The right nutrition is crucial in building a strong immune system of your child; A well-balanced nutritious diet can strengthen your children’s immune system. nutrients along with essential vitamins and minerals, can keep your child’s immune system strong. Good nutrition helps in early recovery, more efficiently and leading to less complications.
1. Zinc: It supports immune system by reducing the duration of common cold, incidence of diarrhoea and respiratory tract infections among children.
2. Vitamin C: This enables your body to synthesise white blood cells which help fight off infections. If taken regularly, it helps reduce the duration and severity of colds, and helps manage respiratory tract infections.
3. Vitamin D: It strengthens the immune system and it effectively fights infection. Sufficient intake of vitamin D prevents development of autoimmune diseases.
4. Vitamin E: It plays numerous roles in our body due to its antioxidant properties, which prevent cells and tissues from environmental and free radical damage.
5. Vitamin B: These provide energy from the food we eat and is important for healthy skin, eyes, liver and brain function. It is also required to produce haemoglobin, its deficiency can result in anaemia with symptoms like fatigue.
6. Magnesium: It controls various chemical reactions in the body, is overall important for your child’s stomach and digestive function along with providing protection to the immune system
7. Selenium: It provides protection from certain viral infections. Include fish, eggs, sesame seeds, garden cress seeds, mustard seeds, cashews, mushrooms, chia seeds (sabja), paan leaves, beetroot leaves, muli leaves, curry leaves, papaya, ajwain, pulses and legumes, cereals and millets like rajgira/ ramdana, bajra, barley, jowar, ragi and whole wheat in your diet.
8. Omega-3 Fatty Acids : Omega-3 fatty acids help in maintaining healthy cell membrane and reduce the formation of inflammatory compounds. EPA and DHA are omega-3 fats which increase the activity of white blood cells leading to improved immune function. It is also helpful for overcoming mood, behaviour and attention issues in children
9. Proteins: Consuming too little protein can weaken your child’s immune system. Include cereals, pulses and dals, nuts and seeds, soybean, milk and milk products, chicken, fish and eggs to meet your child’s essential amino acid requirement.
Author: Jothi Nagavel, Nutritionist Dietitian and Weight Management Consultant
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