Atqia BilkisMost of us cannot escape the cold or the flu as they catch up to us.
Not to mention the ongoing pandemic still lingering around in the world like a leech that isn’t dying out.
Your immunity must be in top shape to take charge of your health.
Your immune health is important to fight off against viruses, bacteria and other toxins. Remember, health is equal to your wealth.
The fast-paced world we live in now calls for us to strengthen our immune system to keep our normal body functioning in well shape.
This is where vitamins and minerals come in to help keep your immune system going.
It would be best to have well-balanced meals that are rich with nutrients like healthy fats, vegetables, fruits, fiber and protein.
Most of us don’t get the time to meet our daily requirement of nutrition goals, so it is vital that you include these 19 essential vitamins and minerals in your daily food intake.
You will need a dose of some water-soluble vitamins and minerals as your body cannot store them.
The full spectrum of B vitamins, other fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E and K all help in maintaining your immune health.
Eat immunity-boosting foods that fight colds and flu. Your body will thank you for taking these vitamins and minerals into your system.
Along with maintaining a balanced diet rich with the necessary vitamins and minerals our body needs, you will also need to maintain a healthy lifestyle such as regular physical exercise will boost your mental health and have a good sleep pattern.
Let’s get into the details of the vitamins and minerals we need to ward off a weak immune system!
Below are the list of vitamins and minerals that play key roles as immunomodulators, a chemical agent that modifies your immune response.
Vitamins include:
01. Vitamin A
This vitamin is important in keeping your immune system in check.
It helps produce white blood cells kicking the bacteria that live in our bloodstream out of the system.
Foods with vitamin A:
- Eggs
- Oily fish
- Cheese
- Carrots
- Pumpkins
- Sweet potatoes
02. Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
This vitamin regulates immune cell localization.
It has antioxidant properties to protect cells from oxidative damage.
Foods with vitamin B1:
- Fish
- Beans
- Lentils
- Green peas
- Sunflower seeds
- Enriched rice
03. Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
This vitamin serves as a cofactor for many enzymes that help in energy metabolism.
It also helps with mucosal defense and reduces inflammation in the gut.
Foods with vitamin B2:
- Cheese
- Eggs
- Yogurt
- Lean beef
- Chicken breast
- Salmon
- Dairy milk
04. Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
This vitamin helps activate the innate immune system making it important to defend against pathogens.
It also helps reduce inflammation in models of atherosclerosis.
Foods with vitamin B3:
- Poultry
- Fish
- Brown rice
- Nuts
- Bananas
- Legumes
- Beef liver
05. Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)
This vitamin has antioxidant effects that helps reduce low-grade inflammation, and improves heart and lung health.
Foods with vitamin B5:
- Meat
- Cereal grains
- Legumes
- Eggs
- Milk
- Mushrooms
- Avocado
06. Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
This vitamin helps support biochemical reactions in your body.
It is also important to help produce white blood cells and antibodies that help defend the body from harm’s way.
Foods with vitamin B6:
- Chicken
- Salmon
- Tuna
- Potatoes
- Chickpeas
- Nuts
07. Vitamin B7 (Biotin)
This vitamin plays an important role in the treatment of human metal allergies with its therapeutic benefits.
Foods with vitamin B7:
- Eggs
- Beef liver
- Avocados
- Sweet potato
- Nuts
- Seeds
08. Vitamin B9 (Folic acid)
This vitamin is also called folate that helps with the chemical reactions in the body that affect your immune system.
Foods with vitamin B9:
- Broccoli
- Leafy green vegetables
- Brussels sprouts
09. Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
This vitamin is important as it helps make nucleic acid and cell proteins, both of which are associated with our immune system.
Foods with vitamin B12:
- Meat
- Fish
- Dairy products
- Eggs
- Fortified milks
- Mock meats
- Enriched nutritional yeast
10. Vitamin C
This vitamin is known to be the number one working immunity booster that is important for your body because your body cannot produce this vitamin on its own to be stored for longer periods.
You will need vitamin C everyday!
This is an important antioxidant that helps your body fight off free radicals that damage your cells.
Vitamin C helps boost the production of collagen which strengthens your skin and muscles.
It also helps heal wounds faster and support the growth and circulation of lymphocytes.
- Oranges
- Strawberries
- Bell peppers
- Broccoli
- Kale
- Brussels sprouts
- Spinach
- Blackcurrants
- Potatoes
11. Vitamin D
This vitamin is important for having strong anti-inflammatory properties and for the proper functioning of immune cells.
