We all know that in order to be healthy and resistant to illness, we should exercise regularly, get adequate hours of sleep and maintain a well-balanced diet. However, if your goal is to further improve your immune system, there are certain foods that you should consume more. They’re called superfoods.

There are a lot of benefits to having a healthy immune system. First of all, it makes your body stronger and more able to fight infections and diseases. In case you do succumb to an illness, your body will be able to conquer the illness quickly.

To start improving your immune system, here are some of the superfoods that you should always include in your diet:

• Citrus Fruits
  One of the most helpful nutrients that increase your body’s immunity to illness is vitamin C, which is most commonly found in oranges, grapefruits, lemons and tangerine. Vitamin C is not stored by the body so it is important that you get adequate amounts of these fruits on a daily basis.

• Uncooked Vegetables
  The best way to eat vegetables is in their raw form because all of their nutrients would still be intact. When you cook the vegetables, most of the important mineral will just evaporate in the process.

  Vegetables contain several immune-boosting nutrients such as vitamin E and beta carotene. Although most vegetables contain either of these nutrients, the best sources are carrots, spinach, kale and other leafy green vegetables.

• Seeds and Nuts
  Not many people would think that these small foods would be a relevant source of vitamins and minerals. In fact, seeds and nuts do contain high concentrations of vitamin E, which is essential for a stronger immune system. Most seeds and nuts also contain significant traces of omega 3 fatty acids, which have been linked to the reduced risk of illness and infection.

• Water
  Putting all sorts of superfoods into your body won’t do any good if you are not well-hydrated. By drinking plenty of water, most of the harmful toxins will be flushed out of your body, which means lesser problems for your immune system to deal with. It can now focus on fighting off infection-causing bacteria that can cause all kinds of illnesses.

• Herbs
  These plants have been used for many centuries as a means to treat various medical conditions. Many herbs also have immune-boosting properties. Such herbs include garlic, goldenseal and olive leaf extracts. You can take these either in their raw form as food additives, or as herbal supplement pills.

By consuming these foods on a daily basis, you can count on having a much improved immune system in no time at all.