As Dietitians, we do get a lot of questions like - ‘How do I improve my immunity in a month’s time?’ or ‘Will taking vitamin C supplements help me avoid all viral and bacterial infections?’ etc. 

To stay away from infections, you need a strong immune system. But immunity cannot be improved with just consuming lemon water or taking vitamin supplements! How do we make sure we are doing everything we can to keep our immunity robust? 

Nutrients play a pivotal role in building our immune system. To make sure our immune system is robust, we must eat a variety of foods to get a variety of essential nutrients. 

Nutrients which will help your immune system function better - 

Vitamin D: Vitamin D is known for its role in improving our immunity, especially against the diseases and infections targeting our lungs! Very few foods naturally have vitamin D. Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel are among the best sources. Fortified foods like milk provide most of the vitamin D. Sun exposure between 10 am and 3 pm for 10 to 15 minutes on a clear day, without sunscreen is the best source since Vitamin D is synthesized on the skin. 

Vitamin C: Vitamin C is known for its antioxidant properties and is abundantly available in a variety of fruits and vegetables. Red peppers, orange juice and oranges, grapefruit, kiwi, green capsicum, broccoli, strawberries (these foods are highest on the list providing 50-95 mg of Vitamin C per serving). The Daily Value % of Vitamin C is 60 mg for children older than 4 years and adults. 

Vitamin A: It is known to help fight off infections and give a boost to the fighter cells in our body. Orange vegetables and fruits like sweet potato, carrots, spinach, greens, papaya, musk melon, egg yellows, dairy products and seafood. 

Zinc: Our immune system needs zinc for defense against bacteria and viruses. Zinc is also known as the healer nutrient, since it plays an important role in wound healing. While you can get zinc from plant sources like sesame, pumpkin seeds, chickpeas, lentils, and cashews, zinc is best absorbed from sea foods like oysters, crab and lobster. Animal sources include beef and pork. 

Selenium: This is another antioxidant nutrient which helps make our immune system stronger. It helps reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in our body. Food sources include fish, eggs, chicken, cheese, cottage cheese, nuts, sunflower seeds, mushrooms and oats. 

Apart from these nutrients, try to include probiotics like curd and buttermilk in your diet regularly. These foods help improve your gut microbiome thereby improving your immune responses. 

Functional foods like garlic, ginger, turmeric and green tea also help in providing a boost to your immunity. 

Having a well-balanced diet can help keep your body’s defenses strong and help you fight off any kind of infections better and recover faster!