With the airborne C19 Delta variant spreading across Viti Levu, one of the biggest concerns is Fiji’s high percentage of people living with non-communicable disease and weakened immunity.
Without a strong immune system, the body will find it even more difficult to fight off this deadly virus, even if vaccinated.
As the scientists keep reminding us, the COVID-19 vaccine is not a cure, but gives us that extra layer of protection against hospitalisation and death.
However, if your body is already weak, the double whammy of NCDs and COVID-19 can be fatal. A strong immune system requires a healthy diet and lifestyle.
If your diet lacks fresh meats, seafood, fruits or vegetables and you eat more packaged/processed foods than fresh foods, there is a high chance you’ve been starving your body of essential vitamins and minerals.
You may not feel the effects of a poor diet until you are sick. Building a strong immune system is not a one or two day process. Immunity is built over time. Your food habits and the kind of lifestyle you choose determine your immunity.
The choice of foods, activity levels, quality of sleep, emotional hygiene – all of it can either make or break your immunity. In specific to food and nutrition, the role of vitamins and minerals is huge in boosting immunity.
I’ve noticed on social media that many are chasing multivitamins and supplements to help safeguard from infections, but it’s worthwhile looking at what inexpensive vitamin rich foods nature has already given us and start to use them to our benefit.
Here are 5 vitamin-rich foods that will help boost immunity
1. Indian Gooseberry / Amla Amla are a rare find at the local market but there’s a high chance you have a tree growing nearby. Amla is known to be brimming with vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant and immunity boosting vitamin. Vitamin C helps enhance the antibody response and white blood cell function – key functions deployed against the virus . Also being rich in antioxidants, amla can help manage the oxidative stress and free radicals generated due to infections. It is a common ingredient in most Indian Ayurvedic preparations and a primary ingredient in an ancient herbal preparation called Chyawanprash, which is itself an effective immunity booster that may help prevent infections.
2. Moringa / Saijan You will be surprised to know that moringa contains as many as 90 bioactive compounds, and almost every vitamin and mineral, making it nothing less than a powerful natural multivitamin. It is abundant in protein, calcium, potassium, iron, chromium, magnesium, selenium, zinc and contains high levels of antioxidants. Moringa is a good source of vitamins B1, B2 and B3. It also helps to boost cellular energy and thus works as a great energy booster. Moringa is a powerful immunity booster. It is found that the leaves of moringa contain all the essential amino acids, zinc, vitamin C and other antioxidants that can help boost the immune system. You can also try drinking a tea made from boiling moringa flowers in water as a remedy for cold.
3. Sweet Potato/ Kumala This inexpensive and easily available sweet carb is also a superfood for immunity. They are a rich source of Vitamin C, Vitamin B5, B7 and anthocyanins play an important role in boosting your immunity and boosting heart health. Apart from that, being rich in fibre, they are good for microbiome of the gut. Fibre and antioxidants in sweet potatoes also improves gut health.
4. Mango Every seasonal fruit has its own medicinal properties and mango is no different. Mother Nature offers warming foods in winter, cooling foods in summer and immunity boosting foods in monsoon. Mangoes come at a time while transitioning from summers to monsoons, only to safeguard from the upcoming monsoon menace of colds and fl us. Apart from being a Vitamin C rich fruit, micronutrients include vitamin E, vitamin C, beta-carotene, potassium, Vitamin D, most B vitamins (excluding Vitamin B12). Additionally, the Vitamin A and vitamin C present in mangoes play an essential role in the production of collagen, which is a protein that is necessary for keeping the skin cells healthy. It helps to protect the body’s connective tissues and the blood vessels, thereby enhancing the glow of the skin, triggering elasticity and slowing down the natural aging process.
5. Papaya / Paw Paw Since ancient times papaya has been loved for its unique taste and texture, but did you know this fruit and its extracts were used for making medicines.
Even in Ayurveda times in India, there’s a mention of the extracts of papaya and how they can prevent as well as cure several ailments.
Apart from the high antioxidant level, papaya has several vitamins and minerals that make it a great immunity booster, which further helps in building resistance against several virus, bacteria and pathogen attacks.
The leaves can be squeezed for their juice, and raw green pawpaw can be used in salads or soups. With more than half the country now having received their first vaccination, we still have some way to go.
Superfoods and traditional herbal medicines can help strengthen your immunity but when it comes to this virus, only the vaccinations can protect everyone against hospitalization and death.
I urge all my fellow Fijians to please overcome your fears of the needle and protect yourself against one of the deadliest diseases our generation has encountered. COVID-19 is an airborne virus that does not care about your beliefs, religion, age or race.
Please help Fiji to get on top of this pandemic so we can open the country and get back to the business we are known around the world for – our hospitality.
