Coronavirus is affecting everyone and everywhere. However, you may try and avoid to get this virus is by eating healthy. Our immune system is responsible for killing the infections which enter our body.
Therefore, our immune system must be strong enough to fight the virus in our body.
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How to Boost Immune System Naturally?
Healthy food means food with lots of vitamins and minerals and all essential nutrients which are needed for our body to improve our immune system. [1]
Such nutrients include Vitamin A, B, C, D, and E. Here is how we can get these nutrients from different food items.
VITAMIN A
Vitamin A is important to sustain the formation and construction of the cells in our skin, respiratory tract, and gut.
This vitamin forms a wall, and it is the first queue in the defenses. Vitamin A stays in front and is an active warrior in the fight against different infections that enters our body.
We need vitamin A to make antibodies that counterbalance pathogens, which causes infections. It helps to fight with infections as a team and does not allow them to cause trouble to any part of the body.
Vitamin A is present in legumes, grains, oily fish, cheese, nuts, and egg yolks.
There are some vegetables as well, which contains vitamin A. This vitamin A in vegetables comes from Beta-Carotene, which converts into vitamin A inside our body.
Beta-carotene is present in green vegetables such as spinach and lettuce, in yellow and orange vegetables such as pumpkin, bell peppers, and carrots.
VITAMIN B
There are different vitamin B such as B6, B9, and B12; these vitamins help to participate in responding in the first place when they see any kind of infection or virus which enters our body.
They respond by producing natural killer cells which work by failing or putting an end to the bacteria or virus in our body. This process of killing or exploding the bacteria or virus is called apoptosis.
They work as a security guard and trying not to allow the virus and bacteria to enter deeper into our bloodstream and cause problems.
These B’s are found in different food products.
- B6 is present in cereals, legumes, fruits, green leafy vegetables, chicken, fish, and meat.
- B9 is also called Folate and is present in enormous quantity in green leafy vegetables, nuts, and seeds and added in flour to make bread.
- B12 (cyanocobalamin) is present in animal commodities such as eggs, meat, and dairy. It can also be found in fortified soymilk.
VITAMIN C AND E
When our body is struggling and fighting with viruses and infections, our body experiences oxidative stress, which leads to producing free radicals, which causes the cell wall to break, enters the cell, and causes inflammation. [2]
These vitamins, C and E, cause prevention from this oxidative stress.
Vitamin C helps to clean the mess produced by the cells when they produce special cells to increase immune response; it includes lymphocytes, neutrophils, and phagocytes.
To avail of an excellent amount of vitamin C, the best way is to consume oranges, lemons, limes, berries, broccoli, tomatoes, and capsicums.
Vitamin E is in nuts, green leafy vegetables, and vegetable oils.
VITAMIN D
There are immune cells in our body which needs vitamin D to help and destroy virus and infections in our body.
The best possible source of getting vitamin D is none other than sunlight. However, other sources are eggs, fish, and margarine brands, which may add extra vitamin D.
There are people who stay outdoors just for a few minutes and can be vitamin D deficient. Therefore, they can use supplements of vitamin D.
IRON, ZINC, AND SELENIUM
Among other functions, iron, zinc, and selenium are needed for immune cell growth.
Iron, in our body, kills the bacteria and other pathogens in our body by producing free radicals that can destroy them. Enzyme reactions essential for immune cells are also controlled by iron.
Zinc helps to maintain the reliability of the skin. Zinc and selenium (both) act as an antioxidant. They clean up the mess caused by oxidative stress. [3]
Iron is available in meat, chicken, and fish. For vegetarians, iron is present in legumes, whole grains, and iron-rich breakfast cereals.
- Zinc is present in seafood, meat, chicken and dried nuts and beans.
- Selenium is present in nuts, especially Brazilian nuts, meat, cereals, and mushrooms.
CONCLUSION
Due to this pandemic, there are certain products that are not available in the market. However, it is better to focus on eating as much as possible to boost the intake of vitamins and minerals.
Generally, different supplements are not allowed for everyone.
There are certain exceptions present, such as for pregnant women who cannot eat properly are recommended to use specific supplements.
We recommend you to try Immune Defence supplements which has all the vitamins and nutrients to fight against Covid-19.
Other than nutrition, some healthy measures must be taken to prevent coronavirus such as brisk walking and doing exercise along with washing hands regularly and keeping a distance from people.