The food we eat determines our overall health and immunity. As immunity is the first line of defense and protection of a body from illness and diseases, it is much more needed now than ever. While a healthy balanced diet is a need of an hour. Few nutrients and vitamins play a special role in boosting our immunity. Among these nutrients, today we will be discussing the three most dominant vitamins which help in boosting immunity.

1. Vitamin C:

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, a water-soluble. It helps in starting the action of the immune system, by producing lymphocytes, leukocytes [white blood cells (WBSs)], and phagocytes and thus, helps in protecting the body from infections.

WBCs attack foreign substances which have entered the body and then fight with the germs.

Therefore it is also called “The army of our body.” Vitamin C is water-soluble, cannot be stored in a body, and is easily lost through bodily fluids. Hence, it is essential to consume foods rich in vitamin C on a daily basis. As this vitamin is heat-sensitive, it gets destroyed on heating. It is recommended to eat food items that are rich in vitamin C.

Food sources:

Citrus foods (oranges, lemon, melon, papaya, grapefruit, strawberries, and tomato), amla, kiwi, bell peppers, black currents, broccoli, and leafy greens.

2. Vitamin D:

This is probably one of the most essential vitamins to boost immunity. Being a fat-soluble vitamin, it can be stored in our fat cells. If the daily intake falters temporarily, our body can mobilize its reserves. Its deficiency is highly associated with increased susceptibility to infections. As it is not widely available in vegetarian foods, it is hard to get enough of them. And a supplement becomes the best way for intake for many people. Direct sunlight is also a good resource of vitamin D.

Food resources:

Salmon, tuna, cod liver oil, beef liver, egg yolk, cheese, sardines, swordfish, certain mushrooms, and fruits fortified with vitamin D- like dairy products, soy milk, orange juice, and cereals.

3. Vitamin E:

This fat-soluble vitamin is a potent antioxidant and helps in reducing the self-damaging oxidative stress in our bodies. It modulates the immune function at the cellular level, which usually decreases with age. It has the ability to increase the production of infection-fighting cells and hence improve their fighting capacity.

Food sources:

Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, almonds, vegetable oils, broccoli, spinach, and avocados.

Please note.

Though these nutrients play a crucial role in boosting and proper functioning of the immune system, it is important to maintain a balanced diet and keep attention on other aspects of good health like proper sleep, exercise, hygiene, and living a stress-free life. We must take most of our nutrition from natural foods as much as possible other than taking them through supplements.

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