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As the coronavirus spreads, we are hearing about how to reduce exposure and take care of ourselves if we get sick. These are important tips, but we're not hearing much about how we can boost our immunity so that if we do get exposed to the virus our body can effectively fight back. 

Our immune systems are designed to fight off sicknesses and viruses. But unfortunately, the immune system can get worn down by many things typical of a modern life like stress, toxins, lack of exercise and unhealthy eating. This prevents our bodies from effectively fighting off sickness.

With coronavirus continuing to spread, it's more important than ever to support the immune system. We can do this by making a few key modifications.

Here are 6 essential ways to boost your immunity in preparation for coronavirus:

1. Reduce Stress

When we're stressed out our body produces stress hormones which tax the immune system. So one of the most important ways to boost immunity is to reduce stress. To reduce stress, it's key to ensure you have work life balance, take breaks when you need them (both short "water-cooler" breaks and longer vacations), and to employ some calming or relaxing stress-reduction techniques.And if you're already feeling really stressed out taking adrenal support supplements can be helpful.

2. Sleep whenever you're tired

By not sleeping enough, we increase stress and hurt our immunity. If we're drinking caffeinated drinks all the time we may not even realize just how tired we really are. Because sleeping is important to rebuilding a struggling immune system, we need to let ourselves sleep as much as we need.

3. Consume immunity-boosting vitamins

To support your immune system, you can eat immunity supporting foods like citrus fruits, garlic, broccoli, and spinach. If your immune system is already weak, it can also be helpful to supplement with key vitamins and minerals that may have become depleted like Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Vitamin D, and Zinc. Most effective way to get high doses of Vitain C, Vitamin B and Zinc is intravenously (IV).

4. Reduce Inflammation

Sugar, processed meat, vegetable oils, and alcohol tend to be inflammatory foods so they busy the immune system, leaving other problems in your body unaddressed. That's why it can be really helpful to remove these inflammatory foods if we want a healthy immune system. 


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5. Vitamin A

Vitamin A maintains the structure of the cells in the skin, respiratory tract and gut. This forms a barrier and is your body’s first line of defense. If fighting infection was like a football game, vitamin A would be your forward line.

We also need vitamin A to help make antibodies which neutralist the pathogens that cause infection. This is like assigning more of your team to target an opposition player who has the ball, to prevent them scoring.

Vitamin A is found in oily fish, egg yolks, cheese, tofu, nuts, seeds, whole grains and legumes.

Further, vegetables contain beta-carotene, which your body can convert into vitamin A. Beta-carotene is found in leafy green vegetables and yellow and orange vegetables like pumpkin and carrots.

6. B vitamins

B vitamins, particularly B6, B9 and B12, contribute to your body’s first response once it has recognized a pathogen.

They do this by influencing the production and activity of “natural killer” cells. Natural killer cells work by causing infected cells to “implode”, a process called apoptosis.



B6 is found in cereals, legumes, green leafy vegetables, fruit, nuts, fish, chicken and meat.

B9 (folate) is abundant in green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds and is added to commercial bread-making flour.

B12 (cyanocobalamin) is found in animal products, including eggs, meat and dairy, and also in fortified soy milk (check the nutrition information panel).

7. Vitamins C and E

When your body is fighting an infection, it experiences what’s called oxidative stress. Oxidative stress leads to the production of free radicals which can pierce cell walls, causing the contents to leak into tissues and exacerbating inflammation.

Vitamin C and vitamin E help protect cells from oxidative stress.

Vitamin C also helps clean up this cellular mess by producing specialised cells to mount an immune response, including neutrophils, lymphocytes and phagocytes.

So the role of vitamin C here is a bit like cleaning up the football ground after the game.

Good sources of vitamin C include oranges, lemons, limes, berries, kiwifruit, broccoli, tomatoes and capsicum.

Vitamin E is found in nuts, green leafy vegetables and vegetables oils.

8. Vitamin D

Some immune cells need vitamin D to help destroy pathogens that cause infection.

Although sun exposure allows the body to produce vitamin D, food sources including eggs, fish and some milks and margarine brands may be fortified with Vitamin D (meaning extra has been added).

Most people need just a few minutes outdoors most days.

People with vitamin D deficiency may need supplements. A review of 25 studies found vitamin D supplements can help protect against acute respiratory infections, particularly among people who are deficient.

9. Iron, zinc, selenium

We need iron, zinc and selenium for immune cell growth, among other functions.

Iron helps kill pathogens by increasing the number of free radicals that can destroy them. It also regulates enzyme reactions essential for immune cells to recognise and target pathogens.



Zinc helps maintain the integrity of the skin and mucous membranes. Zinc and selenium also act as an antioxidant, helping mop up some of the damage caused by oxidative stress.

Iron is found in meat, chicken and fish. Vegetarian sources include legumes, whole grains and iron-fortified breakfast cereals.

Zinc is found in oysters and other seafood, meat, chicken, dried beans and nuts.

Nuts (especially Brazil nuts), meat, cereals and mushrooms are good food sources of selenium.

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Prince Malachi is the founder of The Oracle Network and the Streetwear brand Y.A.H. Apparel

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