Sound health and strong immunity are a priority for all of us. As we gear to unlock ourselves and ready to go and face the outside world, it becomes all the more imperative to further strengthen our immune system. I have been personally working very hard to keep it on track by primarily eating right and it is heartening to experience the benefits.
Nutrition holds the key to having a strong immune system.
A balanced healthy diet plays a crucial role. We must consume food items like produce, lean meat, dairy and healthy fats for immunity in India. What we put in our stomach decides how strong our body becomes to fight infection. Poor nutrition can often lead to a compromised immune system which is the last thing we desire, especially in today’s global health scenario.
Thus, it is significant to be well apprised of the key nutrients that our body requires to strengthen our immune health and what we should consume to get them. These essential nutrients can be broadly categorized under seven heads.
Proteins
Proteins are essentially the building blocks of antibodies and immune system cells. These are needed to build and repair body tissue and fight viral and bacterial infections. Immune system powerhouses such as antibodies and immune system cells are fuelled by proteins. Very less protein in the diet may cause symptoms like weakness, fatigue, apathy, and compromised immunity. To ensure we are having sufficient proteins in our diet we must have on our plate one or more of these, lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, eggs, lean meat, pumpkin seeds, soy, cottage cheese, broccoli, Quinoa, fish or Greek Yogurt.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an absolutely essential fat-soluble vitamin needed to activate and regulate immune cells functions. This is the reason good fats are a must in our diet. Vitamin D is produced by our body in the presence of sunlight, thus ensuring you are in sunlight for at least 30 minutes a day is important. Good sources of Vitamin D in our diet are oily fish like salmon, mushrooms, egg yolk and dairy products.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C, a water-soluble nutrient, secures good health of our skin and connective tissues so that they can block the entry of external microbes like bacteria and viruses. It is much needed because it is an antioxidant that protects our cells from the damages caused by free radicals. Vitamin C is available in abundance in plants produce like bell peppers, tomatoes, oranges, papaya, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, cabbage, kiwi, cherries etc.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is instrumental in regulating our immune system. Its job is to protect our body and to keep our respiratory and digestive systems healthy. Your plate must have carrots, sweet potatoes, green leafy vegetables, pumpkins, tomato, red bell pepper, milk, liver or fish to secure you are having enough Vitamin A every day.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is known to be a very powerful antioxidant. Strengthened cell membranes ensure the entry of disease-causing foreign microbes is prevented. Rich sources of Vitamin E in our diet are sunflower seeds, almonds, spinach, avocados, kiwi, broccoli and olive oil to name a few.
Zinc
Zinc is an essential micronutrient desired by our body for the repair of damaged cells. Thus, it is much needed for the body's defensive (immune) system to work properly. Some great sources of Zinc in our diet are legumes, seeds, nuts, whole grains, dairy and meat.
Ensuring we include all of the above in our diet is the fundamental requirement to have a strong Immune System.
But sometimes it is not possible to cater to all of the above requirements of the body through a balanced diet or we may have certain health conditions which require extra nutritional support, that’s when a health supplement like ENSURE can be really helpful. Ensure contains 11 immunity nutrients that help build new immunity cells in our body. Consuming Ensure daily with milk or water helps provide the required strength and immunity.
These suggestions shall help you live life non-stop to keep you and your families in best of their health. #StrongerTogether.
References
https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/qa/are-highprotein-foods-good-for-the-immune-system
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/161618
https://medlineplus.gov/vitaminc.html
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-HealthProfessional/
https://www.healthline.com/health/all-about-vitamin-e
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