5 Nutrients to Boost Your Immunity

17 Dec

Posted By nutritionist 0 Comment(s) 1848 View(s) immune health

While the rainy season can be enjoyable, it can make your body more susceptible to a range of health ailments. Here’s 5 nutrients to boost your immunity to help you stay healthy during this season.

1. Vitamin A

Vitamin A plays an important role in your immune function. It protects you from infection by keeping your skin and mucosal cells healthy (function as barrier). Vitamin A is also essential to the normal function of your immune cells.

As such, it is crucial that you have sufficient intake of Vitamin A. Foods rich in vitamin A include sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, and red bell peppers.

2. Vitamin C

Vitamin C helps to boost your immunity. It triggers the production of white blood cells, including lymphocytes and phagocytes, which protect your body against infectious disease and foreign invaders. Additionally, Vitamin C enhances the function of these white blood cells and protects them from oxidative damage.

Thus, you are encouraged to consume more vitamin C-rich foods such as oranges, grapefruits, lemons, spinach, and kale.

3. Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a potent peroxyl radical scavenger that protects polyunsaturated fatty acids present in biological membranes. This provides protection to immune cells as their plasma membranes are particularly high in polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Hence, we would recommend you to take adequate amount of vitamin E. Dietary sources of vitamin E include sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts and spinach.

4. Zinc

Zinc is vital for the development and functions of immune cells. Various randomised controlled trials have observed improvement in several immune functions in healthy elderly subjects after zinc supplementation. The improvements included elevated numbers of cytotoxic T lymphocytes, increased NK cell cytotoxicity, and decreased frequency of infections.

Therefore, it is important to ensure that you have sufficient consumption of zinc. Examples of foods high in zinc are milk, whole grains, legumes, seeds and nuts.

5. Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins (OPCs)

OPCs are the most powerful antioxidants known to be 50 times more powerful than Vitamin E and 20 times more powerful than Vit C. On top of other health benefits (e.g. improve skin complexion, reduce accumulation of cholesterol in arteries and support healthy blood circulation), OPCs have been shown to strengthen the immune system. They are found abundantly in pine bark, grape seed and grape skin.