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Does your daily diet include these five immune boosters?

The pandemic that has been increasingly spreading unabated across the world has more than driven home the importance of having a strong immune system.

ByIFP Bureau

Updated 9 Jan 2021, 12:18 pm

(Representational Image: Unsplash)
(Representational Image: Unsplash)

How strong is your body immune system? Does your daily diet include immune boosters? Or, are you missing out on the top five superfoods that can boost your body immune system?

Food to boost the immune system has been the talk of the town since the Coronavirus illness was first reported in China more than a year ago. The pandemic that has been increasingly spreading unabated across the world has more than driven home the importance of having a strong immune system. Amid the realisation, the attempt to boost the immune system to fight off the attack of Coronavirus has also triggered the zealous search for immunity boosters across the world. Several indigenous food and food supplements to strengthen your immune system have been hitting headlines. Yet, the lives of humans continue to remain under threat. Those individuals who have certain pre-existing illnesses such as respiratory issues, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes are said to be at higher risk. The illness is also said to aggravate with age as the general immunity reduces as you age.

The new UK mutant coronavirus strain that has reached India among other countries is a stronger version, cautioned experts. Scientists say that the new covid-19 variant spreads far more easily between people as a result of a series of mutations that have been identified in the genetic coding and even risking the lives of those who don't have a pre-existing illness. They say that this new Covid strain can even affect those who have a healthy immune system. Amid the concern, here’s a reminder to keep boosting your immune system every day with top five popular immune boosters you can have in your everyday diet.

1. Citrus fruits

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Citrus fruits include limes, lemons, oranges, mandarins, pomelos and grapefruit among others. Owing to the rich content of Vitamins and plant compounds such as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory effects they have, adding them in your daily diet can help to boost the body immune system and helps fight cancer, clinical diet experts say. The high content of Vitamin C in citrus fruits help support various cellular functions of both the innate and adaptive immune system that contributes to immune defence. Vitamin C can enhance chemotaxis, phagocytosis, generation of reactive oxygen species, and ultimately microbial killing.

2. Ginger and Garlic

Ginger and garlic can be used every day in making curry or soup by crushing it. Both can be eaten raw. Ginger tea also helps in improving digestion and increasing absorption of food. Garlic contains allicin which helps to fight against germs and boost the immune system. Ginger, due to its high anti-inflammatory and antioxidant content, helps boost the body immune system.

3. Pomegranate

Pomegranate is rich in anti-inflammatory compounds and Vitamin C which are extremely healthy, making it a great immune-boosting food.  Drinking as little as two ounces of pomegranate juice daily has shown to lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol and cleanse plaque from arteries which is all good news for your heart, according to recent studies.

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4. Almonds

Almonds are high in Vitamin E, which acts as an antioxidant to support pulmonary immune function. It can be eaten as a healthy snack and can be added to salads and desserts. Almonds contain 15 nutrients in which iron and protein are essential for your immune system, experts say.

5. Yogurt

Unsweetened Yogurt in its pure form is rich in Calcium and Vitamins, which our body needs to fight against certain diseases. This bacterial fermentation of milk containing the source of lactobacillus is a probiotic that helps fight off germs and give your immune system a boost. Peptides and free fatty acids generated by fermentation have also shown to enhance the immune response, according to several studies on it. 

 

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Tags:

foodhealthimmune systembodyfruits

IFP Bureau

IFP Bureau

IMPHAL, Manipur

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