#Coronavirus: 5 vitamins to help boost your immunity

Protect yourself from disease by including some essentials vitamins and minerals in your daily diet

It's always a good idea to boost your immunity by eating a nutrient-based diet or by taking certain vitamins and minerals to help our bodies fight against disease.

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, it's now more important than ever to boost our immunity. What is the immune system? Basically, it comprises a network of cells, tissues, and organs working in tandem to protect our body.

To ensure a robust immune system, we should include essential nutrients. As compiled by Pink Villa, here are some vitamins and minerals which will not only amp up our immunity but may also protect us from virus', like Coronavirus.

Vitamin A

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Vitamin A aids in the development of a type of white blood cell that produces antibodies. “Antibodies are proteins that bind to specific markers – known as antigens – on harmful invaders, such as germs, viruses, or tumor cells,” stated The Cancer Research Institute.

Antibodies mark harmful cells so that our immune system cells learn which cells to attack and destroy. Some of the best sources of Vitamin A are eggs, dark green leafy vegetables, oranges, sweet potatoes, carrot, salmon, mackerel, mango, watermelon, papaya and guava.

Vitamin C

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Vitamin C is considered as one of the best immune system boosters. It aids cellular functions that are needed in our bodies. Some of the best sources of Vitamin C include oranges, broccoli, tomatoes, spinach, bell peppers, strawberries, grapefruits and kale. Also, vitamin C as a tablet form is easily available from most supermarkets and pharmacies

Vitamin D

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Vitamin D is another vital nutrient as it has the ability to fight off dangerous infections. Because of quarantining, Vitamin D creation is quite limited. Try sourcing vitamin D from foods such as salmon, cod liver oil, egg yolks, mushrooms and fortified foods.

Vitamin B6

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Vitamin B6 is essential when it comes to biochemical reactions in the immune system. Chicken, salmon and tuna, green veggies and chickpeas are some rich sources of the mineral. Similarly, vitamin E is an excellent antioxidant that helps the body fight off viruses. Hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, almonds and peanuts are great options to enhance your vitamin E intake.

Zinc

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Another important nutrient that boosts our immune system is zinc. Some of the best sources of zinc are seafood, chickpeas, eggs, pumpkin, oysters, legumes and sunflower seeds. You can also opt for a chewable zinc supplement.

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