Our bodies need a variety of nutrients to function optimally and eating nourishing foods rich in vitamins is a great way to boost your immunity. Your immune system is the defense system that helps to protect your body from invading pathogens like bacteria and viruses. The following four vitamins can help you to ward off illness.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is vital for a healthy immune system and a lack of it can make you more susceptible to illness. Your body does not produce or store vitamin C so you need to ingest it on a daily basis for good health.
The good news is that it is found in many foods. Some of the foods that are good sources of vitamin C include oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, strawberries, spinach, broccoli, kale and bell peppers.
In certain cases, it may be difficult to reach your daily recommended intake and you may need to take a vitamin C supplement. Medicine home delivery from UK Meds will make sure your supplement or any other medication you need is delivered to your doorstep and offers same-day service in the U.K.
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is closely associated with immune system function. Deficiency is common in people with autoimmune diseases and those with liver, kidney or digestive issues. Smokers, obese individuals and alcoholics may also be deficient.
A deficiency can result in fewer antibodies to fight infection. It may reduce white blood cell production, including T cells that regulate immune function. B6 also helps your body to make interleukin-2, a protein that helps direct white blood cell actions. Some signs of deficiency include an itchy, flaky or oily rash, cracked lips, a swollen tongue, mood changes, tiredness and tingling in hands and feet.
Your body isn’t able to store much vitamin B6 and to avoid deficiency, you need to consume it on a regular basis. Foods rich in vitamin B6 include salmon, tuna, chicken, chickpeas and some green vegetables.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that helps to protect the cells in the body from damage caused by free radicals. It also helps to widen blood vessels and to prevent blood from clotting.
Vitamin E is important for many bodily functions as it helps cells to interact with each other to carry them out. Vitamin E deficiency is quite rare in healthy people and is usually linked to certain diseases where fat isn’t properly digested or absorbed, like cystic fibrosis or Crohn’s disease.
One of the signs of deficiency is a weakened immune system. It can also cause muscle weakness, vision problems and loss of feeling in arms and legs. Vegetable oils, like sunflower oil, are among the best sources of vitamin E. It is also found in green vegetables, like spinach and broccoli, as well as in nuts and seeds.
Vitamin D
As humans get vitamin D from sunlight, they can become deficient for various reasons, such as limited exposure to the sun, the time of year etc. Vitamin D has gained increasing attention over the past few years for its role in supporting immune health. One of the significant ways it supports immunity is that it stimulates the production of endogenous antibiotics (those within an organism).
One clinical trial found that supplementing with 1200 IU of vitamin D per day led to a 42% decrease in seasonal influenza amongst school-age children.
Other studies have shown that individuals with lower vitamin D levels seem to be more vulnerable to respiratory infections and autoimmune illnesses than those with adequate levels. For this reason, taking a vitamin D supplement is highly recommended, especially during the winter months.