Eat with purpose to help your immune system.

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While we are all adhering to stay at home orders, washing our hands, using gloves and masks… we also need to nurture our bodies with foods that are rich in immune supporting vitamins and minerals.  This will help keep our immune system strong.  If you are low or deficient in any of these vitamins/minerals, it may make you more compromised. 

Right now, is a great time to eat with purpose by selecting foods that support our immune system.  Here is a list compiled for you based on the specific vitamins and minerals.    

Vitamin D
This is an immune regulatory hormone which helps with your immune system.  Many people are deficient in Vitamin D and lots of people are at their lowest levels about now if you have been inside during this winter. If you supplement with vitamin D, the recommended amount is 600-800 IU/day (15-20 micrograms/ day).  Up to 2000 IU is typically fine.  Too much, 4000 IU daily, like any vitamin or mineral has it’s down side which is hypercalcemia (too much blood calcium) with symptoms such as constipation, headache, irritability, confusion, weakness, loss of appetite, painful calcium deposits and kidney failure. 
Foods Source Rich in Vitamin D
Vitamin D rich foods include fatty fish like tuna, mackerel and salmon, beef liver, cheese, egg yolks and foods fortified with Vitamin D such as dairy products, orange juice soy milk and cereals.

Vitamin C
It is important to get about 75-120 mg/day.  You can get it from your diet but to make sure you are getting enough, take some extra vitamin C.  You can take up to 400-500 mg/day yet long term if you take too much, you may experience digestive issues.
Foods Source Rich in Vitamin C
Vitamin C rich foods include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, green/red peppers, spinach, cabbage, turnip greens, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and winter squash.

Zinc
Zinc is also important and you only need 11 mg/day.  You can take up to 50 mg of zinc and shouldn’t go too high because it competes with copper absorption.  Multivitamins usually have zinc.    If you are deficient, you can have increased risk of upper respiratory problems.  You can also take lozenges to inhibit a virus but no one knows it if helps coronavirus-19.
Foods Source Rich in Zinc
Zinc rich foods include beans, green vegetables, mushrooms, cocoa, cocoa powder, baking chocolate, nuts, oysters, beef, lamb, poultry, shrimp and scallops.

Vitamin A
Vitamin A is a micronutrient that typically we think of for maintaining our vision.  Vitamin A also plays a regulatory role in immune responses.  It is not recommended to take more than 10,000 international units (IU) per day.  If you are sensitive to vitamin A, speak to your doctor before supplementing.  If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you should talk with your doctor before taking supplements because it is not safe in large amounts during pregnancy. 
Foods Source Rich in Vitamin A
Foods rich in vitamin A include dark green leafy vegetables, orange fleshed such as carrots, squash and pumpkin, yellow/orange fruits such as mangoes, papayas, liver, eggs, and milk.

Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant and is an important nutrient for maintaining our immune system, especially for those that are older.  The amount adults need daily is 15 mg or 22.4 IU.  While vitamin E is important, if you go greater than 400 IU daily, you increase your risk of developing newly onset heart failure’ people with heart failure should avoid taking vitamin E supplements unless instructed by a physician.
Foods Source Rich in Vitamin E
Foods rich in vitamin E are sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts, oils like wheat germ, rice bran, grapeseed and safflower, avocados, spinach, Swiss chard, butternut squash, beet greens, and trout.

Selenium
Selenium also plays a role on our immune response. A deficiency is recognized to negatively impact immune cells during activation, differentiation and proliferation.  The daily requirement is just 55 micrograms (a bit higher for pregnant and lactating women).  The supplement dosage ranges from 100-200 micrograms.  The tolerable is 400 micrograms.  Above this can increase adverse effects such as hair and nail brittleness and toxicity can occur over 900 micrograms.
Foods Source Rich in Selenium
Foods rich in selenium are eggs, chicken, oats, mushrooms, beef, cheese, wheat, Brazil nuts, pork and fish.

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