Sip This for a Stronger Immune System
This Week's Tips
Orange juice isn't the only beverage you can grab when you want to help your immune system fight off illness and infection.
New research suggests that grape juice may be an immune system booster, too. In a study, people who sipped Concord grape juice daily for 9 weeks had higher blood levels of a special type of infection-fighting cell.
Bolster Your Defenses
The study involved middle-aged folks who were basically healthy. But something interesting happened when they added about 1½ cups of grape juice to their daily diet. After 9 weeks, they had significantly more T cells compared with the control group. T cells are a type of white blood cell that fights off infections. And in the study, drinking grape juice increased participants' levels of specialized T cells called "surveillance" cells, found mostly in the lungs, intestines, and gastrointestinal tract. Researchers think that these cells act as the first line of defense against invading pathogens. When surveillance cells detect trouble, they stimulate other immune cells to defend the body. (Related: Here are four more foods that muscle up your immune system.)
