With more than 9,000 confirmed cases of swine flu in the UK and experts estimating that the number could rise dramatically in the autumn, this is a good question. It is likely that a weakened immune system could make you more susceptible to a virus, and that eating well can give your body the best chance of fighting back.
As Dr Nick Phin, who is head of pandemic flu planning at the Health Protection Agency, explains: “A person who is malnourished is likely to be more susceptible to infections and for most people, a healthy and nutritionally balanced diet will be an important factor in helping to maintain a healthy immune system.”
Obviously, advice on reducing your chances of catching the virus includes catching your sneezes in a tissue, placing it quickly in the bin and washing your hands and surfaces regularly to kill the virus and help to prevent it getting into your body in the first place. But if it does get in, what you eat may help to optimise the strength of the membranes in your ears, nose and throat to form an internal physical barrier against invading organisms.
Protein-rich meat, chicken, eggs and fish, milk, dairy foods, pulse vegetables, nuts, seeds and soya-based foods all supply vital nourishment for the epithelial cells in these membranes. Three average-sized servings a day of any of these are important to maintain the integrity of these “barrier” tissues.
ليست هناك تعليقات:
إرسال تعليق