Strengthen Immunity Through Foods

With COVID 19 wrecking misery, immunity has walked its way into the public discourse. Now, everyone is concerned about boosting immunity for the fear of falling prey to the global pandemic. Apart from washing hands and wearing masks, the best defence comes from within. Here’re a few ways to strengthen your immunity and ward off diseases, naturally.

1. Take Probiotics:

How about ingesting live strains of bacteria to keep your natural defences humming along nicely? If that sounds absurd, it’s time to expand your horizons. Probiotics are foods rich in ‘good’ bacteria. You heard it right, good bacteria do exist. They are found primarily in the gut and aid immunity development, metabolism and other key biochemical processes.

The friendly bacteria are vulnerable to illness, prolonged use of antibiotics and other factors. As their count goes down, your immunity suffers. Probiotics replenish the good bacteria count in the gut and help fight infections and diseases. Kefir and yoghurt are your probiotic options. But specialized drinks are a better option, containing the right strains in the right proportion.

1. Sleep well:

Sleep and immunity go hand in hand. The better you sleep, the better your natural defences will work. Sleep not only relaxes your mind and body but immune system as well. Lack of sleep leads to increased production of adrenaline, cortisol and other hormones related to stress. The spike in stress hormones impacts both, your sleep duration and quality, along with immunity.

According to research, a 7 hours sleep daily reduces your likelihood of catching a cold by 4 times than 6 hours of sleep daily. Another study conducted on twins indicates a depressed immune system in a twin who slept less. Your ideal sleep duration depends on your age. 18 to 60-year-olds need at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep a day, while those above 60 should sleep 8 to 9 hours daily.

1. Eat Right:

You are what you eat, plain and simple. Your diet should be balanced so that you don’t miss out on any essential nutrients, minerals, and vitamins. Your immunity-booster food options include:

• Spices: Spices not only spice up your food but boost your immunity as well. Take, for example, garlic. It contains ALLICIN, a compound known to strengthen the immune system and remedy fluctuating blood pressure. Likewise, ginger hedges you against nausea and inflammation, besides revving up your immune response. Turmeric is rich in Curcumin, which eliminates toxins and helps achieve better defence against pathogens.
• Vegetables: when strong immunity is a priority, a few vegetables should be a part of your diet. Broccoli packs a punch with vitamins A, C and E, various minerals, fibre and antioxidants that together help your cause. Likewise, spinach is a rich source of Vitamin C, beta carotene and a whole bunch of antioxidants essential for improved immunity.
• Citrus fruits: Vitamin C helps in white blood cell (WBC) production, which offers host response to infection. Our body is incapable of producing vitamin C, so you have to get it from citrus fruits, such as grapefruit, oranges, lemons, and tangerines.