The WHO guidance on diet, especially during the current pandemic states that “good nutrition is crucial for health, particularly in times when the immune system might need to fight back” (WHO, 2020).
Adequate and appropriate nutrition is required for all cells to function optimally and this includes the cells in the immune system. An “activated” immune system further increases the demand for energy during periods of infection, with greater basal energy expenditure during fever for example. Thus, optimal nutrition for the best immunological outcomes would be nutrition, which supports the functions of immune cells allowing them to initiate effective responses against pathogens but also to resolve the response rapidly when necessary and to avoid any underlying chronic inflammation. Some micronutrients and dietary components have very specific roles in the development and maintenance of an effective immune system throughout the life course or in reducing chronic inflammation. Based on a variety of systematic and clinical data, vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, folate, zinc, iron, copper, and selenium are particularly important to boosting immune response.
Let us look at some of the sources of each of these micronutrients:
Vitamin A: Concentrations of preformed vitamin A are highest in liver and fish oils. Other sources of preformed vitamin A are milk and eggs, which also include some provitamin A. Most dietary provitamin A comes from leafy green vegetables, orange and yellow vegetables, tomato products, fruits, and some vegetable oils.
Vitamin B6: Found in a variety of sources such as pork, poultry, such as chicken or turkey, some fish, peanuts, soya beans, wheatgerm, oats, bananas.
Vitamin B12: Vitamin B12 is naturally found in animal products, including fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, and milk products.
Vitamin C: Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits, kiwi, strawberries, papaya, amla and vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, red bell peppers.
Vitamin D: Sunlight is the best source of vitamin D as the body converts its precursor into an active form of vitamin D on exposure to sunlight. Very few foods in nature contain vitamin D. The flesh of fatty fish (such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel) and fish liver oils are among the best sources. Small amounts of vitamin D are found in beef liver, cheese, ghee and egg yolks.
Vitamin E: Vegetable oils (such as wheat germ, sunflower, safflower, corn, and soybean oils), nuts (such as almonds, peanuts, and hazelnuts), seeds (such as sunflower seeds), green leafy vegetables (such as spinach and broccoli).
Folate: Folate is naturally present in a wide variety of foods, including vegetables (especially dark green leafy vegetables), fruits and fruit juices, nuts, beans, peas, seafood, eggs, dairy products, meat, poultry, and grains.
Copper: The richest dietary copper sources include shellfish, seeds and nuts, organ meats, wheat-bran cereals, whole-grain products, and chocolate.
Zinc: Good food sources include beans, nuts, certain types of seafood (such as crab and lobster), whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, and dairy products.
Selenium: Many whole grains and dairy products, including milk and yogurt, are good sources of selenium. Some fruits and vegetables also contain selenium. Pork, beef, turkey, chicken, fish, shellfish, and eggs contain high amounts of selenium.
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