To ward off viruses,try improving immunity

There are several other foods too that help boost immunity.

In case you are willing to bear the smell,garlic is a highly beneficial food as it helps fight infections. It is good idea to include crushed garlic in everyday cooking as much as possible.

In addition,just two raw cloves of garlic in a salad or a chutney is all it takes to get such benefit.

The Vitamin A/Carotene-rich foods provide our skin the major organ of defence against infections with adequate power.

Pumpkin,carrot and the ubiquitous kharbuja cantaloupe in this season is good for the skins defence system.

Zinc is a crucial mineral in the bodys defence and it has been found in well documented studies that even a mild deficiency of zinc can up your risk of infections.

Vegetarians can imbibe zinc from milk and yoghurt low fat and non-vegetarians can do so from red meats,pork,poultry and oysters. As zinc plays an important role in the development of the white blood cells the fighter pilots of our bodys immune systems vegetarians should take extra milk/yogurt to get enough amounts.

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Another great food for boosting immunity through increased production of white blood cells is the mushroom. The Shiitake or the Maiitake variety provides the greatest punch.

Selenium can be imbibed through fish and shellfish oysters,lobsters,crabs,clams. The role of selenium is production of proteins called cytokines,which,in turn,help clear out viruses from the body. Vegetarians could instead stock up on the good fats Omega 3 fatty acids. The Omega 3 fats create the highest level of T-cells the fighter pilots and they also produce proteins that reduce inflammation inteferron gamma cytokines.

To ensure a good supply of Omega fats,we need to include a handful of walnuts,almonds or peanuts. Even mustard,used as paste or for seasoning,is quite helpful in this regard.

The ayurvedic system lists a veritable treasure trove of herbs known to improve immunity.

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Ashwagandha and Shatavari are two such herbs that promote immunity. Tulsi is a powerful anti-viral agent and consuming it regularly can go a long way towards warding off infections. For those who do not have access to Tulsi,relief is at hand since many chemists and other stores stock its capsules.

A last piece of advice: No matter what our diet,it must be remembered that good health results from a holistic approach to everyday living. Thus,one must sleep and exercise enough and in a regulated fashion. In addition,one must stay as stress-free as possible.

Any form of pranayam is great at relieving stress. If one follows all of the above,there will be no need to fear any infection let alone swine flu!

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