STRENGTHEN YOUR NATURAL DEFENCE SYSTEM AGAINST CORONAVIRUS

The world had been agonised by quite a number of pandemics (pestilences) since the earliest days of creation. Some of these deadly pandemics are HIV/AIDS pandemic which was discovered in 1976 at the Democratic Republic of Congo killed more than 36 million people since 1981. It had been estimated that about 1.6 million annual deaths were recorded from 2005-2012. The flu pandemic (1956-1958) also called "the Hong Kong flu" also claimed the lives of about a million people, Antonine Plague (165 AD) wiped away about five million precious lives. Lastly, the flu pandemic (1918) also killed about 20-50 million people.

Currently, the world is in the wake of battling the novel coronavirus, which originally emanated from Wuhan, a province in China. In March 2020, the World Health Organisation declared the coronavirus disease as a pandemic-basically a widespread disease globally. Since the discovery of the new strain of the coronavirus, it had kept on spreading from one country to another, one city to the other and individual to individual. During the early days of the outbreak in China, the world thought it could handle and contain the spread of the virus, however, the current state of infection and spread suggests that countries, world and political leaders, front line health workers, security agencies, scientists and companies are overwhelmed at the rate at which the virus spreads. Scientists have tried and still in the process to come up with a physiological solution (vaccine), but none of their efforts had proven to yield the intended panacea for the coronavirus Disease.

In this anomalous time, how we treat our bodies matters a lot to our wellbeing. The government in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service has put in place precautionary measures such as frequent handwashing, using alcohol-based hand sanitizers, avoiding touching your face and nose, practising social distancing and amongst others which the citizens should follow to stop and mitigate the spread of the virus. However, as individuals, we also ought to strengthen the body's natural defence system, "IMMUNE SYSTEM".

Humans are not defenceless, our creator engineered in us ammunition to defend ourselves when foreign bodies attack, our bodies are naturally furnished with a complex network of cells and tissues that work in harmony to protect the body against any pathogenic attack or illness. The immune system is important for the survival of man. Without a robust immune

system, our bodies would be susceptible to

pathogenic (bacteria, viruses, parasites) attacks and illness. When a foreign matter finds its way into the body, the immune cells and tissues mount an attack-immune response. Immune cells include leukocytes, lymphocytes, phagocytes. However, our lifestyle may influence the robustness of our immune system either in the positive direction or negatively. Some basic ways to strengthen the immune system include:

• Eat whole varied foods

• Get enough sleep

• Limit the intake of alcohol

• Avoid smoking

• Exercise regularly

• Stress management

Current evidence suggests that when one is stressed out, the body releases the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol is known to suppress the ability of lymphocytes to produce antibodies to fight illness or a pathogen. In addition, alcohol is known to reduce the rate at which white blood cells assemble at sites of infection. This increases one's rate of getting infections.

Nutrients significantly help modulate and regulate immune responses and reactions. In other words, numerous nutrients are involved in the "normal" or "ideal" functioning of the immune system. "Luckily for us, food-by nature- is handily packaged with a mixture of different nutrients to support a healthy immune system" ( British Dietetic Association, Older People's Specialists Group).The best thing we can offer our bodies is ingesting different foods from the various food groups-variety. Our bodies need not only the carbs, proteins and fats but also the micronutrients: minerals such as potassium, zinc, selenium, iron, magnesium, iodine to fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D, E, K as well as the water-soluble vitamins, the B vitamins and C.

A deficiency in any nutrient may increase one's vulnerability to disease(s). During meal planning and preparation, include vitamin C rich foods such as grapefruits, lemons, limes, papaya(pawpaw), tomato, tangerines. Evidence suggests that vitamin C aids in stimulation and formation of antibodies- known to act against antigens.

In furtherance, ensuring that the diet contains vitamin A source is relevant and very imperative in this atypical times. Vitamin A is known to play a role in the regulation of the body's immune system. It also protects against infections by keeping skin and tissues in the mouth, stomach, intestines and respiratory tracts healthy. Food sources include mango, liver, fortified milk, carrot, egg.

In a nutshell, as we battle COVID-19 with a collective effort, you as an individual has an independent role to play to keep you safe, and one of them is to eat healthily. On your plate, let it reflect a variety of different foods with varied colours. Give your body the right treatment, and this will go a long way to give your immune cells and tissues the power to wade away infections.

Author's Name: Pius Sarfo Buobu

Contact: +233244944249

Email: foodandnutritionhub01@gmail.com