Foods that Boost Immunity Against CoronaVirus
Eating a healthy diet and maintaining self-hygiene are very
important during the COVID-19 pandemic. What you eat, drink and lifestyle can
affect your ability of the body to prevent, fight and recover from infections.
As we know Covid- 19 or Coronavirus was declared
Pandemic disease by WHO (World Health Organization ), which means
coronavirus spread worldwide or globally.
Those people who are already suffered from certain
pre-existing illnesses like hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease,
renal disease, and respiratory issues are at a higher risk of having Covid 19
with complications.
Check out here symptoms of COVID 19.
A nutritious diet and a healthy functioning immune system
can fight against the coronavirus. If you have a healthy immune
system, your body can fight against any disease.
Here is the list of Immunity-Boosting Foods to improve immunity, you can include these food in regular diet-
1. Fresh Yogurt - Probiotics, Gut
Health, and Immunity
Yogurt is rich in probiotics and helps in the formation of
good bacteria in our body. It aids to promote a healthy gut to fight infection,
regulating bowel movement, and strengthening your immune system.
2. Natural Anti-virus Foods - Ayurveda
Tulsi leaves (Holy basil), star anise (a spice),
garlic, and ginger natural anti-virus food items that give protection from
seasonal flu as well as prevent potential infection.
Holy basil is
rich in Vitamin C and zinc nutrients. It has anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and
anti-fungal properties that protect us from a variety of infections.
For boosting your immunity and flushing out
toxins from the body made Tulsi drink by boiling three to four leaves in water.
You can also take a Green Tea. It is a powerful antioxidant, it enhances your immune system
function by aid in the production of germ-fighting immune cells in your
T-cells, which helps to fight infection.
3. Citrus Fruits and Green Leafy Vegetables -
Vitamin C
You can eat food containing high vitamin C such
as- Oranges, kiwifruit, lemon, grapefruits, strawberries, amla to increase
white blood cell production, which is a key function to fighting infection and
strengthening your immunity.
Green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, mustard greens,
cauliflower are good source of vitamin C.
News headlines that Vitamin C helps in the fight
against COVID-19. Reports say that vitamin C is given intravenous (IV) means
delivers fluids directly into a vein, may help those infected with the
COVID-19.
4. Sunshine, Fish, and Eggs Source of
Vitamin D
The sun is your best source of vitamin D, early morning sun
helps generate Vitamin D.
Vitamin D play a major role in strengthening your immunity.
It provides prevention of infection.
Deficiency of vitamin D may cause respiratory infections
such as pneumonia, bronchiolitis(lung infection ), and tuberculosis.
Source of Vitamin D is - sunshine vitamin, fish such as
salmon, tuna, red meat, egg yolks, mushrooms and fortified foods.
Expert says that vitamin D can help boost the immune system,
it aids in combat (prevent) of illnesses such as COVID-19.
5. Vitamin E sources Nuts, Seeds and
Leafy greens
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, it is an important key
role in regulating and supporting immune system function.
Vitamin E substances protect cells from damage and help the
immune system fight infections.
Foods rich in vitamin E include nuts such as almonds, Peanuts,
seeds like sunflower seeds, avocado, and spinach, broccoli, mustard greens, red
sweet pepper, and fortified- food.
6. Beta-Carotene – Root and Green
Vegetables
Beta-carotene red-orange pigment found in plants
and fruits converts into vitamin A. It has an anti-inflammatory agent that can
help your antibodies respond to toxins, such as a virus, infection.
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin. You can
include in your diet usually red, yellow, and orange color fruits and
vegetables, source of Vitamin A.
Carrots, spinach, apricots, sweet potato,
apricots, spinach red bell pepper, and muskmelon are all great sources of
beta-carotene.
Vitamin A also found in dairy products, eggs,
oily fish, fortified cereals. It assists the health of your intestines and respiratory
system.
To get more information on foods that fight against infection check out here.
7. Poultry, Shellfish and beans source
of Zinc
Nutrient zinc has an anti-viral property and
helps to your immune system and metabolism function.
You can include in diet zinc containing food such
as poultry, cashews, pumpkin seeds, beans, mushroom, whole grains, fortified
breakfast cereals, and dairy products or take zinc supplements (as per
recommendation).
Shellfish such as oysters, crab, and
lobster are rich source of zinc.
8. Drink kadha, use Garlic and turmeric – T Cell Booster
You can drink herbal tea or decoction (Kadha) made
from Tulsi (Basil), Dalchini (Cinnamon), Kalimirch (Black
pepper), Shunthi (Dry Ginger), and Munakka (Raisin), once or twice a day.
You can add jaggery (natural sugar), if needed.
Garlic helps the
immune system fight germs by stimulating cells important to fighting disease
and helping to regulate the immune system. It helps in increasing the
production of T-cells, virus-fighting cells.
Turmeric has
anti-oxidant properties. It helps in reducing oxidative stress and restricts
cellular damage that causes by oxidative stress. It helps the
proliferation and activation of T immune cells.
You can drink golden milk which is made by adding half a teaspoon Haldi (turmeric) powder in 150 ml warm milk-once or
twice a day.
9. Cooking Food with the use
of Spices
You can regular use of spices with cooking food like Jeera
(Cumin), Dhaniya (Coriander) and Lahsun (Garlic), Haldi (Turmeric ), black
pepper, Cinnamon, clove, ginger in cooking can also boost immunity.
Many spices have anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal
properties. Spice can help to improve respiratory health and eliminate pain and
provide healths benefits.
10. Eat Khajoor (dates), Anjeer
ingredients to boost immunity
You can include in diet Khajoor (dates), anjeer, sabudana,
moong dal, barley, soups of seasonal vegetables in the diet to boost your
immunity.
Both ripe and dried dates are very good sources of vitamin C
and also are also rich in vitamin A, vitamin B, manganese, selenium, copper,
potassium, magnesium, fiber, protein, carbs. It boosts your body's immunity,
especially respiratory problems.
11. Consume Water and Immunity-boosting
juices
You can take immune-boosting juice to strengthening your
immune system. Water helps to remove toxins from body and clearing the waste
sustance.
a. Lemonade/ Lemon Juice
b. Aloe Vera Juice
c. Watermelon juice
d. Drinking fresh Amla juice
e. Kiwi-strawberry drink
Keeping “Stay Hydrated” of your body is very
important for your body cell function. Water helps in to produce lymph which
carries white blood cells (WBCs or leukocytes) and other immune system
cells through the body. It also helps in a way to make it easier for
immune-boosting nutrients to get to where they need to go (cells) in your body.
You must drink 3-4 liters in a day and there are many foods
with high water content such as cucumbers, watermelon, and orange,
lemon water, green tea with lemon, cucumber, or mint-infused water. These
are the immune system boosting powerhouse beverage.
12. Vitamin B6 – Boost Lymphatic System
and Red Blood Cells
Vitamin B 6 is essential in the formation of new and healthy
red blood cells, helps in maintaining the lymphatic system, and also aids the creation of neurotransmitters.
Vitamin B6 the source is chicken, cold-water fish such as
salmon and tuna, bananas, pistachios, fortified breakfast cereal, rajma, and
nutritional yeast are great options for consuming vitamin B6.
Know more here, How to choose Best Food for Fitness?
0 Comments