The most important vitamin for your immunity

Vitamins are vital for our well-being. With immunity being the topmost priority right now, vitamins have become an essential part of our diet. Multivitamin tablets and syrups can be found in every household today. But which vitamins do you need the most right now? Which is the most important vitamin for your immunity? What are the natural sources for each Vitamin? Here are all the answers related to each vitamin.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A improves immune function, cellular communication and vision in dim light. It is also vital for the overall growth and development of the body.

Sources of vitamin A include sweet potatoes, egg yolks, dried apricots, broccoli and tomatoes.

Globally, almost one-third of children under the age of five suffer from Vitamin A deficiency. Severe deficiency of Vitamin A can cause blindness in children under the age of five and may even lead to death.

Vitamin B complex

There are 8 different types of Vitamins that are classified as B Vitamins. All these play a very important role in cell metabolism and the production of red blood cells (RBC). A supplement that contains all B Vitamins is also referred to as vitamin B Complex.

Meat, eggs and dairy products are the richest sources of B Vitamins. Other good sources of B Vitamins are pulses, beans, whole grains, potatoes, bananas, chili peppers and brewer’s yeast. It is because of brewer’s yeast that beer is also a good source of B vitamins.

The most common effect of B Vitamins deficiency is on the nervous system (causing beriberi, epilepsy, dementia, etc), skin (causing dermatitis, edema, acne and many other skin disorders), and blood (causing anemia).

Vitamin C

Vitamin C prevents iron deficiency and lowers the risk of heart diseases. It also helps to manage high blood pressure, reduces blood uric acid levels and boosts immunity.

Apart from citrus fruits, Vitamin C can be found in spinach, papaya, parsley, guava, broccoli, kiwi fruit and urad dal.

Vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy that causes spots and bleeding under the skin, spongy gums and poor wound healing. In its advanced stage, scurvy can even cause death.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D regulates the amount of calcium and phosphates in the body to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy.

The best source of Vitamin D is sunshine. The food sources include oily fish (Salmon, Mackerel, Hilsa), egg yolks, mushrooms and red meat.

Vitamin D deficiency results in lower absorption of calcium in the intestine, thereby triggering increased calcium loss from bones. Subsequently, this calcium imbalance results in bone damage and bone-softening diseases that include rickets (in children) and osteomalacia and osteoporosis (in adults).

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant and a part of nearly 200 biochemical reactions in the body. It helps to prevent heart diseases, high blood pressure and cancer.

Spinach, broccoli, almonds, avocados, peanuts and sunflower seeds are some rich sources of vitamin E.

Which vitamin is the most important for your immunity?

Did you think that Vitamin C was the most important one for immunity? Well, unlike popular belief, researches suggest that Vitamin D strengthens your immunity against viruses and germs. It does it better since it’s a multi-purpose nutrient. Vitamin D activates the innate immune system and slows down the adaptive immune systems with antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects.

Studies also suggest that Vitamin D significantly reduces the severity of the COVID-19 virus!

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