Low levels of vitamin D increases your risk of infections and other respiratory diseases.
Foods with vitamin D:
- Salmon
- Mackerel
- Sardines
- Herring
- Liver
- Eggs
- Cheese
- Milk
- Breakfast cereals
- Margarine spreads
The best source of vitamin D is the sun!
A 10-12 minutes of sun exposure especially to your hands, face, legs and back without any physical protection during strong solar radiation should be enough for supplication.
12. Vitamin E
This is a powerful antioxidant that helps ward off infections.
Vitamin E helps your body use other vitamins such as vitamin A and K more efficiently.
This vitamin working alongside vitamin C helps overcome free radicals.
Foods with vitamin E:
- Nuts
- Spinach
- Seeds
- Avocados
- Olive oil
- Fish
13. Vitamin K
This vitamin serves as an antioxidant that helps produce enzymes involved in immune responses.
It also inhibits the development of secondary liver tumors.
Vitamin K helps with the chemical reactions in your body.
Foods with vitamin K:
- Soybean and canola oil
- Kale
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Lettuces
- Brussels sprouts
Minerals include:
14. Copper
This mineral helps in neutralizing free radicals that damage cells and cause illness.
Copper has antimicrobial properties to reduce free radicals and helps heal and repair your body from inflammation.
Foods with copper:
- Nuts
- Sunflower seeds
- Unsweetened baker’s chocolate
- Shiitake mushrooms
- Oysters
- Potatoes with skin
15. Iodine
This mineral helps regulate the immune system by fighting off infections.
It improves immunity by removing chemical, biological toxins and suppresses autoimmune responses.
Foods with iodine:
- Fish
- Seaweed
- Eggs
- Dairy milk
- Chicken
- Table salts
15. Iron
This mineral not only helps our energy levels but it helps build your immune cells to their full potential.
Iron is an important component of hemoglobin which helps transfer oxygen around your bloodstream.
It is essential for women especially to maintain their iron levels because iron is lost during menstruation.
Foods with iron:
- Lentils
- Beans
- Lean beef
- Oysters
- Chicken
- Fortified cereal
17. Magnesium
This mineral helps prevent inflammatory reactions in your body.
Foods with magnesium:
- Nuts
- Dry beans
- Wholegrains
- Wheatgerm
- Oat bran
18. Selenium
This mineral is a powerful antioxidant that helps reduce inflammation, optimizes immune functioning, promotes heart health and helps prevent cancer.
Foods with selenium:
- Salmon
- Chicken
- Lean beef
- Turkey
- Shrimp
- Tuna
- Mushrooms
- Brazil nuts
19. Zinc
This mineral does wonders to your immune system by having a major role in wound healing.
It also helps in developing the immunity cells in our body by impacting the growth of T-cells.
According to a cochrane research posted on National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), zinc helps reduce the length of a common cold.
Foods with zinc:
- Red meat
- Oysters
- Beans
- Nuts
- Seafood
- Chicken
- Fortified cereal
Prebiotics and probiotics
Besides vitamins and minerals, there are certain helpful microbes that help break fibers into fatty acids which help stimulate immune cell activity.
So, a diet that has probiotics has helpful bacteria and prebiotics contain fiber, both of which help maintain healthy bacteria.
Foods with probiotics include:
- Yogurt
- Fermented vegetables
- Kimchi
- Kefir
- Kombucha tea
Foods with prebiotics include:
- Onions
- Garlic
- Asparagus
- Leeks
- Bananas
- Seaweed
Take away
Vitamins and minerals are needed in our daily lives as our bodies cannot produce micronutrients to help perform bodily functions.
A good nutrition with essential vitamins and minerals alone won’t fight off your body from infections.
You also need a healthy dose of natural sleep, exercise and relaxation to reduce your chances of catching any infections.
So, make sure to get enough vitamins and minerals along with a healthy lifestyle regime.
There is a misconception that frozen foods are not healthy, but it is convenient and can help boost your immune system.
Food manufacturers freeze fruits and vegetables at peak ripeness that present a similar nutritional value as the fresh ones.
Come on and get colorful groceries to enjoy an appealing rainbow diet!
Resources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6457799/
https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/27/2/555/pdf
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a41377758/vitamins-for-immune-system/
Womensframe
Indrani Guha
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