7 immunity boosting juices

Here are 7 juices that can help you get a refreshing start to the day. These juices are all rich in anti-oxidants and can be excellent immunity boosters. All these juices can also be given to kids to build their immunity.

Honey Orange juice

Key nutrition value:

Vitamin C, A, B-6, Dietary fiber, carbohydrates, and potassium.

Ingredients:

• Mandarin oranges (2)
• Honey

Method:

1. Peel the mandarin oranges.
2. De-seed.
3. Blend along with a cube of ice (if you prefer it cold). (You could squeeze as well but that results in loss of nutrition. Blending retains the thin peel and is more nutritious.
4. Add a teaspoon of honey and stir well.

You can read about all the benefits of mandarin orange juice here.

Strawberry Kiwi milkshake

Both strawberries and kiwis are excellent sources of vitamin C. This juice can fulfill your daily recommended intake of vitamin C. The juice is filled with antioxidants and is a great immunity booster.

Key nutrition value:

Vitamin C, Dietary fiber, calcium, and potassium.

Ingredients:

• 1 Kiwi fruit
• 5 – 7 strawberries
• Milk

Method:

1. Peel and chop one kiwi fruit.
2. Wash and remove the leaves from strawberries.
3. Blend the fruits together along with 200 ml of cold milk.

You can also blend it without milk to retain the flavor of both kiwi and strawberry albeit a little tart. Making it into a shake will result in a tasty smoothie but may not retain the flavor of the fruits. Both the juice and the shake will provide a lot of nutrition. I generally suggest milkshake for kids and juices for adults.

You can read about the health benefits of Kiwis here.

Mixed fruit juice

Key nutrition value:

Vitamin C, A, B-6, Dietary fiber, magnesium, carbohydrates, iron, calcium, and potassium.

Ingredients:

• Pineapple
• Banana
• Papaya
• Grapes

Method:

1. Peel off the rough skin of the pineapple and chop into chunks or pieces. You will need 5-6 slices.
2. Peel and chop one banana.
3. Use 5-6 slices of papaya and a handful of black grapes.
4. Blend all the fruits together into a smoothie.

You need not add honey to this since the natural flavor of the fruits brings the required sweet taste to the juice. This smoothie will also be perfect for breakfast since banana supplies the required carbs along with a lot of nutrition.

You can read about all the benefits of pineapple here.

Pineapple mint cooler

Key nutrition value:

Vitamin C, A, B-6, Dietary fiber, potassium, calcium, iron, and magnesium.

Ingredients:

• Pineapple (4 – 5 big chunks)
• Mint leaves (10-12 leaves)

Method:

1. Remove the rough outer skin of the pineapple and chop into 4 – 5 big chunks.
2. Blend the pineapple along with fresh mint leaves.
3. Add water to dilute it based on your taste.

You can read about all the benefits of mint here.

Apple pear juice

Although apple and pear belong to the same family, differences in their taste make this combination work.

Key nutrition value:

Potassium, dietary fiber, Vitamin C

Ingredients:

• 1 Apple
• 1 Medium-sized Pear
• Milk – 100 ml

Method:

1. Chop apple and pear into rough slices. (Without removing the peel)
2. Blend them together and add little milk while blending.
3. Add 1 or 2 teaspoons of honey and stir.

You can also peel, chop, and blend ginger along with the fruits for a different taste. Ginger has a lot of benefits for your health and can relieve any kind of digestive distress.

You can read about all the benefits of apple here.

Sweet lime juice

One of the richest sources of vitamin C, this fruit juice is full of antioxidants and is a great drink for babies, toddlers, and adults.

Key nutrition value:

Vitamin C, Potassium, calcium, and carbohydrates.

Ingredients:

• Sweet lemon (A citrus fruit that is native to India)
• Palm sugar

Method:

1. Using a juicer, squeeze the juice from two sweet lemon fruits.
2. Add a teaspoon of powdered palm sugar and stir well.
3. Strain once to remove the palm sugar impurities.

Apple cucumber smoothie

Key nutrition value:

Potassium, dietary fiber, Vitamin C, A, Pantothenic acid, Iron, and Magnesium.

Ingredients:

• Apple – 1
• Cucumber – 1
• Cumin seeds

Method:

1. Chop apple and cucumber into rough slices. (Do not remove the peel for the apple or cucumber)
2. Blend both together and add a teaspoon of cumin seeds while blending.
3. Strain once with a strainer to remove any residue.

Grapefruit and tomato juice

Tomatoes and grapefruits are rich in lycopene. Lycopene acts as a stimulant and boosts the immune system helping to fight various diseases. In addition, grapefruits have the best anti-oxidant composition making this combination extremely powerful. It can also protect against many types of cancer by fighting free radicals.

Key nutrition value:

Dietary fiber, Vitamins C, A, and Potassium.

Ingredients:

• 1 grapefruit
• 2 medium-sized tomatoes or 6-7 cherry tomatoes.
• Honey

Method:

1. Remove the peel of a grapefruit.
2. Squeeze the grapefruit to get its juice.
3. Blend this juice along with tomatoes.
4. Add two teaspoons of honey and stir.

You can read about all the benefits of grapefruit here.

Source

• Espley, R. & Martens, S., 2013. Health properties of Apple and pear. s.l.:s.n.

https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=t_uJDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA81&dq=apple+and+pear+juice+for+health&ots=vCuKsijf5O&sig=oJVf7AWzy48F-36msMFLZpuLN5w&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=apple%20and%20pear%20juice%20for%20health&f=false

• Hunt, J. N., Smith, J. L. & Jiang, C. L., 1985. Effect of meal volume and energy density on the gastric emptying of carbohydrates. Gastroenterology, 89(6), pp. 1326-1330.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/001650858590650X

• Iqbal, A., Khera, R. A. & Hanif, M. A., 2020. Sweet Lemon. Medicinal Plants of South Asia, pp. 617-630.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780081026595000458

• Kumar, N. S. & PS, S. D., 2017. The surprising health benefits of papaya seeds: A review. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, pp. 424-429.

http://www.phytojournal.com/archives/2017/vol6issue1/PartF/5-6-25-896.pdf

• Wosje, K. S. & Specker, B. L., 2000. Role of Calcium in Bone Health during Childhood. Nutrition Reviews, 1 September, pp. 253-268.

https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article/58/9/253/1838063