COVID-19 (Nutritional Management)

Though COVID-19 is a new virus from the CORONAVIRUS family. Clinical Studies have shown that the immune system of an healthy person was able to fight the virus within days.

It has been discovered that there was a complete immune response across all cell types necessary for building immune system for recovery of an infected patient.

Looking at SARS-COV-2 and MERS-COV-12 both belonging to the same family of CORONAVIRIDAE with COVID-19. It has been seen that host immune response to these viruses is in a similar pattern.

It is found that at the onset of these viruses, the body tends to increase the production of IMMUNOGLOBULIN G and IMMUNOGLOBULIN M (common types of antibodies that fights the viruses).

Also some specialised helper T cells, killer T cells and B cells which are important immune cells to fight these viruses are activated during the days which these viruses stays in the host body. This shows that the patients body has a natural way of fighting the virus.

Elderly who have existing or underlying medical conditions tends to die from COVID-19 compared to children because their immune system have been compromised.

In the light of this, it is established that the immune system of the body is crucial in fighting the virus in the body.

Nutritionally, there are foods that can be eaten in this period of the scourge of these viruses that can help to build the immune system of the body. These are;

1 Vitamin C containing fruits
Example Citrus Fruits (grapefruits, oranges, tangerines, lemons, limes and clementines).
Spinach (beta carotene with antioxidant is also present).
Pawpaw
Red Bell Peppers
Watermelon
Broccoli (vitamin A and E is also present).
Kiwi (vitamin K is also present).
Pawpaw
2 Garlic (allicin an immune boosting property in garlic)
3 Wheat germ foods
4 Ginger
5 Yoghurts (vitamin D)
6 Almonds
7 Tumeric
8 Seeds and Nuts
9 Honey
10 Carrots
11 Mushrooms (high in selenium, riboflavin and niacin).
12 Fish and Meat soup
13 Sweet Potatoes
14 Sea Foods (crabs, clams, lobster, mussels and oysters). It contains a lot of zinc

Other ways immune system can be boosted include the following;

1 Avoid smoking and alcohol.
2 Exercise regularly
3 Cook thoroughly
4 Keep safe hygiene practices.

Improving and boosting your immune system is easy to achieve when you know what to consume.