Top 5 Medicinal Foods for Super Immunity

Healing occurs from the inside out. Another way of saying that is you are what you eat. There are countless healthful foods available to the average modern consumer. Many of these foods—grown locally, eaten in-season, and loaded with nutrients—can help you prevent illness and maintain a healthy body weight, immune system, and more. Some can simply be life-saving medicinal foods.

So which foods pack the most medicinal punch? Which are tops when it comes to healing disease and illness? You have likely heard of them before if you are an avid reader of NaturalSociety. Here are my top choices of medicinal foods:

1. Ginger

Used throughout the ages for its healing properties (like many foods on this list), ginger been linked to: cancer prevention, anti-inflammatory benefits, sore throat and upset stomach relief, and more. Perhaps the simplest and quickest way ginger can provide healing benefits is in the treatment of stomach distress including nausea, heartburn, and bloating. The root is easy to incorporate into your cooking, too.

2. Garlic

Garlic is an immune-boosting powerhouse that is widely used in kitchens around the world. Like ginger, studies have linked the root to anti-cancer benefits. Garlic’s anti-cancer powers are so widely accepted that even the National Cancer Institute (generally only aligning with “conventional” cancer treatments) said, “preliminary studies suggest that garlic consumption may reduce the risk of developing several types of cancer, especially cancers of the gastrointestinal tract.”

Garlic is also a powerful antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal agent.

3. Green Tea

Like garlic and ginger, green tea also has anti-cancer benefits. Additionally, green tea could speed up weight loss, boost heart health, and prevent diabetes as well.

4. Manuka Honey

Honey derived from bees who feast on the nectar and pollen of manuka flowers has been found to have prolific antibacterial benefits—even working against antibacterial-resistant infections like MRSA. This magical elixir is also able to heal wounds and potentially fight heart disease.

5. Turmeric

Gaining popularity in the West due in part to its medicinal benefits, turmeric is most often seen in middle-eastern cuisines and folk medicine. It’s tied to blood sugar management, cancer prevention,  oral health, and even treating depression.

These five foods pack some of the most healing benefits of any foods in the world, and they are all widely available. You can find several of them at your local grocery store, health food store, or online. Some of them you may even feel like growing yourself. But no matter how you get them, it’s important you research the benefits of these foods and make them a part of your life.

Additional Sources:

IowaNow