The pandemic brought by COVID-19 gave us an awareness regarding on taking care of our health. In order to prevent acquiring the virus and other kinds of illnesses and infections, the requirement of strengthening our immune system is definitely a must!
Immune system protects us from anything that can possibly make us sick. It is our body’s first-line of defense that combats any invaders, be it bacteria, toxins, viruses, foreign particles and more! With the aid of our immune system, certain conditions can be prevented and managed as they eliminate these disease-causing microorganisms and fend-off their proliferation.1
Over the time, we cannot always guarantee our protection around the clock. There are instances that our stronghold may be weakened. Little did we know, we might be contracting any infection and the outcome could be detrimental.
So how do we strengthen our immunity?
Nutrition and Immune System
Proper and good nutrition plays a vital role in supporting and maintaining a well-functioning immune system. Try as we might, it's nearly impossible to get all the recommended daily intake of vitamins and nutrients from what we eat and drink. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), adults should consume 1.5-2 cups of fruit and 2-3 cups of vegetables daily. However, it was found out that only 1 in 10 adults get enough fruits and vegies.8 Furthermore, in accordance with Central Intelligence Agency’s World Factbook (CIAWF), the Philippines ranked 161 out of 224 in the year 2016 in terms of average life expectancy indicating the state of poor mental and physical health of Filipinos in the country.9With these kinds of statistics gathered from researches, it is alarming how Filipinos could keep up with their health and nutrition. Good thing is that there were variety of multivitamin supplements widely available today. They come in different sizes and forms - capsule, tablet, syrup, name it all!
In the midst of the global pandemic and emergence of numerous infections, nothing beats the effort of making healthy lifestyle choices. Aside from bolstering our immune defenses, take steps to protect yourself and others by following safety protocols such as wearing of face masks at all times, maintaining social distancing, practicing good hygiene and frequent sanitizing.