Immunity boosters

COVID-19 pandemic has made the entire world more concerned about maintaining and boosting the body’s immunity and staying healthy so as to minimize the chances and protect oneself from such infections. Strong immunity has different components including antibodies that circulate in the blood, recognizes the pathogens like viruses and fight against them. Different types of T cells help recognize and kill pathogens. B cells make new antibodies when the body needs them.¹

COVID-19  infection is associated with reduces the antiviral and innate immunity of the host, induces oxidative stress which disturbs the body’s homeostasis and redox balance which triggers the stress-dependent kinases induction causing inflammation and damage to various organs causing acute lung injury, tissue fibrosis, and pneumonia.²

For maintaining the body’s strong immunity antioxidants play an important role especially naturally occurring antioxidants found in plants and herbal extracts. Herbal extract from mango, turmeric, amla, orange, Centella, different citrus fruits is loaded with naturally occurring phytoconstituents like mangiferin, curcumin, vitamin A, B, C, D, E, β-carotenes, flavonoids which play important role in balancing the oxidative stress caused in the body. 

Curcumin has been shown to act as a potent antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals and enhancing the production of antioxidant enzymes, making it useful for preventive or prophylaxis treatments of virus infections including SARS-CoV-2 effects. Vitamin C reduces reactive oxygen species preventing lipid peroxidation and protein alkylation, thus giving protection to the cells from oxidative stress and preventing cellular damage.¹ Mangiferin has been shown to exhibit its antioxidant properties by protecting against oxidative stress and increasing antioxidant enzymes such as SOD, GSH, CAT, GST levels and quenching free radicals.²  Thus, we see that Vitamin C, vitamin E, β-carotenes act as potent antioxidants and directly help in protecting the cells against damage caused by free radicals. Certain minerals such as zinc, copper, manganese play important role in superoxide dismutase activity, selenium is important for glutathione peroxidase activity and iron is essential for catalase activity Though Vitamin A is less active as an antioxidant, yet it is very important for the development and functioning of T and B lymphocytes. Vitamin A deficiency may cause reduction of cell-mediated immune responses and decreased specific antibody responses after immunization or encountering any pathogens.³

Children generally have more lymphocytes and absolute numbers of T and B cells, which provides a strong T cell-mediated immune response thus protecting children against SARS-CoV-2; they are less prone to pro-inflammatory cytokine a storm, which cause severity in COVID-19 complications ¹. 

Hence, to keep children safe and protected their immunity should be maintained and strengthen, which is possible by providing them a balanced diet rich in different vitamins and minerals which can provide them with the natural antioxidants required to fight against any diseases and enhances the immune responses among children.

References:

1. Zimmermann P, Curtis N, Why is COVID-19 less severe in children? A review of the proposed mechanisms underlying the age-related difference in severity of SARS-CoV-2 infections Archives of Disease in Childhood, 2021; 106: 429-439.
2. M. Mrityunjaya, V. P., R. Neelam, P. Janhavi P. M. Halami and P. V. Ravindra. Immune-Boosting, Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Food Supplements Targeting Pathogenesis of COVID-19. Front. Immunol. 2020, Volume 11, Article 570122, 1-12.
3. Bendich A. Physiological Role of Antioxidants In the Immune System, Symposium: Antioxidants. Immune Response And Animal Function. Journal of Dairy Science 1993;Vol. 76, No.9, :1-6.