Good nutrition can help ward off viruses

You’re reading the newspaper, so I assume that you’ve heard about the coronavirus crisis. You also probably know that we’re still in the middle of the regular cold and flu season. The best advice I heard this week came from a local nurse. She said, “Turn off the news and wash your hands!”

What are the things we can do year-round to lower our chances of getting sick or, hopefully, surviving if we do catch a virus? Let’s start by talking about nutrition – just because it’s Registered Dietician Nutritionist Day.

Everyone should assess their food consumption and look for the nutrients that can boost their immune systems. Cleveland Clinic identifies eight vitamins and minerals that meet the criteria, and they recommend getting them from food rather than supplements.

Let’s start with vitamin C. It’s not just about oranges, lemons, and grapefruit, which are all terrific choices, but add spinach, kale, bell peppers, brussels sprouts, strawberries and papaya to excellent sources of vitamin C.

“In fact,” Cleveland Clinic says, “vitamin C is in so many foods that most people may not need to take supplements unless a doctor advises it.”

Vitamin E helps your body fight off infection. Almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, and sunflower seeds are all high in vitamin E.

“So are spinach and broccoli if you prefer to increase your intake through meals rather than snacks,” Cleveland says.

“Foods high in vitamin B6 include bananas, lean chicken breast, cold-water fish such as tuna, baked potatoes, and chickpeas. Bring on the hummus!” they say.

Foods high in colorful compounds called carotenoids, carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, cantaloupe, and squash are great options because your body will turn them into vitamin A. And, vitamin A has an antioxidant effect to help strengthen the immune system against infection.

Cleveland says that vitamin D may be the exception to the food over supplement rule. “Many people have a hard time absorbing vitamin D from food, so if you have a vitamin D deficiency, talk to your doctor about supplements,” they advise.

Foods that are high in vitamin D include fatty fish and fortified foods like milk, orange juice and cereal should still be incorporated into your diet.

And, while talking about fortified foods, you can get folic acid (the synthetic form of folate) from enriched bread, pasta, rice, and other 100 percent whole-grain products. “To get more folate, add more beans and peas to your plate on a regular basis, as well as leafy green vegetables,” Cleve-land says.

Iron helps your body carry oxygen to cells. The easiest to absorb is “heme iron,” which comes in lean poultry such as turkey, chicken, and seafood. Other forms of iron can be consumed by eating beans, broccoli, and kale.

“Selenium seems to have a powerful effect on the immune system, including the potential to slow the body’s over-active responses to certain aggressive forms of cancer,” Cleveland says. Selenium is found in garlic, broccoli, sardines, tuna, Brazil nuts, and barley plus many other foods.

And, last but not least, we have zinc. Found in oysters, crab, lean meat, poultry, baked beans, yogurt, and chickpeas. Zinc is known to slow down the immune response and control inflammation in your body.

We have a very low risk of getting the coronavirus here. But, you might ask, what is our local medical community doing to be prepared if it does hit?

I asked infection prevention and quality specialist Kathy Trosin BSHS, RN at Bonner General Health, that very question.

She said: “Bonner General Health is following recommendations and guidelines put out by the CDC to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the U.S.

That effort includes monitoring the evolving situation, educating staff, inventory of personal protective equipment, coordination with facilities for containment and working closely with Panhandle Health Department.

“In addition, BGH has reached out to our community partners to encourage screening of all patients with potential airborne illness before sending them to the hospital. As part of our preparedness effort, we are asking all persons who are planning on seeking medical care at BGH experiencing acute respiratory symptoms or fever and who traveled internationally, to please call the emergency department at 208-265-1020 prior to arrival.”

Kathy Hubbard is a member of Bonner General Health Foundation Advisory Council. She can be reached at kathyleehubbard@yahoo.com.