Nutrition: A Strategy for Curtailing the Impact of COVID-19 Through Immunity Booster Foods

Nutrition: A Strategy for Curtailing the Impact of COVID-19 Through Immunity Booster Foods

Muhammad Haseeb Ahmad, Muhammad Faizan Afzal, Muhammad Imran, Muhammad Kamran Khan, Nazir Ahmad
Copyright: © 2022 |Pages: 17
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-8225-1.ch016
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Abstract

Nutrition is a known aspect that plays a pivotal role in the strengthening of the immune system. Populations with poor eating habits have more risk of severe COVID-19. Micronutrients such as vitamins, including vitamins A, B complex, C, D, and E; minerals including, zinc, selenium, magnesium, and copper are mainly present in plant based foods like legumes, fruits, and vegetables to build different types of immune cells that are helpful in supporting the immune system and promote the host health. Insufficient consumption of these nutrients may result to reduce the resistance to infections as well as an increasing in disease load. Garlic, black pepper, and basel leaves are known as ancient herbs which is helpful to boost the immunity. Numerous studies observed that a powerful antioxidant bioflavonoid quercetin and a glutathione may prevent the risk of COVID-19. In conclusion, foods from plant source show a vigorous role to boost the immunity for all aged groups to control COVID-19.
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Nutrition And Immune System

The immune system has ability to protect the functional responses of the host as well as aid to fight against the attack of microbes, virus, pathogens and other harmful substances. Innate as well as adaptive (acquired) immunity are two main kinds of our immune system.

The innate immune system is more invariant or faster molecular motifs but non-specific. Innate immunity produces cells of physiological as well as structural barriers. Physiological barriers include pH and oxygen level well in structural barriers, skin as well as mucous membranes are included. Basophils, dendritic cells, eosinophils, macrophages, mast cells, neutrophils and natural killer cells are those cells that are produced by innate immune system (Bonham et al., 2002; Sokol & Luster, 2015).

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