Eat away infecton
The British Nutrition Foundation outlines key nutrients that can help children and parents fight off illnesses. LISA SALMON looks at where you can find them
HAVING a healthy immune system is vital for both children and adults – and what we eat plays a major part in this. To make it clearer to parents which foods can help keep children and young people’s immune systems healthy, the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) has put together a list of the key nutrients for the job. As well as protein and omega-3 fats, a number of vitamins and minerals have key roles in supporting the immune system.
The BNF says they are:
VITAMIN A
Found in: Eggs, cheese, whole milk, liver. The body can also make vitamin A from beta-carotene, found in dark green leafy vegetables, orangecoloured fruits and vegetables (eg. carrots and melon).
VITAMIN B6
Found in: Poultry, fish, fortified breakfast cereals, chickpeas, soya beans, some fruit and vegetables (eg. bananas, avocados, green peppers), nuts and seeds.
A banana offers around a third of the vitamin B6 needed for a four to 10-year-old. A snack of walnuts (20g, or six halves) provides around 10% of the recommended daily vitamin
B6 requirement for teens and adults.
VITAMIN B12
Found in: Meat, fish, milk, cheese, eggs, fortified breakfast cereals, fortified milk alternatives.
Two tablespoons of tuna in a sandwich can provide all the vitamin B12 a child needs for the day, and two poached eggs will cover adults and teens’ daily B12 needs.
VITAMIN C
Found in:
Citrus fruits, berries, kiwi fruit, green vegetables, cauliflower, peppers, tomatoes. Broccoli is a good vitamin C provider – five small steamed florets will provide under 11s with the vitamin C they need for the day.
COPPER
Found in: Wholegrain breakfast cereals, wholewheat pasta, couscous, quinoa, shellfish, pulses, dried fruit. Baked beans are an easy source of copper that children enjoy. For teenagers and adults pulses used in soups, stews, and curries are good way to boost intake.
VITAMIN D
Found in: Oily fish, eggs, some fortified breakfast cereals, some fortified dairy and dairy alternative products (check labels).
FOLATE
Found in: Green vegetables (eg. broccoli, cabbage, spinach), chickpeas, oranges, berries, cheese, wholemeal bread. Green veg are packed with folate, whether it’s peas, plenty of lettuce or pak choi in stir fries.
IRON
Found in:
Red meat, pulses, nut butters and seed pastes like peanut butter and tahini, fortified breakfast cereals, wholemeal bread, dried fruit.
Surveys suggest around half of teenage girls and a quarter of women may have low iron intake. Vitamin C can help the body absorb iron, so try a glass of orange juice with fortified breakfast cereal.
SELENIUM
Found in: Nuts and seeds (particularly Brazil nuts, cashews and sunflower seeds. For children under five years, nuts and seeds should be offered ground or as a nut butter/ seed paste to reduce the risk of choking), eggs, poultry, fish, shellfish. Fish is a great selenium provider – teens and adults should eat at least two portions a week, one of which should be oily (salmon, sardines).
ZINC
Found in: Meat, poultry, cheese, nuts and seeds, some shellfish (like crab and mussels), wholegrain breakfast cereals, wholegrain and seeded breads.
Lean beef mince is a good source of zinc, so favourites like chilli, meatballs and cottage pie will all boost zinc intake. Wholegrains are also a source of zinc so try a cheese sandwich on wholegrain bread.
STACEY Dooley steps into the Davina McCall role of tea, sympathy and a secret stash of photos in this new Long Lost Family-esque show.
The focus is on the DNA that connects us, with a massive database now available thanks to more than 25 million people worldwide doing a home test. It’s a gripping show, with big reveals that we haven’t seen since the days of Jeremy Kyle. And it’s not just about reuniting long lost relatives – although there’s plenty of that. It might also be a DNA question about a hereditary disease or lost heritage.
“DNA doesn’t lie but are we ready for the truth?” asks Stacey. Bill, 75, wants to know what
DNA FAMILY SECRETS
BBC2, 9pm
happened to his father, an African American GI stationed in Loughborough, who went back to America after the war ended and was never heard from again. Does Bill have any living relatives left?
Cut to a shot of top geneticist Turi King, in a lab holding a big syringe – just in case we weren’t sure what a scientist looked like.
Stacey also meets 53-yearold Richard, who was recently shocked to discover that his dad wasn’t his biological father.
Another man has claimed to be his real father, but can a DNA test solve the mystery? And Charlie wants to know if she has inherited the gene for Huntington’s disease, after her father was diagnosed with the debilitating terminal illness. If she has it, then her little boy Cian could have it too… There’s a 50/50 chance and let’s just say, it’s emotional.