of plant foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, is especially important for supporting immune health. Research suggests that including immune-boosting foods in your diet can enhance immune function and reduce inflammation.
Below is a list of 30 foods that are the best for supporting your immune function and keeping you healthy! See how many foods you already eat and challenge yourself to add in the ones you don’t.
Key Takeaways
- A strong immune system depends on a diverse, nutrient-dense diet packed with vitamins A, C, D, E, zinc, selenium, and antioxidants.
- Top immune-boosting foods include citrus fruits, berries, garlic, ginger, green tea, spinach, mushrooms, and nuts.
- Whole foods support the body’s natural defenses better than isolated supplements—focus on colorful, fresh, and minimally processed options.
- Supporting gut health through probiotic and prebiotic foods (like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and oats) can also improve immune balance.
- For extra immune support and consistent nutrient coverage, consider high-quality supplements like Performance Lab® Immune, clean, plant-based, and backed by science.
30 Best Immune-Boosting Foods
Why a Diet Full of Immune-Boosting Foods is Important
Immune-boosting foods are the foundation of a healthy immune system.
Your immune system is a complex network of immune cells, tissues, and organs that work together to protect your body from foreign substances like bacteria, viruses, and other harmful invaders. To keep your immune system strong and functioning at its best, it’s essential to fuel it with the right nutrients.
Immune-boosting foods are packed with essential nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene. These nutrients play a key role in supporting the production and activity of immune cells, including white blood cells and natural killer cells (NK cells), which are vital for a strong immune response.
By regularly including immune-boosting foods in your diet, you help your body maintain a healthy immune system that can better defend against illness and infection.
A diet rich in these foods not only supports immune function but also helps your body recover faster when you do get sick. Whether you’re looking to prevent illness or simply want to keep your immune system in top shape, making these foods a regular part of your meals is a simple and effective way to support your overall health.
1) Citrus Fruits
Vitamin C is a key nutrient found in citrus fruits, which are known for their antioxidant properties. The vitamin plays a key role in both the adaptive and the innate immune system.
Vitamin C can’t be made in your body, so you need to get it from your diet. Luckily, citrus fruits can easily be added to every meal and snack! Examples include grapefruit, oranges, lemons, limes, and clementines. (1)
2) Papaya
Papaya isn’t a citrus fruit, but it’s just as high in vitamin C and still plays a critical role in increasing white blood cells to help you fight off infections.
Eating papaya can also help prevent vitamin c deficiency, which is important for maintaining immune health.
Papaya has also been shown to have strong medicinal properties, such as antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and more. (2, 3)
3) Kiwi
Kiwi is also high in vitamin C which may help to reduce the duration of cold symptoms if you take it regularly.
Kiwi contains nutrients that help support immune cell activity, which is essential for a strong immune response. Eating some kiwi as a snack when you feel a cold coming on will help give your immune system the boost it needs! (3)
Reduce Cold Symptoms
Research shows that taking a vitamin C supplement every day may reduce cold symptoms and shorten cold duration by 10%. We recommend Performance Lab Vitamin C.
4) Blueberries
Blueberries contain a flavonoid called anthocyanin, an antioxidant that boosts your immune cells, especially in your respiratory tract. This helps give your cells a boost when you breathe in a virus they must fight.
The antioxidants in blueberries also help support other immune cells involved in immune defense, and have been shown to have cardio-protective properties. (4)
5) Red Bell Peppers
Besides citrus fruits, red bell peppers are also very high in vitamin C. However, some methods of cooking can kill the vitamins in peppers so try to stir-fry or roast them to help maintain nutrient density, or just eat them raw.
Additionally, the antioxidants in red bell peppers may help regulate inflammatory cells and support immune health. (5)
6) Tomatoes
It’s not just fruit that can provide immune support, vegetables like tomatoes also can have a big impact. Tomatoes are high in vitamin C, and in one study were shown to play a role in assisting phagocytes, the main component of the immune system that destroys viruses.
