Because of how the COVID-19 virus affected everyone across the globe, the issue regarding how important a person’s immune system and its ability to help you fight the virus’s severe effect has been a major topic, this topic does not only circulate within the medical community but even throughout the general population.
Topics from improving one’s immune system to how to maintain and what steps one should take to ensure they have a robust immunity have become a hot topic. There are so many ways to strengthen your immune system, and one of them is taking the right vitamins every day.
If you are one of those individuals who are seeking a way to improve your immune system not only to fight the COVID-19 virus but to obtain a healthy life, here are the must-have vitamins that should become a staple of your healthy lifestyle.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C or Ascorbic Acid is the most well-known vitamin that can help you boost your immunity. Everyone knows this fact, which is why Vitamin C’s sales skyrocketed since the pandemic has started.
The popularity of Vitamin C has its reason as it is the biggest immunity booster of all. Lacking Vitamin C will make you more prone to sickness. You can acquire and enjoy the benefits of Vitamin C through supplements, but you can also get it through foods that are rich sources of ascorbic acid.
Fruits and vegetables are the best food that can provide you with your daily vitamin C needs. Some examples are oranges, bell peppers, broccoli, spinach, grapefruit, and many more. The best part is that these foods can already provide you with enough vitamin c that your body needs. Thus drinking supplements can be disregarded unless your physician advises you to do so.
Zinc
The best mineral to pair with vitamin c is zinc. There are so many benefits zinc can provide you with, which boost your immune system. Your metabolic functions and immune system are improved with the help of zinc.
A study has noticed an impairment to the body’s cellular mediators of innate immunity like the generation of oxidative burst and phagocytosis due to zinc undernutrition. Taking zinc and vitamin c will help you improve symptoms and cut down the duration of infections of the respiratory tract.
Iron
A study was conducted during the previous decades that iron plays a vital role in the immune system’s normal development. Having a low iron level in your body can influence your immune response capacity.
To help your immunity cells mature and increase, you need to take a substantial iron amount. To have a holistic, healthy, and strong body, adding iron to your supplement must-haves will surely improve your well-being.
Vitamin D
Another important factor in strengthening your immune system is Vitamin D. It is best to keep your body’s vitamin D level high alongside the other key supplements your immune system needs.
Aside from purchasing and taking supplements, the most common and popular source of vitamin D is the sun, which is also referred to as the sunshine vitamins. Additionally, you can also acquire vitamin D from various food sources such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, and many more.
You might have Vitamin D from the food you eat and from the sun, which is why supplementation isn’t necessary. However, if you think you need to take supplements to fill any deficiency, you must first seek your physician’s advice.
Folate
Folate or Vitamin B9 is a vitamin that helps repair and create DNA. Theoretically, a deficiency of folate in your body can hinder immunity. In experiments conducted on animals, an excessive deficiency of folate causes the animal’s immunity to impair.
However, this observation hasn’t yet been seen in human studies. Even with animal experimentation, it is still unclear what the impact it has on the overall health. Yet, you still need to ensure that you are getting enough Vitamin B9 from the food you eat or from Folic Acid supplements.
For the record, folate and folic acid are the same. The only difference is that folate is natural, meaning you can get it from a food source, while folic acid is a man-made version sold in the market as supplements and added to food to fortify it.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is not only best in making your skin glow with a youthful vibrance. It is also a vital vitamin needed to boost your immunity to fight foreign invaders such as viruses and bacterias.
Vitamin E is popular amongst women as it has antioxidants that help reduce the signs of aging by giving you radiant skin and cell regeneration.
There are so many vitamins your body needs to improve its immune system. Vitamins are even covered by insurance to ensure that you get what vitamins and minerals your body needs every day.
Takeaway
Ensuring that your body gets the vitamins and minerals it needs to strengthen your immune system should be included in your routine. It should be a constant thing and not only done during a health crisis. Ensuring proper intake of the said vitamins and minerals plus regular exercise will surely guarantee a long and healthy life.
