Posted on: Fri 11-09-2020

The Chief Executive Officer, Evergreen Health and Social Care International, Mrs Yemisi Solanke-Lawal, has stressed the need for people to eat healthy meals to prevent them from contracting infectious diseases.

Solanke-Lawal, who described the immune system as the body’s defence against infections including COVID-19, advised that improved diet was a necessary aspect of boosting immunity and resistance to infections.

The nutritionist, in a statement, titled, ‘Nutrition and COVID-19’, said, “Improved diet plays a crucial role in our health. This is a start-up we should not ignore.

“With each diet having its minerals and vitamins, it is important to acknowledge the ones with the responsibility of boosting a healthy immunity. Vitamin C and Zinc micronutrients have the core responsibility of building a healthy immunity in our body.”

Solanke-Lawal encouraged Nigerians to consume foods rich in Vitamin C such as plantain, sweet potato, bitter leaf, okra, cassava, ugwu, jute mallow, guava, pawpaw, onions and banana to boost their immune system.

She also advised people not to joke with foods rich in zinc such as pawpaw, cherry, crayfish, fish, meat, snail, groundnut, melon, pears and winged termites.

“While improved diet would boost immunity, people should always remember to wash their hands and sanitise them, keep physical distancing always, wear clean face masks and avoid touching others. These are some of the ways of preventing the spread of COVID-19.

“Our immune system is the body’s defence against infection and this occurs in two ways through the Innate Immune Response which is always ready to protect and goes into action as soon as any foreign item is detected in the body and the Adaptive Immune Response where cells that produce targeted antibodies can stick stop infections,” Solanke-Lawal said.

Source: Punch

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