Natural Foods that can boost up our system to fight the foreign attackers
Its been a while that the Corona Virus has caused a chaos globally bringing down all the powerful and the weak ones at the same level. Since the cure to this deadly virus is yet to be found, now people are desperately looking out for ways that can keep their body's natural defences in tip-top shape in a bid to beat the bug. Can you boost your immune system to fight COVID-19?
We see online claims that we can “boost” our immune system with just about everything from Vitamin C or Vitamin D to essential oils and silver nanoparticles. But how do we know which of these recommendations, if any, really work. The immune system is our defence system comprising many biological structures and processes that protects us against disease. To function properly, the system must detect a wide variety of agents, known as pathogens, ranging from viruses to parasitic worms, and distinguish them from our own healthy tissue in order to kill it. Our immune system does a remarkable job of defending us against many disease-causing microorganisms, but sometimes it just fails: A germ invades successfully and makes you sick. There are multiple factors that lead to such a failure namely liver disease, abnormalities in the development and function of our soldier cells (WBCs), use of certain medications especially steroids as well as poor nutrition and general health status.
However, there are certain foods which we can help us to make our immune system as strong and effective as possible, including the following.
1. Citrus fruits
White blood cells (WBCs), also called leukocytes, are our front lines of defence when it comes to fighting off germs or infection. When we are sick, the immune system jumps into a response
mode and immediately sends white blood cells to fight off the foreign infection—by either
producing protective antibodies or by devouring the bacteria. Citrus fruits contain Vitamin C
(ascorbic acid) which promotes the WBC production and enhances its function. Some of the
Citrus fruits are:
Oranges
Lemon
Limes
Grapefruit
Because your body could not produce or store Vitamin C on its own, we need to consume daily
vitamin C for continued health.
2. Red bell peppers
Red bell pepper has twice the amount of Vitamin C as compared to that of the citrus fruits
which will help in alleviating our immunity power by increasing the force of the WBCs. It is also
a rich source of Beta Carotene which is a pre-cursor unit of Vitamin A. Beta carotene on
consumption converts itself into Vitamin A which has antioxidant activity, which helps to
protect cells from damage.
3. Watermelon
Watermelon is around 90% water, which makes it useful for staying hydrated and it also
contains antioxidants which helps in removing harmful molecules known as free radicals, or
reactive species which are produced during natural processes, such as metabolism, and can
causes cell damage and may lead to a range of diseases, such as cancer and heart disease.
One cup of watermelon contains vitamin C, Vitamin A, B1, B5, B6 and minerals, Potassium and
many more.
4. Yogurt
Yogurt contains two very unique and special ingredients: probiotics and prebiotics.
Probioticsare live organisms that are beneficial to your health when taken in adequate
amounts. Prebiotics are non-digestible food ingredients that stimulate the growth of beneficial
bacteria in your colon, both these ingredients together boost immune function and may even
help reduce both the length and severity of colds. Low-fat yogurt can also help meet your daily
requirement for vitamin B12, vitamin D, and vitamin B2 (riboflavin). Adequate levels of vitamin
D and other nutrients are necessary for robust immune function.
5. Super Spinach
Spinach is not only rich in vitamin C but it’s also packed with numerous antioxidants and beta
carotene, which may increase the infection-fighting ability of our immune systems and provide
the body with necessary nutrients for cell division and DNA repair.
6. Tea
About half the population globally, drinks tea regularly. Antioxidants present both in black and
green tea, called polyphenols and flavonoids are credited for boosting the immune function.
These compounds also reduce the risk of heart disease and curbs down the blood lipids,
increase the good HDL cholesterol and decreases LDL bad cholesterol, triglycerides, and total
cholesterol.
7. Broccoli
Broccoli is a powerhouse of nutrients that supports our immune system by providing high
amount of beta-carotene, potassium, magnesium, zinc, and iron. Broccoli also supplies an array
of B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, and B6). Together, these vitamins and minerals help the immune
system to run in top form. Another healthy compound offered up by broccoli: glutathione, the
master antioxidant in the body.
8. Garlic Cloves and Ginger
Garlic is already well-known for its anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. The garlic
bulbs are rich in antioxidants that quench free radicals that play a role in Alzheimer's disease,
heart disease, cancers, and other conditions. The antiviral properties may be helpful in reducing
the severity of colds, flu or COVID-19 infections as garlic boosts the portion of the immune
system that is tasked with fighting viruses and cancer.
Ginger- the anti-inflammatory root is just another boon to alleviate the immunity power of our
system. It has tremendous antioxidant properties that quench all the free radicals, infections
and the toxins produced by viruses and bacteria. Ginger contains zingibain that dissolves the
parasites and their eggs, ginger root tea eases throat pain and kills cold viruses.
Maximizing the health of our immune system is easy when we know the correct foods to ingest.
Have these immune-boosting foods to keep your immune system in the topmost form and
together we can led down these terrible virus.
