This article originally appeared in Men's Fitness.
You can’t live in a bubble, but you can follow these smart tips for giving your immunity system a fighting chance to beat infection, whether it’s COVID-19 or the common cold.
Take a vitamin D supp
Vitamin D plays a crucial role in keeping the immune system in good working order. The best source is the sun’s UV rays, but during winter’s lack of sunshine this can lead to a weakened immune system, increasing the likelihood of illness. In a study in Infection and Immunity, cells treated with vitamin D increased their production of an endogenous antibiotic and killed more bacteria than untreated cells.
Eat garlic to Boost Immunity
Garlic is high in compounds that your body needs to keep your immune system on high alert to quickly seek and destroy any unpleasant outside invaders. Subjects who took a garlic pill every day were three times less likely to catch the common cold than a placebo group in a study at the University of Western Australia – and even if they did, they suffered for a full day less with the symptoms.