COVID-19: How you can boost your immunity with adequate diets

Good nutrition is key to protection from diseases including COVID-19. Experts said adequate diets help to provide the building blocks of body cells that play important roles in immunity.

According to the Dietitians Association of Nigeria (DAN), the immune system depends on both macro and micro-nutrients (substances in foods) for proper functioning and as such, many nutrients are involved in the proper functioning of the immune system.

The dietitians said in order to keep the immune system functioning optimally, people should maintain the consumption of adequate diet with lots of variety.

They said an adequate diet should supply nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins and minerals, among others in the right quality and quantity. Fruits and vegetables are especially important; selecting a colourful array; such as carrots, green leafy vegetables, fresh tomatoes, oranges, will provide you with vitamins which play important roles in immune function.

National President of DAN Prof. Elizabeth Kanayo Ngwu said an adequate diet would help support the body’s immune system to fight infections.

A nutritionist, Najib Panda said people should eat balanced diet that contains all food groups in right proportions.

He said: “Adequate diet is a diet that contains proper amounts of energy calories. Varied diet is the taking of foods in variety. There is no single food substance that contains all the essential nutrients. For instance, when people take orange with watermelon, that is a varied and adequate diet because they belong to fruits and vegetable that contain essential vitamins and minerals that play a vital role in body metabolism. adequate diet

“Hence taking food in a variety will enable the body to get all the necessary nutrients for energy and growth protection against any diseases and infections.”

Najib lists some of the nutritious foods that can be taken during the COVID-19 such as Vitamin A or preformed vitamin A that is, liver and whole milk which are sources of Retinol for the body. Also, fruits and vegetables which are a source of carotenoids to the body. These will help to support white blood cells that identify pathogens in the body.

He added that, vitamin C such as; tomatoes, green vegetables, papaya and many more should also be consumed regularly to help clear old immune cells that protect the skin from external infection.

He therefore advised vulnerable groups; children, lactating women, as well as the aged to boost their body immunity by regulating their intake on balanced diets that provide health benefits beyond the essential nutrients.

DAN said nutrients cannot be sourced from a single food but by consuming a variety of healthy foods. “A healthy diet will, therefore, strengthen the immune system and enable it to play its role of defending the body against infections and fight diseases.

“Examples of these nutrients include proteins, vitamins A, B6, B12, C and D, copper, folate, iron, selenium and zinc, omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, etc,” it said.

The different food groups to select from to obtain these nutrients, the dieticians advised that are:

Cereals and grains: The foods in this group include rice, maize, wheat, bread, pasta, hungry rice (acha), sorghum and others.

Roots, tubers and plantain: Examples of foods in these groups include yam, cassava, garri, fufu, plantain, alubo and others.

Legumes and nuts: Examples of foods in this group include beans, Bambara nut (okpa), yam, beans (Azam or Ijiriji or Ozaki), soybeans, walnut, cashew nut, groundnut and others.

Meat, poultry and fish: Examples include beef, chicken, eggs, fish and meat.

Milk and milk products: These include milk, yoghurt, cheese, nono, and other milk products.

Fruits: include banana, avocado pear, mango, watermelon, pawpaw, orange, apple, African star apple (udara or agbalumo), Velvet Tamarind (icheku, awin, tsamiya) and many other common ones in various states.

Vegetables: include all leaves used in cooking meals, carrots, garden eggs, cucumber, green beans, onions and many others.

Water: Drink clean uncontaminated water, at least three litres a day (about six sachets). Do not wait until you are thirsty.

They however warned the public against food supplements claims to prevent COVID-19.

The dieticians said their association and relevant regulatory agencies have also not approved any single supplement or combinations to prevent, treat or cure COVID-19.

They said with consistent and adequate diet and maintaining a healthy lifestyle (regular exercise, not smoking, adequate sleep, managing stress etc.) one would not need any supplement marketed around COVID-19.