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Our favourite drinks to support your immunity
Written byH&B editorial team
Reviewed byHeeral Tomlinson
Fancy sipping your way to a better you? Here are our top drinks recipes to help keep you at your best
Summary
1Can drinks really work for your immunity?
When we talk about immune support, we mean making your ‘normal’ immunity the best it can be...
2Our favourite vitamin-packed drinks recipes
From fiery ginger tea to a holiday-inspired watermelon smoothie, jump straight to the good stuff...
3Why is the immune system so important?
A healthy immune system helps you carry on your daily life as normal...
A healthy immune system makes everything easier for your body and supports your wellness during colder months.
'Eating the rainbow’ plays a huge role in our immunity, but maybe you’ve heard some interesting ways of doing this.
But staying well doesn’t have to mean chomping on raw broccoli or garlic. In fact, immunity support can come in the form of a tasty drink. Sip away and relax...
Can drinks really boost your immune system?
The reality is that there’s no food, drink or supplement that will boost your immune system beyond its natural capabilities. If there was, we’d all be invincible!
When we talk about immune support, we mean making your ‘normal’ immunity the best it can be. It may be different from someone else’s normal and that’s OK.
Looking after your immune system means you’re giving yourself your best chance of staying healthy.
You can do this by getting a variety of nutritious food and drinks, particularly those containing certain vitamins.
Our favourite drinks recipes to support immunity
1. Hot lemon and ginger tea
Maybe it conjures up memories of school sick days. But there’s sense behind it...
Get this winter warmer in before you get ill and you’ll help give your body the vitamins it needs.
Serves two
- 2cm of root ginger, sliced finely
- 1 lemon
- Honey or Manuka honey
- Boil a kettle
- Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice from one half. Cut the other half into slices
- Divide the lemon slices and juice between two mugs and add the sliced ginger
- Pour boiling water into the mugs and leave to brew for a few minutes or until it’s cool enough to sip
- Sweeten with honey if you wish
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2. Watermelon and mint crush
Who doesn’t love watermelon? It’s the embodiment of summer holiday freshness.
Even better, it contains lycopene.1 Lycopene is most commonly found in tomatoes – so, if you’re not a tomato fan, get your fix from watermelon instead.
Ever used menthol spray for a blocked nose? The mint in this smoothie does a – well, mint – job too.
Serves two
- 300g diced seedless watermelon
- ½ lime
- 4 tablespoons demerara sugar (or you could try agave or Manuka honey)
- 950ml sparkling water
- 4 fresh mint leaves
- Crushed ice
- Add your watermelon and sugar to a blender with a generous squeeze of fresh lime
- Blend until you have your desired consistency
- Crush mint leaves at the bottom of your tumbler to release the flavour
- Pour the watermelon blend and enjoy over ice
3. Zingy berry smoothie
Berries are really good for you as they’re full of the vitamins your body needs.
You could combine strawberries with raspberries and blueberries or mix it up with some other types of fruit, depending on how you feel and what’s in your fridge.
Serves one
- 100ml plant-based milk
- 25g gluten-free oats
- 75g frozen berries
- 1cm piece fresh ginger
- 1 celery stalk
- 1 tsp agave or maple syrup
- Use the back of a metal spoon to remove the skin from the ginger. Then finely grate the ginger
- Add the oats to a blender and blitz until powdered
- Add the celery and frozen berries and blend
- Add the remaining ingredients and blend once more until smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender to ensure everything is thoroughly combined
- Pour into a glass and garnish with a stick of celery if you're feeling fancy – enjoy with a reusable straw
4. Green juice
Is there anything healthier-looking than a green juice? Make them right and they're packed with vitamins, minerals and fibre, which can help naturally support your immune system.2
In particular, green veg adds vitamins A and C – both vital for a healthy immune system – and vitamin K, which supports bones.3-6
You can make one with any green leafy vegetable you fancy. Here’s a green juice recipe for some inspiration.
Serves two
- 125ml coconut water
- 65g plain Greek yoghurt (or alternative)
- 125g kale
- 125g spinach
- ½ cucumber, sliced
- 65g broccoli
- 65g chopped celery
- 65g green grapes
- 65g diced green apple
- 250g frozen or fresh pineapple chunks
- 250g ice cubes
- Combine all ingredients in a blender
- Cover and blend on medium speed for roughly a minute, stopping it to stir if necessary
5. Orange or grapefruit juice
A glass of your favourite citrus juice every morning will give your body some much-needed vitamin C.
If you don’t like citrus fruits, a glass of tomato juice is a good alternative as tomatoes are naturally rich in vitamin C too.
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The final say
You don’t have to just eat the rainbow – you can drink it, too.
Whether it’s a warming tea, a zesty smoothie or your own creation, we hope these plant-packed drinks spark a healthy habit.
You also asked...
The immune system is a complex network of cells and proteins that defends your body against infection and disease.7
It keeps a biological record of every germ or microbe that it has defeated previously, which makes it able to recognise and destroy the same microbe quickly if it enters the body again.
A healthy immune system helps you carry on your daily life as normal. You can encounter everyday germs, bugs, other people and your environment with little worry.
Usually, this works without any issues. But if your immune system mistakenly attacks your own cells it can cause problems.
Because (most of the time) it does such a good job of keeping us free from infection, it’s easy to take your immune system for granted. But if you have a good immune system, it’s a good idea to look after it and it will look after you.
We all know the dangers of alcohol. While we tend to think of our liver and mind as the main victims, it can also seriously affect the immune system.8 This means you’re more vulnerable to serious infections.
The advice in this article is for information only and should not replace medical care. Please check with your GP or healthcare professional before trying any supplements, treatments or remedies. Food supplements must not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
- US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Watermelon, raw [Internet]. USDA [cited 2024 Sep 18]. Available from: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/167765/nutrients
- The Association of UK Dietitians (BDA). Fibre [Internet]. BDA [reviewed 2024 Apr; cited 2024 Sep 18]. Available from: https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/fibre.html
- NHS. Vitamin A [Internet]. NHS [reviewed 2020 Aug 3; cited 2024 Sep 18]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-a/
- NHS. Vitamin C [Internet]. NHS [reviewed 2020 Aug 3; cited 2024 Sep 18]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-c/
- NHS. Vitamin K [Internet]. NHS [reviewed 2020 Aug 3; cited 2024 Sep 18]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-k/
- European Commission. Characteristics [Internet]. European Commission [cited 2024 Sep 18]. Available from: https://ec.europa.eu/food/food-feed-portal/screen/health-claims/eu-register/details/POL-HC-6524
- NHS. Immunodeficiency [Internet]. NHS [reviewed 2023 May 19; cited 2024 Sep 18]. Available from: https://www.uhb.nhs.uk/services/immunology/immunodeficiency.htm
- Sarkar D, Jung MK, Wang JH. Alcohol and the immune system. Alcohol Res [Internet]. 2015 [cited 2024 Sep 18]; 37(2): 153-55. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4590612/
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