With the Covid-19 pandemic raging and many turning to supplements to strengthen their immune system, health experts say a well-balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle should be the top priority.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Professor of Public Health Nutrition Dr Zaleha Md Isa said those who followed a nutritious diet will tend to have a lower risk of contracting chronic illnesses and infectious diseases.
“A diet to boost immunity must not consist of vitamins alone, but also dietary fibre, minerals, protein, antioxidants, and sufficient water for hydration, ” she said.
Dr Zaleha said there were studies reporting the role of vitamin D in boosting the immune system by enhancing cellular immunity, but said whether the vitamin improved outcomes associated with Covid-19 was still unknown, adding that the same applied to vitamin C.