Additionally, the nutrients in tomatoes may help reduce chronic inflammation, supporting long-term immune health. (6)
7) Broccoli
Vitamins and minerals are the best way to provide support for your immune system, and broccoli is packed full of them! Vitamins A, C, and E, as well as many other antioxidants, are found in broccoli.
The fiber and vitamins in broccoli also help maintain a healthy gut microbiome, which is important for supporting overall immune health. (7)
8) Mushrooms
Research has shown that eating mushrooms consistently actually increases the number of T cells your body has to fight off viruses. So, maybe the saying should be “a mushroom a day keeps the doctor away”!
Additionally, mushrooms contain compounds that are known for enhancing immune function. (8)
9) Sweet Potatoes
These are high in beta-carotene. When consumed, beta-carotene converts to vitamin A, the anti-inflammation vitamin, another key nutrient that helps maintain your body's natural defenses by supporting immunity and reducing inflammation. (9)
10) Spinach
Another vitamin C-packed food! Spinach is often considered a superfood because of its impressive nutritional profile. Folate is the most notable nutrient, helping your body make new cells to better fight off disease.
Spinach is also a good source of dietary fiber, which supports immune health. (10)
11) Garlic
Garlic is known around the world for its health properties. It has been shown to slow down heart disease progression and support immune function. When consumed, the nutrients in garlic can fight bacteria and viruses alongside the immune cells.
Additionally, garlic contains compounds that help reduce inflammation in the body. (11)
12) Ginger
Ginger is another food that has been used for its health benefits for thousands of years. That’s because it’s full of antioxidants when consumed directly from the herb. Add it into your cooking or teas to get the most benefits.
Additionally, ginger's anti-inflammatory properties may help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. (12)
13) Yogurt
Yogurt is a fermented food rich in healthy bacteria (probiotics) that help keep your gut healthy. These healthy bacteria help protect against harmful bacteria in the gut, supporting overall digestive and immune health.
Your gut houses 70% of the cells that make up your immune system, so when you have a healthy gut, you’ll have a healthy immune system. (13)
Make sure your yogurt label says “live and active cultures” to ensure you’re getting the most out of your probiotics.
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14) Kefir
Much like yogurt, kefir is a fermented drink full of probiotic live cultures. Kefir can help create a healthy gut system and, in turn, a healthy immune system by fighting bacteria and reducing inflammation.
Additionally, kefir promotes the production of short chain fatty acids, which help maintain gut health, reduce inflammation, and support immune function. (14)
15) Almonds
The antioxidants and vitamin E found in almonds make them a powerful immune support food. While vitamin C helps boost immune support, vitamin E helps to regulate it. Add in a small handful of almonds as a snack to help maintain a strong immune system. (15)
16) Sunflower seeds
Like almonds, sunflower seeds are full of vitamin E and antioxidants that help boost and regulate immune function by fighting off damaging cells.
Sunflower seeds are also a good source of healthy fats, which support immune health. (16)
17) Turmeric
Turmeric is common in alternative medicines because it can improve your immune response when you do come into contact with an illness. Turmeric contains curcumin which is full of antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory effects.
These anti-inflammatory properties may also help manage symptoms of autoimmune diseases, where the immune system attacks the body, by reducing inflammation. (17)
18) Rosemary
Rosemary is one of many plant foods full of antioxidants that help regulate your gut and digestion, leading to a healthier immune system overall. (18)
19) Green tea
High in an antioxidant called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), green tea can be used to enhance your immune system through aiding T cells, the main illness-fighting immunity cells. Tea also contains polyphenols and flavonoids, antioxidants that seek out cells that are out to cause damage and destroy them.
Additionally, the antioxidants in green tea help protect and support immune system cells, contributing to their ability to recognize and combat pathogens. (19)
20) Poultry
You may not think about meat being an immune booster, but lean protein sources like chicken breast and turkey fit the criteria! Chicken breast provides essential amino acids needed for immune health. This is because they support a healthy gut and contain a high number of vitamins and minerals. Carnosine is usually found in chicken and can help protect you against the flu virus cells.
