Your Immune System: It’s Complicated

The immune system touches practically every other major system in the body. It’s not isolated; it’s everywhere, all the time, seeking out, preventing, and fighting infection. All varieties of immune cells originate in bone marrow, and then go on to flourish throughout the body. On the skin, they secrete antimicrobial proteins. In your bloodstream, immune cells are on constant patrol. They love to hang out in your thymus, spleen, and lymphatic system. And perhaps most critical are the colonies of immune cells that reside in mucosal tissue — places like your gut and respiratory tract, which are common entry points for pathogens.

The immune system is broken into two parts: innate and adaptive. The innate immune system is your body’s first responder; it acts quickly and indiscriminately to detect and destroy any pathogen. When ill, fevers and acute inflammation (think: swelling) are some of the symptoms that let you know your innate immune system is hard at work fighting off the infection.

Your adaptive immune system, also called the acquired immune system, is the second responder. It takes over if the innate immune system can’t finish the job. After taking time to identify the specific pathogen, the adaptive immune system can more effectively fight it. This part of your immune system also has a memory of sorts; it’s what helps you develop immunity to certain infectious diseases.

Immunity-Boosting Measures: Finding the Right Balance

To keep your immune system in tip top shape it’s important to practice good stress management, get enough sleep, stay hydrated, and get moving. 

These healthy lifestyle components have an indirect, but positive, impact on your immune system. While regular exercise or eating well won’t guarantee you’ll never get sick again, when you work to make your body stronger, healthier, and less burdened by things like chronic inflammation, it’s better at fighting infection. So while immunity-boosting hacks and specific foods and supplements to strengthen your immune system can be beneficial, they need not be your first line of defense. Instead, strive for the basics of a holistically healthy lifestyle.

Also consider this: if you’re one of the 8% of people with an autoimmune disease such as psoriasis or celiac, “immunity-boosting” is not considered a perk of any food or supplement. Why? Because it can make your autoimmune condition even worse. An already overactive immune system certainly doesn’t need any boosting. People with autoimmune disease often seek immune-modulating foods and supplements such as adaptogenic herbs like medicinal mushrooms instead. Most commonly known in the form of ginger, turmeric, maca root, ashwagandha or reishi mushrooms, adaptogens help produce stress-related neurotransmitters and hormones assisting in response to overcome any physical, chemical, or biological stress. This immunity militia brings the different parts of the immune system into harmony and prevents excessive immune responses.

Plants: The Backbone of an Immunity-Boosting Diet

Since the majority of people can probably use some immune support, especially as we gear up for cold and flu season in the midst of a global pandemic, we’ve got you covered with some diet-specific immunity-boosting tips. 

Our top tip: eat plants. Lots of them. Your immune system needs a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in order to best function. Eating a plant-based diet lowers your risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. These diseases can compromise your immune system and interfere with other healthy body processes.

Top Ten Immunity-Boosting Foods in Our Juices and Shots

To get a mega amount of immunity-boosting foods in just one snack, reach for our cold-pressed juices and shots. Your immune system will thank you. 

At Thistle, we fill our juices and shots with simple, clean, and familiar ingredients. With no fillers and no added sweeteners, your body will reap the benefits of a plant-packed beverage. Here are some of the the powerful immunity-boosting foods in our juices and shots:

Blue Majik

This candy-colored supplement is derived from spirulina, a nutrient-dense blue-green algae. As a chronic inflammation fighter and antibody producer, it delivers many health benefits. Don’t be fooled by the intense hue of Blue Majik; this immunity-boosting beverage enhancer is 100% natural.

Find It In: Vibrant Veggie juice

Camu Camu

Camu camu is a sour red berry of the Amazon rainforest that’s full of vitamin C and antioxidants. One study showed that even among smokers, camu camu can reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. The extremely tart flavor means you shouldn’t drink it straight up; instead, enjoy it in a juice blend or smoothie.

Find It In: Rooted Orange juice

Citrus

It’s a classic immunity-boosting food for a reason. Citrus’ high vitamin C content aids in the production of white blood cells, which are critical for fighting infection. Citrus fruits like lemon and lime bring a perfect amount of immunity-boosting benefit and brightness to each of our beverages.

Find It In: All of Thistle’s juices and shots! 

Ginger

Zesty ginger is versatile, beneficial, and tasty. Used as a spice in baking and in many cuisines, it brings a unique flavor to every dish. It’s also proven to treat nausea, muscle pain, and indigestion. As for its immunity-boosting benefit, gingerol, the active ingredient in ginger, has antibacterial and antiviral properties.

Find It In: Rooted Orange juice, Probiotic shot, Balanced Beet juice, Hearty Greens juice, Vibrant Veggie juice, and Boost shot

Mangosteen

This immunity-boosting fruit from the tropics of Southeast Asia has a sweet and sour flavor and dark purple skin. Its fiber and vitamin C content help promote a healthy immune system. Fiber keeps your gut bacteria healthy, which is essential for immune function. And of course vitamin C aids in white blood cell production.

Find It In: Balanced Beet juice

Papaya

Another delicious vitamin C darling, the antioxidants in tropical papaya are more easily absorbed than those found in other fruits and vegetables. Additional antioxidants found in papaya include beta carotene, vitamin E, and lycopene. All play a role in fighting chronic inflammation. 

Find It In: Tropical Limeade juice

Probiotic Blend

Since over 70% of your immune system resides in your gut, taking good care of your microbiome is one of the most immunity-boosting things you can do. To do that, regularly consume probiotic-rich foods and eat lots of fiber and prebiotics to help all the healthy bacteria in your gut thrive.

Find It In: Probiotic shot

Spinach

No superstar food list is complete without a dark green leafy vegetable. Spinach is high in insoluble fiber and vitamin C, two important immunity-boosting nutrients that your gut will love. It also contains quercetin, an antioxidant with antiviral and anti-allergy properties. 

Find It In: Intense Greens juice, Balanced Beet juice, Hearty Greens juice, and Vibrant Veggie juice.

Turmeric

Golden-hued turmeric derives its color and immunity-boosting power from curcumin, the main active ingredient of this spice. Studies show that curcumin, when consumed with black pepper, benefits the immune system: it promotes production of various disease-fighting cells and cranks up the body’s antibody response.

Find It In: Rooted Orange juice and Glow shot

Watermelon

This summertime time treat is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that fight inflammation. Additionally, it’s high water content helps you stay hydrated. That’s super important for fighting off illness, because fluids are what move immunity-boosting nutrients through your bloodstream and into the organs that need them.

Find It in: Watermelon Berry juice and Tropical Limeade juice

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To get the benefits of these immunity-boosting ingredients, add some of our cold-pressed juices and shots to your next Thistle delivery. Be well!