Enhance Your Resistance Against COVID-19 with a Variety of Vegetables, Herbs, and Fruits
Boosting Immunity Against COVID-19: A Guide to Ayurvedic Remedies
In the face of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining a strong immune system has become more crucial than ever. Ayurveda, an ancient Indian system of medicine, offers a natural and effective approach to boosting immunity. Here are the top vegetables and herbs recommended by Ayurveda and related traditional medical sciences for immunity enhancement.
Top 6 Vegetables for Immunity
- Moringa (Drumstick leaves): Rich in antioxidants, moringa is known for its immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Turmeric: With its active ingredient curcumin, turmeric is renowned for its strong anti-inflammatory and immune-enhancing effects.
- Garlic: Not only does garlic add flavour to food, but it also promotes the release of lymphocytes and has antibacterial properties to prevent infections.
- Ginger: A powerful anti-inflammatory, ginger aids immune response and helps control inflammation markers.
- Amla (Indian Gooseberry): Rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, amla is widely used in Ayurvedic immunity boosters like Chyawanprash.
- Bitter gourd: Known for modulating immune responses, bitter gourd helps regulate inflammatory and anti-inflammatory immune responses.
Moringa and bitter gourd seeds are available for purchase.
Top 5 Herbs to Boost Immunity
- Ashwagandha: This herb regulates oxidative stress, decreases inflammation, and supports lymphocyte release.
- Cinnamon: Containing antioxidants such as leucine, cinnamon aids blood and oxygen flow and has anti-inflammatory effects.
- Kalmegh (Andrographis paniculata): An Ayurvedic powerhouse herb, kalmegh is used to treat fevers and enhance immunity.
- Aloe Vera: Rich in vitamins B12, B1, B6, folic acid, aloe vera boosts healing, controls blood sugar, and reduces oxidative stress.
- Turmeric (Curcuma longa): Inducing cytokine production, turmeric regulates inflammatory and anti-inflammatory immune responses and is widely recognized for immune stimulation.
In addition to these, citrus fruits like lemons and oranges, broccoli, spinach, red peppers, neem, ginger, and tulsi are also beneficial for immunity. Neem, an ancient blood purifier, is effective in keeping the body safe from harmful viruses and bacteria. Ginger can help relieve sore throat, cold, and inflammation, while tulsi, a herb significant in Indian culture, can effectively locate and destroy germs, viruses, and bacteria in the body.
Natural ways of empowering immunity are sustainable and effective. Boosting immunity and strengthening disease coping mechanisms are key to tackling a potential COVID-19 attack. While these remedies should not replace conventional medical treatments, they can complement them and contribute to overall health and wellbeing. Remember, efforts to prepare bodies internally to fight the virus are necessary in addition to precautions like social distancing, wearing masks, and using sanitisers.
Sources: [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6749577/ [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4936658/ [3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3136575/ [4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3234154/
- Symptomatic workplace-wellness programs can incorporate the cultivation of organic gardens with plants like moringa, turmeric, garlic, ginger, and bitter gourd to promote health-and-wellness.
- In a time where fitness-and-exercise and mental-health initiatives are crucial, consider setting up a seedling nursery in the workplace, providing access to seeds for vegetables like amla and broccoli, which are beneficial for general health and immunity.
- Offering skin-care seminars and workshops focused on the therapeutic properties of ayurvedic plants, such as neem, can contribute to employee wellbeing.
- Encourage workplace mental-health discussions on the benefits of traditional therapies-and-treatments, such as meditation and yoga, alongside the regular consumption of immune-boosting herbs like ashwagandha and kalmegh.
- Corporate wellness initiatives can include fruit deliveries of citrus fruits like lemons and oranges, as they are rich in vitamin C and enhanced immunity.
- On a personal note, consider the benefits of adding CBD to your skincare routine for stress reduction and overall wellness.
- Implementing a men's health program centered around the consumption of immunity-enhancing foods, such as red peppers, ginger, and garlic, can help improve overall health and wellbeing.
- Empowering women in the workplace with knowledge of Ayurvedic remedies, like tulsi and moringa, can contribute to a stronger support system and further enhance overall health and wellbeing.
- For effective immunity enhancement and disease coping mechanisms, in addition to practicing social distancing, wearing masks, and using sanitizers, it's vital to include proper nutrition, such as consuming immunity-boosting fruits and vegetables, herbs, and nutritional supplements, in daily routines.
