Boost your immunity to ward off COVID-19 – Times of Oman

  • Date: 08-Jul-2020
  • Source: Times of Oman
  • Sector:Industrial
  • Country:Oman
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Boost your immunity to ward off COVID-19 – Times of Oman

Muscat: Doctors in Oman have advised people to eat foods that help boost their immunity, so as to reduce the chances of being infected by COVID-19.

A number of nutrients, such as vitamins A and C, as well as minerals help the body fight off diseases, making eating of foods that contain these elements a priority at present.

The World Health Organization (WHO) also says that good nutrition is crucial for health, particularly in times when the immune system might need to fight back. For optimal health, according to the WHO, it is also important to remain physically active, a consensus shared by medical professionals in the Sultanate.

"The most commonly known nutrients that impact the immune system are vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, and protein,“ explained Dr Lyutha Al Subhi from the Department of Food Science at Human Nutrition at the College of Agriculture and Marine Sciences at Sultan Qaboos University. "There are two types of vitamin A. The first, known as preformed vitamin A is found in foods that are of animal origin, such as meat, poultry, fish and dairy products.

"The second, known as beta-carotene is found in plant foods commonly available in our markets, and includes carrots, spinach,