Wednesday, March 25, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
5
em
Foods that can boost your immune system
Correspondent
There9s no magic pill to
protect you from the new
coronavirus (COVID-19).
But there are real ways you
can take care of yourself and
give your immune system
the best chance to do its job
against a respiratory illness.
If you9re not in the habit
of eating a variety of fruits,
veggies, and lean sources of
protein, now is a good time to
start. Healthy eating is espe-
cially important for keeping
your immune system in top
condition. From vitamin-
packed fruits to the benefits
of bone broth, here are the
foods and ingredients that
are believed to improve your
body9s natural defenses.
The healthiest meals
emphasize whole grains, veg-
etables, and fruits 4 serve
them in the greatest amounts.
Feeding your body certain
foods may help keep your
immune system strong.
Most people turn to vita-
min C after they9ve caught a
cold. That9s because it helps
build up your immune sys-
tem. Vitamin C is thought to
increase the production of
white blood cells, which is
key to fighting infections.
Raw apples, carrots and
oranges are packed with vita-
min C, fiber and antioxidants.
Other foods rich in vitamin
C include lemons, broccoli,
kiwi, papaya, and more.
Focus on whole foods as juic-
ing makes for a huge nutrient
loss.
If you think only citrus
fruits have the most vitamin
C, think again. Red bell pep-
pers contain twice as much
vitamin C as citrus. They9re
also a rich source of beta
carotene. Besides boosting
your immune system, vita-
min C may help maintain
healthy skin. Beta carotene
helps keep your eyes and skin
healthy.
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Vitamin B-6 is an impor-
tant player in many of the
chemical reactions that hap-
pen in the body. It9s also
vital to the formation of new
and healthy red blood cells.
Chicken stock, or broth made
by boiling chicken bones,
contains gelatin, chondroitin,
and other nutrients helpful for
gut healing and immunity.
A lack of zinc can make
a person more susceptible
to disease and illness. This
essential nutrient helps main-
tain the body9s ability to
make new cells and enzymes,
process carbohydrate, fat and
protein in food and increases
the speed of healing muscles
and wounds.
If you9re a meat-eater,
good news: red meats are par-
ticularly high in zinc, as are
shellfish and eggs. Vegans
go for nuts, whole grains and
legumes (chickpeas, lentils,
beans).
Ginger is a magical ingre-
dient; the antioxidant is
believed to fight off cold and
flu symptoms, combat nau-
sea, and is full of iron, zinc,
calcium and magnesium.
However, it9s worth not-
ing that a study from 2013
showed that while fresh gin-
ger may help boost the body9s
respiratory system, dry ginger
did not show the same results.
Research has shown that
the immune system needs
vitamin D to fight off viruses
4 while it won9t protect
you from getting the virus
if you9re exposed, it could
reduce the severity of the ill-
ness and help make recovery
easier.
You can get vitamin D
naturally through sunlight.
It9s also found in some
foods, including fatty fish
like salmon, tuna and mack-
erel, and in small amounts in
beef liver, eggs, cheese, and
mushrooms.
PHOTO BY JODI SCHNEIDER
While more study is
Apples
are
a
great
source
of
vitamin
C.
needed on the link between
vitamin D and immune health,
Feeding your body healthy
some promising research support the microbiome
foods
can help keep your
include
garlic,
onion,
sauer-
suggests that checking your
kraut and fermented foods.
immune system strong.
vitamin D level 4 and tak-
ing a vitamin D supplement
4 could help your body fight
off respiratory illness.
Yogurt can also be a great
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support the good bacteria
that live in your body, which
help to fight bad bacteria or
viruses.
Other foods that can help
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