The nutrients in poultry also help support the production of new immune cells. (20)
21) Chicken noodle soup
Chicken soup is a traditional remedy often used when you’re sick, and chicken noodle soup does a lot more for you than just comfort.
Chicken soup may help relieve symptoms of respiratory infections by reducing inflammation, thinning mucus, and supporting immune function. It contains vegetables and chicken that are full of key nutrients to help prevent illness, as well as electrolytes to help with rehydration while sick. (20)
22) Shellfish
Zinc is the most abundant nutrient in shellfish. Zinc is essential for maintaining immune system health. Zinc can help immune cells, like T cells, function at their highest and always be on alert. Zinc also helps to make more white blood cells that assist during an immune response.
Research has shown that zinc (specifically zinc lozenges) helps to reduce the severity and duration of cold and flu symptoms when taken at the start of an illness. Good sources of zinc include oysters, crab, lobsters, and mussels. (21)
23) Beans
Beans are also high in zinc and help the T cells fight off any infection that comes your way.
Including beans in your diet is a great way to support optimal immune function. (22)
24) Miso
Another soup you should add to your sick day menu! Miso, typically found in miso soup, is one of several fermented foods that support gut and immune health. Miso is fermented soybeans made into a paste. It’s full of probiotics that help boost the diversity in your gut microbiome, helping to give your immune system a little boost, too. (23)
25) Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate contains an antioxidant that protects the body from damaging cells. Good news for all the chocolate lovers out there!
Additionally, the antioxidants in dark chocolate can help your body fight infection by supporting your immune system. (24)
26) Eggs
Eggs are high in vitamin D, which is essential to immune function and maintenance. Vitamin D also contributes to bone health!
Additionally, the nutrients in eggs help support the activity of B and T cells in the immune system. (25)
27) Water
While this may seem like an odd one, staying hydrated is just as important when it comes to immune function. While sick, you lose more fluids than normal, so it’s important to drink water regularly to ensure your body can properly fight off infections.
Staying hydrated also helps support immune health by allowing your immune system to function optimally. (26)
28) Olive Oil
Not only does it make your food taste good, but olive oil also has anti-inflammatory properties. When your immune system responds to a virus, it causes an all-over inflammatory response while fighting off the virus. Olive oil can help reduce inflammation during this immune response.
When you consume anti-inflammatory food, the inflammatory response can be lessened, which means you see fewer symptoms of your cold! (27)
29) Whole Grain Bread
Another anti-inflammatory food is whole grain bread. Besides being anti-inflammatory, whole grain bread is high in dietary fiber, which supports immune health and helps keep your gut healthy. (28)
30) Honey
Not only is it a natural sweetener, but honey is also antibacterial. That means it can support your immune system in fighting off viruses and germs when needed.
Additionally, honey may help support immune cell activity in the body. (29)
Performance Lab Immune to Boost Immunity
For the best immune support, try Performance Lab Immune to activate and enhance your immune cells and support short- and long-term immune health.
Immune is taken just once a day and helps to fill any potential nutrient gaps you may be missing out on throughout the day for the best immune support possible.
It incudes LC Plasma (Immuse) to activate five different immune cells, as well as the master antioxidant, Setria Glutathione. Backed up by immune-boosting vitamins C and D3, as well as zinc and selenium.
Giving you an in-built invisible army ready to jump to your defense.
Take Home Thoughts
While these foods all play a role in keeping you and your immune system healthy, it's important to remember that a balanced diet supports both innate and adaptive immunity, providing comprehensive immune protection.
Make sure you get enough sleep, stay hydrated, exercise regularly, and include these 30 foods into your diet whenever you can.
It can be as easy as a bedtime green tea with some turmeric and honey to help boost your immune function and fight off any viruses. There are also quality supplements that are designed to boost and support the immune system, such as Performance Lab Immune.
