Never before has the role of nutrition in strengthening immunity been emphasised than during the Covid-19 pandemic that threatens mass deaths across the globe.
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe on Saturday, April 18, urged Kenyans to work on their nutritional needs to boost their immunity.
"I want to emphasize the importance of nutrition and physical activity to boost our immunity to overcome the disease better and speed up recovery of illnesses," he stated.
Nutrition has an important role in supporting the immune system and maintaining proper immune function.
Erik Millstone, an Emeritus Professor of Science Policy at the Science Policy Research Unit at the University of Sussex Business School, had this to say regarding nutrition, “People need to be well-nourished to strengthen their immune systems to resist Covid-19 infections, or to recover rapidly if they fall ill.”
Taking care of your health in the midst of Covid-19 is on everyone’s minds these days.
One way to keep your immune system strong? Maintaining a balanced diet of carbohydrates, proteins & vitamins as well as minerals.
Carbohydrates are energy giving foods and proteins are bodybuilding foods, while vitamins and minerals are protective foods that guard the body against infections.
Those who have Covid-19 often have respiratory symptoms, such as cough, difficulty breathing, and shortness of breath. As with all viral infections, from the common cold to the flu to Covid-19, adequate nutrition is essential to support your body’s immune system and aid recovery.
Poor nutrition can compromise your immune function and increase your risk of getting infected. Nutrition is crucial for the delivery of energy sources, known as macronutrients, and for support of essential bodily processes provided in part by micronutrients. Both macro and micronutrients are key drivers for a healthy immune response, particularly for higher-risk populations.
For the healthy adult, the recovery phase is when your body requires the highest caloric amount, which may be even 30-50% more than your body’s basal metabolic rate (or how many calories your body needs to function normally). Protein intake remains important through all phases during an illness to protect your body against using your muscle stores for energy.
In general, protein, carbohydrates, and fat all play an important role in nutritional balance. But more specifically certain foods like lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables may be important to target when optimising your diet for healing or infection prevention
The protein needs for those at the highest risk are already greater due to their history of chronic illness or age. In order to protect and support lean muscle mass, choose lean protein sources such as chicken, turkey, seafood, or plant-based options like beans, nuts, or nut butter, and legumes.
Fruits and vegetables, particularly citrus fruits and leafy greens, provide a steady stream of vitamins A and C, while nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils are rich in vitamin E, dairy products, eggs, and seafood are good sources for vitamin D. Zinc is also important, which is rich in food sources like meat and nuts. All of these are vitamins and minerals known to provide immune support.
With 70% of the body's immunity system being housed in the gut, it’s also good to keep your healthy bacteria thriving. Probiotic sources, such as yogurt and kefir, help keep healthy bacteria thriving and supporting your immune system.
Hydration is not only good overall for fighting infection, but it also helps keep mucus thin and easier to remove from the body. In general, drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day, the World Food Programme (WFP) recommends.
Foods like soups, fruits, and vegetables with high water content, such as melons and cucumber, also count as fluid sources.
Notably, Vitamin D plays a key role in immune function: Top 10 vitamin D rich foods are-
1. Tuna fish
2. Milk (including Vitamin D fortified non-dairy milk options)
3. Eggs
4. Yogurt
5. Ready-to-eat cereals (whole grain cereals)
6. Orange juice
7. Salmon
8. Sardines
9. Cod Liver oil
