Food is full of nutrients that keep you healthy.
Even more, certain vitamins would help us fight Covid-19 and other viruses.
This is explained by the nutritionist doctor, Laurence Plumey, in the program "Sans rendez-vous" on Europe 1.
At the onset of winter, and while covid-19 but also other viruses spread more easily, it is all the more necessary to pay attention to what we put on our plate to take care of of our health.
The nutritionist doctor Laurence Plumey was invited to the program
Sans rendez-vous
on Europe 1 to explain how to strengthen our immune defenses with our diet.
"The cells of the immune system are like all cells: they need nutrients, proteins, essential lipids, glucose, minerals and vitamins to function as well as possible", explains the specialist.
"From a moment when we have a deficiency, these cells will be found, like the others, a little weakened, and they will be less effective."
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Laurence Plumey therefore recommends eating well "in a varied, sufficient and balanced way".
During the health crisis linked to the coronavirus, obese people were also identified as people at risk.
For the doctor, "people who are overweight are often people who eat poorly, ultra-processed foods poor in nutrient density with few minerals and few vitamins. They are therefore often deficient."
The importance of vitamins C and D
Two vitamins are essential to strengthen its immune defenses in winter.
First, there is vitamin C, a powerful anti-oxidant.
"Every day we must have these 100 mg of vitamin C so that our white blood cells are tonic and effective", proclaims Laurence Plumey.
She advises eating two oranges a day or drinking orange juice in the morning.
"In addition, it is the peak of citrus season!"
The second vitamin that works miracles is vitamin D. "It is extraordinary", exclaims Laurence Plumey.
"The more we study it, the more we find that it has important roles. It has been shown to stimulate the activity of white blood cells and promote the balancing of the renin angiotensin system. Let me explain: when we catch Covid-19, it will activate receptors which will act in our kidneys to increase our blood pressure and cause all collateral damage, on the heart, the vessels ... Well, vitamin D will activate the opposite for control this phenomenon, ”she continues.
Vitamin D is found in oily fish or even in certain yogurts.
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The problem is, we have less vitamin D in our blood than we need.
So do not "hesitate to take cures", according to Laurence Plumey.
And, still according to her, we are not all equal: "there is a significant gap in France between the north and the south since we manufacture vitamin D with the sun. North of the Loire, between 60 and 80% of the population have vitamin D levels in the blood much lower than they should be. "