It is always true that a proper balanced food is very essential to us because foods carries different component that helps our body not only to develope but also to make our body stronger to maintain a defence system to protect our body. Here are some vitamins and minerals which are helping our immune system to protect us.
- Vitamin -C (Ascorbic Acid)
This vitamin helps our immune system to grow stronger. It protects us from different types of infection and also responsible for healing our body to recover quickly. Most citrus foods like oranges, grapefruits, lemons, etc., and also in tomatoes, potato contains a large amount of vitamin C, which is an immune system booster.
- Vitamin -D (Calciferol)
This vitamin also can help build immunity by supporting the immune system to fight against harmful bacteria and viruses. It is needless to say that this feature regarding the prevention of bacteria can play a crucial role in making resistance against today’s COVID – 19 pandemic situation. Vitamin D also has the ability to reduced the risk of acute respiratory infection through the daily or weekly intake as a supplement if anyone has a deficiency of it.
Vitamin – D also helps us our body to absorb calcium, and thus it reduces the risk of tooth decay and gum related problems. However, considering its ability to take part in bone metabolism, to function as an anti-inflammatory agent, and the act of stimulating the production procedure of anti-microbial peptides, it can easily realize how the vitamin is worthy to us.
- Vitamin -E (Tocopherol)
This vitamin also acts as a critical antioxidant. It has the ability to trap free radicals, and thus, it can prevent the propagation of the oxidation of unsaturated fatty acid. When Vitamin E is situated in cellular membranes of animal tissues, associated with polyunsaturated fatty acids in phospholipids, then vitamin E built the primary defense system against potentially harmful oxidation reactions.
As an antioxidant, it neutralizes harmful “Free radicals,” which are produced through cellular metabolism or due to certain drugs. These molecules are responsible for cell damage. Thus controlling these anti-substances, Vitamin –D, not only protects our body but also keeps our body fit by maintaining our cell structure.
- Vitamin - K
Vitamin K has two natural types, phylloquinone (K1) and menaquinone (K2), and also has a synthetic form named menadione (vitamin K3). Vitamin K also plays other physiological functions like blood coagulation, bone metabolism, and regulation of some enzyme systems.
It also engages in some work over some plasma proteins and thus affects the immune and inflammatory system controlled by T cells. Studies have revealed links between vitamin K levels and inflammatory diseases and cancer. It is still not clear how vitamin K influences immune and inflammatory responses.
- Zinc (Zn)
Zn has an important role in the host immune system. It has been seen, due to deficiency Zn the level of susceptibility to infectious diseases increases. It has also been found that deficiency of Zinc results in decreased T-cell function and antibody responses. On the other hand, when Zn deficiency is corrected, the immune status became normal. Zinc also plays a role as a cofactor for different enzymes, RNA, and DNA polymerases.
These enzymes are also essential for cell division. Zn is also a cofactor for a peptide hormone, namely thymulin, which plays a key role in T-cell maturation. Thus, different studies have already shown us the effect of Zinc upon immune function. But due to the different levels of concentration of Zn are resulted in stimulation or suppression of the immune system.
- Selenium (Se)
Selenium is a necessary component of glutathione peroxidize, which is an antioxidant. The deficiency of Selenium can result in a state of oxidative stress what is used to narrate the uncontrolled production of free radicals and other oxidants against the antioxidant resistance. This situation can affect host cells in different ways.
Proteins are susceptible to free-radical attack. It is found that oxidized proteins are decreased more rapidly in comparison to un-oxidized ones. Thus Selenium deficiency can result from lower resistance to different fatal infections.
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