The common flu and cold are similar illnesses that affect the respiratory system, but are caused by different viruses. Symptoms can manifest in the form of sore throat, stuffy nose, and headaches for either cold or flu. However, navigating the flu and cold season is not as tricky as you may think. In addition to using supplements and pharmaceuticals to combat flu and cold symptoms, your diet can also foster immunity and lessen the duration of both illnesses.

Below are five foods that help boost your immunity during the flu and cold season:

1. Garlic
Garlic is known to be one of the best examples of foods that cure cold. This food houses a compound called alliin that, when chewed or crushed, turns into allicin. Furthermore, because allicin is unstable, it then turns into sulfur-compounds that lend itself to medicinal properties. These sulfur-compounds have proven to amplify the body’s response to diseases when it encounters things that cause illnesses, such as those that cause the regular cold or flu. It is because such a response is prompted, in the body’s white blood cells, that immune function is increased.

2. Ginger
Another food that helps to treat and prevent the flu and cold is ginger. Due to its potent anti-inflammatory properties, found in its root, the food becomes crucial to combat the cold or flu. Where it prevents inflammation, it allows the body’s immune system to function correctly, and the white blood cells can effectively fight viruses.

3. Lemons
Lemons are filled with vitamin C and bioflavonoids. Vitamin C supports the body’s illness fighting system, and bioflavonoids are antioxidants that promote cell health. Our bodily systems do not produce vitamin C despite its importance to our immunity, but it can mainly be introduced to our digestive systems via our diets. Lemon water or lemon juice drizzled on vegetables or salads as a dressing can ensure you receive the recommended amount of this nutrient.

4. Chicken soup
While it is not an individual food item, like the others on this list, chicken soup is also considered vital to the body’s immune building response to colds and flu. The ingredients used to make this soup contain vitamins C and A, phosphorus, magnesium, gelatin, and antioxidants. These compounds can foster a robust immune system and fight off viruses. Additionally, the chicken in the broth is a great protein source, which provides the body with certain elements to build antibodies that fight infections. If you are already suffering from the cold or flu, the noodles’ carbohydrates provide energy that the body can easily digest, and the soup portion provides liquid. These target the fatigue and dehydration usually associated with the illnesses. The dish also includes sodium and potassium that helps to maintain electrolyte balance.

5. Citrus
Citrus fruits contain large amounts of vitamin C. As stated before, this nutrient can be essential when dealing with the usual cold or those exposed to an environment that induces such symptoms. These fruits include oranges, grapefruits, clementines, tangerines and limes, among others. In essence, the vitamin C strengthens the body’s immune system, thus allowing your body to either recover quicker from the cold or to fight off the contraction in the first place.

These superfoods for cold and flu target the immune system’s function and trigger responses in our bodily systems that either prevent flu and cold contact or allow our bodily systems to recover from these respiratory illnesses at a faster rate. Consideration must be made, however, for the intake proportions of these foods. Please adhere to the recommended daily threshold and not an excessive amount to intensify the function they have on the body.