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What Nuts Boost Immune System? [BEST 3]

what nuts boot immune system

Many people look for foods to boost their immune system when the Winter season comes around.

These superfoods are awesome for keeping you healthy and keeping a lot of illnesses at bay. Nuts can be a great source to keep you healthy, so let’s look at which ones will give you the boost you need.

So, which nuts are great for boosting your immune system?

There are 3 main nuts that are high in Vitamin E that are great for your immune system.

  1. Pistachios
  2. walnuts
  3. almonds

These 3 nuts are all great for your immune system. They can be added to salads or into a nut mix to snack on and help support your health.

What more do nuts have to offer and what other foods can be used to boost your immune system? Read on and find out!

Nuts & Other Foods That Boost Your Immune System

There are a handful of foods that can really boost your immune system when you feel like you might be in danger of catching something.

Don’t leave it up to chance, get your armor up with these awesome foods that can help protect you.

#1. Almonds

Almonds have an extremely high level of Vitamin E which makes them great for boosting your immune system.

On top of that, almonds have a great level of protein that will keep you feeling healthy all year long. Almonds have all kinds of nutrients that do so much good for your body.

They’ve got a high level of fiber and magnesium as well.

On top of that, almonds are a great source of antioxidants. This helps fight against signs of aging and can cause skin problems like inflammation.

Another benefit that almonds offer is the fact that they will keep your blood sugar under control. If you have diabetes, almonds are almost perfect food for you.

They are low in carbs but still are high in protein and the right kind of fats.

Almonds have very little downside and are one of the best things you can eat when you are looking to boost your immune system.

#2. Hazelnuts

Hazelnuts have less Vitamin E in them than almonds, but they can still be a healthy choice that will help your immune system get that boost you are looking for.

Hazelnuts are loaded with nutrients. They’ve got a lot of Vitamin E, copper, thiamin, and magnesium.

On top of that, they are loaded with protein which is great for active people to maintain their muscle gains and reduce bloating. One thing that should be noted is that hazelnuts have tons of calories compared to some other nuts, but because they are a protein, that shouldn’t be counted against them too heavily.

Hazelnuts are considered to be a food that is good for the heart. Since the heart is arguably the most important part of your body, hazelnuts are certainly a high priority food. Studies show that hazelnuts reduce LDL (the bad kind) cholesterol levels.

There are also some studies that have linked hazelnuts to lower rates of cancer.

These studies are still ongoing, but it certainly doesn’t hurt the argument for hazelnuts.

#3. Peanuts

Peanuts are an interesting food that could boost your immune system. While they don’t pack the punch that almonds do, they are a good source of Vitamin E.

However, one concern about peanuts are that they have a pretty high calorie and fat content. For boosting your immune system, that may not be a bad thing because it gives your body a little bit of buffer that it may not have.

It’s probably best not to rely on peanuts all day every day to try and keep from getting sick, but it’s certainly not the worst snack if you think that they taste good.

One benefit that you get from peanuts is the variety of minerals that you get from eating them.

That list includes:

These vitamins and minerals alone would keep your immune system feeling good even when your body is under attack.

#4. Brazil Nuts

Unsurprisingly, Brazil nuts come from the Amazon rainforest and countries that border Brazil (as well as Brazil).

They are typically eaten raw and have a nutty flavor.

If you haven’t heard of Brazil nuts before; you may want to consider them when trying to improve your immune system.

These Brazil nuts are packed with nutrients that help the body stay healthy.

They are loaded with copper and magnesium and have healthy amounts of zinc and Vitamin E. That’s important as those nutrients are going to fight against the nasty germs that try to get you sick.

Brazil nuts are also packed with selenium which helps regulate the thyroid area. While some people underestimate what the thyroid does, it’s extremely important for cell growth which means it’s probably one of the biggest body parts that fight for your immune system.

This makes Brazil nuts essentially a superfood when trying to fight off an incoming infection.

On top of that, Brazil nuts don’t weigh in too heavily with calories or fat content so you can eat these as a snack and not worry too much or feel too guilty.

#5. Other Foods

There are also some other foods that can help boost your immune system that are not nuts.

These foods listed are able to go well with nuts though in a trail mix setting or another mixture that will be yummy and help you stay safe.

  • Blueberries are one of the most famous foods when it comes to boosting your immune system.
    • Generally, blueberries will help you from getting a respiratory infection or a cold.

They have a lot of antioxidants that are very healthy for you and berries and nuts can go together well in a trail mix kind of food that will taste great for a snack.

  • Dark chocolate is another famous immune system booster that would go quite well with nuts.
    • Chocolate and almonds are a great mixture that tastes absolutely delicious.
    • Dark chocolate contains theobromine which helps to protect the body’s cells from germ attacks that could get you sick.

One problem with dark chocolate is that it has a lot of fat and calories so you can’t eat it in bulk by any means.

It is better used as a sweet treat every once in a while, however, if you are going to eat a treat, eating one that goes well with other nuts that can be used to boost your immune system is a great way to do it.

You can “double-dip” and be even more protected than if you were eating complete junk food.

  • Sunflower seeds are a great option for those who are looking for something to add to their trail mix ideas.
    • While nuts are a great option, seeds are quite similar in build and fall in the same category when getting classified from time to time.
    • Sunflower seeds taste good and are easily added to a lot of different foods.
      • The biggest thing that they bring to the table is a healthy amount of Vitamin E.

As you know, Vitamin E fights off free radicals because it is antioxidant and really complements the rest of the food items listed here quite well.

  • Oranges are another fruit option that doesn’t quite go well with nuts but offer a different taste instead.

If you aren’t digging the taste of almonds or hazelnut, maybe you would prefer an orange. Orange juice is usually added into this category because of its Vitamin C qualities. 


Can I Eat Nuts When Sick?

Can I eat nuts when sick

Yes, nuts are a great thing to eat when you’re sick or when you think you’re getting sick.

There is a lot of Vitamin E in nuts that help you to attack invading bacteria. One thing to note is that you should be sure your body can digest the nuts depending on what kind of sickness you may have.

You’ll want to be careful if you’re eating any kind of trail mix that has spicy ingredients and maybe even some sweet ones as well.


Which Foods Boost the Immune System?

Which foods boost the immune system

There are a lot of different kinds of foods that boost the immune system. Nuts have Vitamin E that helps them fend off attacks on the immune system.

Seafood is also another great option for trying to build up the immune system in the body.

Seafood has Vitamin E, protein, and more importantly, it provides selenium which adds to white blood cell counts. That’s extremely important for the immune system.

Yogurt is an interesting food that can help boost the immune system.

Yogurt has probiotics that will actually keep your digestive tract healthy which is one of the more important battlegrounds in the body. Grapefruits are another option due to their high Vitamin C content, similar to oranges and orange juice.

In summary, we have 3 nut varieties that are great for an immune system boost, Pistachio, walnuts, and almonds however you’ll also see a variety of other foodstuffs you can incorporate into your diet to keep you healthier.  There is no right or wrong way here, no binary answers. 

I’d recommenced just including these without overthinking them – simply adding to breakfast, or as I do just buy some nuts in bulk and mix them and leave some mixed in a container in the kitchen worktop – and just snack as and when (exercising portion control of course).