Immune and lymphatic system health is necessary for protecting your body from germs and diseases. Known as the body's first line of defense, your immune system and lymphatic system help protect you from bacteria, viruses and fungi that cause disease. Your lymphatic system produces and carries white blood cells containing antibodies that fight off infection. Your lymphatic system transports and destroys dead or damaged cells and cancer cells, removing these substances from the blood stream. Problems with your immune and lymphatic system can result in various diseases. A weakened immune system can lead to diseases including cancer, the flu and chronic fatigue syndrome. An overactive immune system can lead to diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS), Huntingdon's disease and lupus. Allergies occur when your immune system mistakes harmless substances for threats and attacks these harmless substances.

Your immune system is responsible for helping fight off everything from the common cold to cancer -- a tall order!

Send in some reinforcements so it doesn't get battle fatigue. Here are four foods your immune system loves.

Oranges, yogurt, tea and pumpkin seeds are the order of the day when it comes to giving your immune system a treat, according to Michael Roizen, MD, and Mehmet Oz, MD, authors of the best-selling (and now newly expanded and updated) YOU: The Owner's Manual. Here's how these four superfoods help:

• Oranges are chock-full of vitamin C, an antioxidant vitamin that helps your immune system fend off disease-causing invaders. Other good C options are bell peppers, strawberries, cantaloupe and broccoli. Or take 400 milligrams of vitamin C three times daily.
• Yogurt (unpasteurized) contains Lactobacillus acidophilus -- a healthy bacterium that helps thwart fungus-related infections. Or take a 20-milligram acidophilus supplement twice daily.
• Tea is full of flavonoids, powerful vitamin-like substances that reduce immune-system aging. You'll also find them in oats, onions, broccoli, tomatoes, apples and berries.
• Pumpkin seeds are great year-round, not just at Halloween, because they contain zinc -- a nutrient that's been shown to help reduce the average length of the common cold. 

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