Vitamins that are good for the immune system

The article was professionally consulted with Senior Doctor, Specialist II Doan Du Dat - General Internal Medicine - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Ha Long International Hospital.

Vitamins and minerals are organic substances that the body cannot synthesize on its own, only exist in small amounts in the body, but play a very important role in maintaining life and helping to strengthen the immune system. .
So which vitamins are good for the immune system? Here are some vitamins to help strengthen the resistance, good for the immune system that you need to fully supplement:

Vitamin A is also known as the anti-infective vitamin, because it plays a prominent role in cellular and humoral immunity. Vitamin A plays a role in the immune response expressed in epithelial integrity. When the body lacks vitamin A, the epithelium is hyperplastic, keratinized and the exocrine glands reduce secretion, and the ability to prevent bacterial invasion is reduced. Vitamin A is often found in hot vegetables, amaranth, carrots, gac, pork liver, chicken liver,...

Vitamin E protects cells from damage, increases the body's resistance to infections, slows the progression of dementia, protects vitamin A and cell membrane lipids from being damaged. oxidizing agents, and participate in cellular metabolism. Vitamin E is found in many foods of natural origin such as sesame, peanuts, soybeans, bean sprouts, olive oil, barley sprouts and dark green vegetables.

Vitamin C is a good vitamin for the immune system because it functions to support the production of interferon, which is a protein made by the body's cells to fight pathogens, so it is very important for the immune system. .
Vitamin C is necessary for white blood cells and immune T cells. If the body lacks vitamin C, it will easily get infections. For people with bacterial infections, there is often a decrease in vitamin C in the blood. Lack of vitamin C will increase capillary permeability, fragile vessels as well as dry skin. If the body has enough vitamin C, the immunoglobulins IgA and IgM increase, the activity of white blood cells increases, which stimulates the transformation of lymphocytes and helps to form complement.
Vitamin C helps to increase absorption of essential trace minerals such as zinc, iron, ... these are essential micronutrients in brain activities. More than 90% of vitamin C in the diet comes from fruits and vegetables. Foods rich in vitamin C include amaranth, spinach, jute, spinach, coriander, spring onion, tangerine, orange, lemon, grapefruit, papaya,...

The B vitamins are good vitamins for the immune system, especially the role of pyridoxine and folate is most important. A lack of folate (vitamin B9) will slow down the synthesis of cells involved in the immune mechanism. Similar to iron deficiency, humoral immunity is less affected than cell-mediated immunity.
In fact, in children and especially in pregnant women, folate deficiency is often accompanied by iron deficiency, which are two factors that cause anemia. If the body lacks pyridoxine (vitamin B6), it will slow down the immune, cell-mediated and humoral functions. Groups of vitamin B are abundant in cereals, rice bran, sesame, heart, liver, wheat germ.

In addition to adding foods containing vitamins that are good for the immune system, it is necessary to follow a reasonable diet, and at the same time build for yourself and your family a happy, healthy life and a scientific lifestyle:
Full nutrition with 4 groups of substances: Group of foods, group of nuts, group of meat of all kinds, group of vegetables; Drink enough water; Eat cooked and drink boiling; Daily exercise; Always keep a happy mind, live a healthy life. Vitamins are organic substances that the human body cannot synthesize on its own, exist in small amounts in the body but play a very important role in maintaining life as well as helping to strengthen the immune system. Therefore, it is necessary to fully supplement foods containing vitamins that are good for the immune system to strengthen the body's resistance.
It should be noted that vitamins should not be abused, consult a doctor before using them regularly, for example, taking a lot of vitamin A in people planning pregnancy or being pregnant in the first month is very teratogenic. According to the results of a study by Dr. Kenneth J. Rothman, a nutritionist and his colleagues at Boston University School of Medicine on 22,748 pregnant women in Boston from October 1984 to June 1987: Women supplement A daily supplement of 10,000 units of vitamin A (IU) increased the risk of birth defects by 2.4 times compared with babies whose mothers supplemented with less than 4,000 units. These risks include cleft palate, cleft palate, hydrocephalus, heart defects and fertility.