Best Beverages to Boost Immunity

April 29, 2020
Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS

Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS

Award-winning nutritionist and New York Times bestselling author.

What you drink can fuel your health just as much as what you eat does.

Your mouth and throat contain the first line of defense for fighting off pathogens like bacteria and viruses, and what you drink can help shore up those defenses for stronger immunity. Beverages that boost immunity need not be expensive, unpleasant to taste, complicated, or difficult to prepare. In fact, some of the most popular drinks in the world are also the healthiest for you.

Stay Hydrated

While we are staying home, we’re being exposed to fewer pathogens like colds and flus, but it won’t be long before we’re back out mingling – and our immune systems need to be up to the challenge. Simply staying hydrated is the easiest way to boost your immune system.  Experts currently recommend proper hydration as the first step to both prevent and treat the common cold.

Dehydration slows the lymphatic system’s transport of infection-fighting white blood cells, decreases blood volume and transport of nutrients, and impairs your body’s natural ability to flush toxins and pathogens. Dehydration raises cortisol levels, which suppresses immunity; and also decreases saliva production, which decreases the immunoglobulin-A (sIg-A) that’s a first line of defense against foreign invaders.

So the first step to strong immunity is drinking plenty of clean, filtered water. How much you need depends on your body weight, how hot your climate (both indoor and outdoor) is, how much you exercise, as well as other health and lifestyle factors. My recommendation is to divide your body weight (in pounds) by 2, and that’s how many ounces of water you need per day. For example, if you weigh 128 pounds, you would need 64 ounces of water per day, which is eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. Your body can only absorb about 4 ounces (half a cup) per half an hour, so don’t try to drink it all at once, spread it out throughout the day.

Juices and Smoothies

If you need a quick meal on the go, or just want to spice up your menu, add variety, or try new flavors, try juicing or smoothies. There are a number of fruits, vegetables, and herbs known to boost immunity that also taste great in a juice or smoothie. You can combine fruits and vegetables in new and interesting ways, while releasing important enzymes and antioxidant nutrients like vitamins A, B-6, and C, zinc, and polyphenols in the process.

My favorite anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting juice combinations include:

  • Beet, Carrot, Ginger, and Turmeric
  • Spinach, Lettuce, Cucumber, and Kale
  • Celery, Parsley, and Green Apple
  • Lemon, Ginger, Carrot, Celery, and Green Apple

A smoothie can be a meal unto itself when you add protein powder, and is great if you’re also trying to slim down. I’m such a fan of them that I’ve created a 2-week weight loss plan called the Smoothie Shakedown that substitutes smoothies for two of your 3 daily meals. People not only report losing up to 20 pounds, but they also have more energy and feel a sense of overall wellbeing on the program.

You can find a variety of healthy smoothie recipes from the program here, and I recommend the Lean & Green and Ginger Citrus smoothies for their immune-enhancing ingredients. For extra immune support, I recommend using UNI KEY Health’s Fat Flush Whey Protein Powder, which is nondenatured, hormone free, and pesticide free, rich in immunoglobulins and easily digestible A2 proteins.

Tea Time for Cellular Immunity

If you are looking to reduce inflammation, support cellular immunity, improve energy and focus, balance hormones, and support your cardiovascular health, you need look no further than the world’s most popular beverage – tea. Of all the superfoods, tea has some of the highest levels of polyphenols, which are critical for immune function. Green tea is a rich source of not only polyphenols, but also antioxidants and catechins, which help you fight off viruses, bacteria, and even abnormal cells.

I recommend Pique Tea, which is organic and triple-screened for pesticides, mycotoxins, and heavy metals, and has up to 12 times the antioxidant polyphenols of regular tea. Pique Tea crystals dissolve in both hot and cold water, making them a quick and convenient choice for either iced tea or hot tea at any time.

Drink Coffee to Fight Inflammation

Last, but certainly not least! Believe it or not, your beloved beverage is actually a superfood – not a supervillain. Coffee got a bad reputation from a few studies done prior to the 1950’s that showed it caused diseases, but these studies didn’t take into account lifestyle factors like smoking and drinking in the study participants. Since then, more than 19,000 studies have been done on coffee, and we discovered it is rich in antioxidants and polyphenols, and has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-obesity and diuretic properties. In fact, recent studies have shown that drinking up to two cups of coffee per day, without sugar or milk, actually enhances immune function by balancing the body’s inflammatory response.

I feel so strongly about coffee as a superfood that it’s a featured part of my Radical Metabolism plan, with recipes for a breakfast latte and midafternoon metabolism pick-me-ups known as metabolixirs. The only brand of coffee I recommend is Purity Coffee, for their commitment to producing the cleanest and healthiest coffee on the planet.

Grab a Cup of Coffee to Toast to Our Heroes!

I know we’re all counting down the days until the right time to do coffee with a friend once again. Until then, how about paying it forward to our heroes on the front lines fighting this virus outbreak? Those of you who know me, know I’m a big fan of Purity Coffee – it’s not just organic, but is laboratory tested and found to be up to 10 times times higher in antioxidants than other coffees, and free of molds, pesticides, and mycotoxins.

I’m partnering with the good folks at Purity Coffee in a special “Fuel the Heroes” campaign, and YOU can join us, too. Here’s how:

  1. Buy One, Donate One – with every new customer purchase, Purity will match your order with an equal donation of coffee to our country’s health care workers.
  2. They are offering a standing 30% discount for all doctor’s nurses, and EMTs. You just need to verify your ID at checkout.
  3. All nurses will get a free bag of coffee (or box of KUPS) with their next purchase. Simply add two (2) items to your cart, apply your special offer code at check, and that second item will be free. (Get offer code online – discount code valid through July 31, 2020)

–>> Visit this link to order: PURITY COFFEE

Related Articles and Podcasts

Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS, is an award-winning New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty books including The Fat Flush Plan series and her latest book, Radical Metabolism. She’s been rewriting the rules of nutrition for more than 40 years and is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the field of diet, detox and women’s health issues. 

For a FREE daily dose of tips and strategies for maintaining healthy weight, conquering insomnia, and much more…check out my Radical Health Tips.

I’d like to meet and greet you on my Facebook groups, so won’t you check us out at the Radical Metabolism RevolutionFat Flush Nation, or my Inner Circle!

3 Comments

  1. Phyllis L.

    These juice combinations sound awesome! I hope they taste as good as they are good for you! So glad to know how great coffee is. I avoided it for many years, now I drink it whenever I want.

    Reply
  2. Mary F.

    Interesting information about coffee. I knew I liked it for a reason!

    Reply
  3. Lisa

    I”m a tea drinker. Didn’t know about all the benefits.

    Reply

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Why Everything We Thought We Knew About the Virus Is Wrong | Ann Louise Gittleman - […] from the virus pandemic with valuable information on How to Power Up Your Lungs to Fight Viruses, The Best Beverages to…

Leave a Reply to Mary F. Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This