Coronavirus Outbreak: 5 Foods Items To Boost Your Immunity And Safeguard You From Infections
A nutritious diet and an optimally functioning immune system can never go wrong. If you have a healthy immune system, your body can safeguard you from any disease, even the novel coronavirus or COVID-19. While as of now, there is neither any vaccine available nor proven home remedy to protect you from the COVID-19, there are some vitamins and foods which you can inculcate in your diet to have a strong immune system and in turn, fight the infectious disease.
Clinicial Nutritionist Lovneet Batra shares a list of immunity-boosting foods.
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Yogurt: To ensure hand hygiene, experts and doctors recommend washing hands with soap or using an alcohol-based rub, regularly. While hand sanitisers do kick away germs, they take good bacteria essential in building immunity, as well.
"Yogurt is a natural probiotic and aids in the formation of good bacteria in our body. Remember, it has to be freshly made. If you have sore throat regardless of the cause, yogurt might worsen it but for better immunity, you need probiotics so you can resort to supplements", says Clinical Nutritionist Lovneet Batra.
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Turmeric: The golden spice turmeric is known for its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin, the compound present in turmeric is a very potent agent and aids in healing of wounds and infections. This is the reason, it is often suggested to have turmeric milk.
'Most people have it (turmeric) in the wrong way. If you are having haldi (turmeric), don't have it in water, instead, boil it in the milk and have the popular turmeric milk. You can also take it with coconut oil and black pepper', says Ms Batra.
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Natural Anti-virus Foods: Tulsi leaves, star anise (a spice), garlic, and ginger are some of the natural anti-virus food items which gives protection from seasonal flu as well. For boosting immunity and flushing out toxins, Ms Batra suggests a Tulsi drink which can simply be made by boiling three to four leaves in water.
'You can also take three to four pieces of star anise, give it two to three boils and have it warm. You can have ginger and amla juice. You can also have garlic; take one garlic clove, mash it, and expose it to air for five minutes so that its compound called allicin which has potent medicinal properties gets activated and then have it', says Ms Batra.
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Vitamins: Among all kinds of Vitamins, Vitamin C and Vitamin D play a major role in strengthening one's immunity. For the same, one should have more citrus fruits and vegetables like Amla, Lemon, Orange and others. Also, egg yolks and mushrooms are a good source of Vitamin D.
'People who have been infected with the COVID-19 are being given Vitamin C through IV (Intravenous therapy) - that delivers fluids directly into a vein', says Ms Batra.
Ms Batra suggests drinking fresh amla juice (30ml), every day.
