Eat that cold away
Grandma always said: "Feed a cold", and the fact remains that the best way to get better or to avoid getting sick is to eat well. Supplements and vaccinations aside, good food remains our most powerful weapon against illness.
Here are the top eight soldiers you need to make sure are in your frontline of defence against infection.
Vitamin C
It doesn't take an Einstein to figure this one out, mainly because it's been drilled into us from as young as when mom was shoving those nasty fizzy drinks in your face as soon as winter came.
Vitamin C tops the list of immune boosters: by upping the number of white blood cells and antibodies, it increases levels of an antibody called interferon, which covers cell surfaces and makes them more resistant to viruses.
Vitamin C also raises levels of good cholesterol in the blood, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease while lowering blood pressure. It's also been proven to lower the incidence of colon, prostate and breast cancer.
The RDA for this little powerhouse? Around 200mg a day, which you can get by consuming a healthy six servings of fruit and vegetables. Or drinking that fizzy stuff.
You should eat:
- Fresh oranges
- Lots of raw broccoli
Vitamin E
Where Vitamin C is a defensive molecule, Vitamin E seeks and destroys. It boosts the manufacture of B-cells — the immune cells that produce antibodies that destroy bacteria.
Get your recommended 30-60mg a day, but in the cold season, it's wise to up your intake to around 100-400mg per day (with the help of supplements), especially if you don't exercise, or if you smoke, and drink alcohol regularly.
You should eat:
- seeds, vegetable oils, and grains
Carotenoids
This is third of the "big three" antioxidants: it boosts the number of infection-fighting cells, natural killer cells, and helper T-cells. Carotenoids also act as a powerful anti-oxidant, mopping up excess free radicals that accelerate aging.
It also lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease, especially strokes and heart attacks, and by triggering the production of the tumor necrosis factor, which kills cancer cells.
Beta carotene is the most familiar carotenoid, but it is only one member of a large family, and scientists believe that it is important that all the carotenoids work together — getting your carotenoids from food as opposed to beta-carotene supplements is much better.
You should eat:
- fresh tomatoes ripened on the vine
- carrots, carrots and more carrots
