DURING PANDEMIC COVID-19 ANTIOXIDANT IS A MUST-----RECOGNIZE ITS HERBAL SOURCES

Nowadays people around the world including Indonesia have been tried to avoid the infection of the deadly corona virus (covid-1). All health protocols have to be applied with no compromise due to the rapid spread of the virus. One way to avoid the infection is through increasing body immunity. As imunology Profesor di University of Manchester, Sheena Cruickshank in the Guardian said that one has to understand his/her immune system first in order to be able to maintain it.

The Immune System

" When we touch an unknown pathogen or virus, we have various barriers to stop them from entering our body," said Sheena. Those barriers are skin, mucous, and microbime. While, underneath our body are full of epithel cells that are not easy to pass. They produce the most relevant antimicrobes which is antivirus against to corona virus. If the pathogen pass that, it has to combat white blood cells or the immune cells of the body.

Those cells will face the virus unrealizedly. This system is also a basic of vaccination. Although, according to Sheena, the immune system has a bind point, meaning the immune response does not recognize certain virus or pathogen, Sheena mentioned however that a healthy way of life will be maintain the body against those strange viruses. Not only for corona virus but the immune system also protects body from other diseases.

Ways to Strengthen the Immune System to avoid Corona Virus

Basically human body has immune system against virus or disease pathogens. However, there are factors that weaken the system or human immunity, such as ageing, malnutrition, diseases or even certain medicines. That is why, function of the system needs always to be maintain for the strong and healthy body. Besides routine exersices, good managing of stress, relaxation and consume supplements to support immunity, consuming nutritious foods is important to increase body immunity.

To maintain body immunity, adequate input of nutrition is needed. Besides consumption of less fatty meats, cerals and legume grains, fruits and vegetables that are rich in antioxidant are able to help the body against free radicals to be immune. If there are lots of free radicals in the body, the function of immune system will be affected and we will be easily infected by the Corona virus.

Benefits of Antioxsidant

The benefit of antioxidant is to protect the cells from damages due to free radicals. To gain the benefits, we need to consume various sources of foods that contain antioxidant. Free radicals are natural formed substances when metabolism process take place in the body. In addition, those substances are also come from outside body for instance pollution, cigarette smokes, pesticides or medicines.

Free radicals could damage the cell DNA arrangement, increase bad cholesterol in the body, induce immflamation, and weaken the immune system. The excessive and continuously exposure of free radicals, could increase the risk of early ageing and several diseases, such as heart diseases, cancer and dementia. That is why our body needs antioxidant to combat the effect of free radical exposure. Some substances that have characeristics of antioxidant are flavonoid, polyphenol, beta caroteen, luthein, licopen, selenium, zinc, anthocianin, vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E.

Sources of Natural Antioxidant

Natural antioxidant could be get from fruits, vegetables, legume grains, cereals, besides less fatty meats, and fish. Various fruits and vegetables which has the highest content of antioxidant are:

Blueberry: Fruit with the highest antioxidant. A cup of blueberry contains 13,427 total antioxidant. It also contain flavonoid (querticin and anthocyanidin) which has the same benefit as antioxidant. The antioxidant in blueberry is good to avoid cancer and high blood cholesterol.

Strawberry: The antioxidant in strawberry is good for avoiding carcinogen, LDL, and cholesterol causing heart diseases.While, anthocyanin in strawberry is to protect from melin cardiovascular. In addition, vitamin C in strawberry is also good for protecting damaging cells due to free radicals.

Plum: Among type of plums, black plums have higher antioxidant. Plums rich in Vitamin C and phenol, which is antioxidant for avoiding imflamation, maintaining DNA and damaging cells in the body.

Oranges: Antioxidant in oranges derived from high Vitamin C. That antioxidant is good for combating free radicals, damaging cells, maintaining immune system and ear infection.

Grapes: Red grapes have higher antioxidant than other types. The skin of fruits is the highest source of antioxidant known as resveratrol. That antioxidant is good for combating the spread of cancer cells.

Cherry: Cherry fruit is rich in antioxidantknown as  flavonoid, isoqueritrin, and queritrin. These antioxidant is good for delaying early ageing and stress. The Queritrin is believe as anticancer.

Manggo: Manggo fruits are sweet and contain high antioxtidan. The fruit contain vitamin A, flavonoid (beta-caroten, alpha-caroten, dan beta-cryptoxanthin), which good for maintaining good eyesight and skin health.

Spinach:: Spinach is vegetable with the highest antioxidant. Spinach contains 3.600 IU beta-caroten, which the source of antioxidant useful for avoiding ageing, anticancer, and heart protecting. While, antioxidant lutein in spinach is believed good for maintaining health of eyes (cataract).

Brocolii::: Brocolii contains vitamin C, flavonoid, carotenoid lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-caroten. The most usefull antioxidant in brocolii is indole-3-carbinol.  This substance is good as anticarsinogen, to acoid servical cancers, prostate cancers, and improve heart function.

The Corona virus has infected thousands of people all over the world. In Indonesia itself more than 1000 people have been infected. Strengthen the immune system of the body by consuming foods rich in antioxidant is one way to avoid the spread of the virus and other diseases. Besides fruits and vegetables, various types of spices and ornamemtal plants also contain antioxidants.