Does your child fall sick often? Boost his immune system the natural way with our list of 5 nutrients that should be a part of every child’s diet. To know the many health benefits of all the nutrients and foods that contain those nutrients, read on.Parents are always worried about their children falling sick. What with the increased pollution, sudden weather changes, and super-resistant bugs, diseases are rampant. Add to that the
unhealthy eating and lifestyle habits of children today, and what you have is a child who is prone to every disease-wreaking virus and germ trolling around. Boost your child’s immunity by feeding him a healthy and nutritious diet. For the best 5 nutrients that boost the immune system, and to know which foods are rich in immunity boosting vitamins and minerals, read on.
Vitamin C
Health Benefits:Foods that contain
Vitamin C boost the immune system of children and they need a lot of such food items to protect themselves from falling ill. Vitamin C helps produce white blood cells that helps fight diseases. Recent studies have revealed that taking Vitamin C either in natural form or medicated is not going to cure the child from
cold or flu but it is important for making the immune system stronger.
Foods Containing Vitamin C: Food items rich in Vitamin C are orange, grapefruit, lemon, sweet lemon, peaches, strawberries, raspberries, potatoes, tomatoes and sweet potatoes.
Beta Carotene
Health Benefits: This Beta Carotene gets converted into Vitamin A entering the body. This vitamin is very essential for the development of the cells that fight illness. This is, therefore, extremely important for children. Beta Carotene is suggested to be given in natural form only because these help convert into the right amount of Vitamin A. High quantity of this vitamin becomes toxic in the body.
Foods Containing Beta Carotene: Beta Carotene is present in brightly coloured fruits and vegetables. Foods that contain Beta Carotene are pears, apricots, blueberries, peaches, watermelon, grapes, sweet potatoes, lettuce and carrots.
Vitamin E
Health Benefits: Although this vitamin is not given as much importance as Vitamin C, it is essential for the immune system. Vitamin E supports different elements and makes them stronger so that the illness cells are fought back. Vitamin E is also considered to
keep the heart functioning properly and lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Foods Containing Vitamin E: Vitamin E supplements should be given to children only after consulting a doctor. Foods rich in Vitamin E include almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, dried herbs, spinach, bell peppers, mangoes, asparagus and tomatoes.
Zinc
Health Benefits: Zinc is one of the most essential elements as it is present in every tissue of the body. It is required for the proper growth of children and infants and is directly involved in cell division. Adequate zinc levels can help resist and cure most health issues. Zinc activates T lymphocytes or T cells which not only control and boost immune responses but also attack diseased cells.
Foods Containing Zinc: Usually doctors prescribe supplements with zinc for the infants. However, foods containing this element are oysters, crab, beef, fortified cereals, beans, turkey and dark meat.
Vitamin D
Health Benefits: New studies have shown that vitamin D can help in
building the body’s immunity. Many people suffer from a deficiency of Vitamin D, which makes the body more susceptible to seasonal colds and flu. Exposure of the skin to sunlight produces Vitamin D, which arms the body with the ability to fight off diseases.
Foods Containing Vitamin D: Other than sunlight, Vitamin D can be found in fish, fish oil, dairy products, fortified cereals, salami, ham and mushrooms.
Does your child fall sick often? How can you improve his immune system? What foods are best to boost your child’s immune system? Discuss here. 
