8 Flu-Fighting Foods
Mushrooms
You don’t need to buy exotic fungi to get immune-boosting benefits. Simple white button mushrooms (the kind commonly found in supermarkets) may pack a hefty flu-fighting punch. When researchers at Tufts University fed mushroom powder to mice for 10 weeks, they saw increases in the activity of important cells in the animals' immune systems. Other mushroom types like shiitake and reishi may also help humans fight off illness.
Rachel Meltzer Warren is a New York City–based nutrition writer, educator and counselor.
Reviewed by Elaine Brown, MD on October 27, 2013
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