Power Up! Improve your Immune System

While garlic contains phytonutrients similar to those found in onions, it also possesses selenium, a substance that, according to some studies, offers protection against various cancers and the deterioration of the body caused by free radicals.

Researchers have studied the ability of garlic to guard against;

1. Heart disease
2. Arterial calcification (hardening of the arteries)
3. Reduce cholesterol and blood pressure.

Because it is a source of the flavonoid quercetin, garlic contains antibiotic properties that empower it to fight colds, stomach viruses, and yeast infections.

Many edible mushrooms are among the more important immune-builders in the plant kingdom.

In particular, medicinal mushrooms inhibit tumor growth, strengthen immunity, and have anti-pathogenic and blood-sugar lowering properties. Among approximately 200 varieties of mushrooms whose health enhancing skills have been noted are the chaga, cordyceps, maitake, oyster, portobello, reishi, shiitake, and turkey tail. Although all of these types can be obtained in fresh or dried form, shiitake mushrooms currently are the easiest to obtain in the US. A list of the health benefits of mushrooms would have to include their antiviral and antibacterial properties, which in different varieties have shown some effectiveness against pathogens including polio, hepatitis B, influenza, candida, Epstein-Barr virus, streptococcus, and tuberculosis. The scientific literature also discusses the mutagenic benefits of mushrooms, which can be enlisted in the fight against leukemia, sarcoma, and the bladder, breast, colon, liver, lung, prostate, stomach cancers, even in advanced stages.