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Some key nutrients, including vitamin C, D, and zinc, are important for supporting your immune system. Little wonder these nutrients and their supplements have been prescribed from the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Generally, an unprocessed, whole food diet supports a healthy immune system. And your daily diet should include fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, lean protein, and whole grain. Adding these types of food to your diet helps you get the essential macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals that are needed for a healthy immune system.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that supports your immune health. This vitamin can help you fight cold or ease your cold symptoms faster if you take it before the onset of sickness.

Vitamin C has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help to reduce the risk of diseases.

The recommended daily amount of this vitamin for adults is 75 to 90 mg, however, a high intake does not pose any harm. When you consume a large amount of vitamin C, your body doesn’t store it, instead, it will void it through your sweat and urine.

Some good food sources of vitamin C include oranges, red peppers, broccoli, leafy greens, strawberries, and kiwi. You can also get it in form of supplements.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D also supports a healthy immune system, as it helps your body maintain optimal blood levels of phosphorus and calcium. Getting enough vitamin D also helps to protect you from respiratory infections. It reduces your risk of catching the flu; reduces the risk of developing heart disease and multiple sclerosis.

Our best natural source of vitamin D is exposure to the sun, however, you can get it from foods such as milk, fatty fishes, cheese, egg yolks, fortified grains, and orange juices.

Sometimes, the food sources may not give you enough of vitamin D to meet your recommended daily intake. So, in this case, a vitamin D supplement may be helpful if you are deficient.  In fact, vitamin D supplementation has been shown by studies to decrease the risk of respiratory tract infections.

Zinc                                                                                                       

Zinc is one of the key nutrients that boost the function of the immune system. It helps symptoms such as nasal drainage, nasal congestion, cough, and sore throat resolve sooner.

When combined with vitamin C, zinc helps to reduce the levels of cytokines, which are harmful chemicals produced in the body during infections. Zinc actually boosts the production of infection-fighting cells (t-lymphocytes).

Your body needs between 8-11 mg of zinc to achieve optimal immunity. You can get this mineral from natural food sources, including legumes like lentils, chickpeas, and beans, along with whole grains, seeds, and nuts.

However, in case you’re not getting enough from food, or you’re deficient, you can get zinc in supplement form, which is widely available as zinc gluconate and zinc acetate. One study showed that people who took zinc lozenges experienced colds shortened by 30-40%.

That said, always keep in mind that natural foods are the best sources of the vitamins and nutrients listed above. But you can combine these natural foods with supplements. These nutrient supplements not only help improve your immunity but also help reduce the risk of heart diseases and some other conditions. This is mainly because these supplements contain other important components.

But note that it is important to always speak with your doctor before adding any supplement to your diet.

You can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our chiropractic office in Elizabeth City, NC, to learn more about natural foods and supplements that offer a rich supply of vitamin C, D, and zinc.