Firstly, vitamin A is a great weapon in the fight against flu as it is a natural anti-viral agent. Flu is a respiratory tract disease that is caused by a virus, and the skin lining under your respiratory tract acts as a barrier to prevent your body from being attacked by the virus. Vitamin A ensures that this barrier works properly by maintaining the levels of white blood cells in your blood, which enhances your body’s immune system. For this reason, vitamin A also helps to fight other infections, and recent research recommends that you take 700 to 900 mcg of vitamin A to treat flu. The best sources of Vitamin A are Spinach, sweet potatoes, eggs and mangoes, or else you can take it in supplement form.
You’ve probably guessed that vitamin C is also in this list, as it is well-known that consuming vitamin C during flu lessens the duration of the disease. The ascorbic acid that vitamin C provides helps to boost your immune system’s functionality, and the vitamin also has healing properties in case of throat infection. As it dissolves in water, your body cannot store vitamin C so you need to take up to 60mg every day to treat flu, and the best sources of this, other than supplementation, are citrus fruits.
Finally, vitamin E can be used to treat flu as it is a ‘natural viral’ killer. It fights germs and other harmful foreign elements in your body, by increasing your levels of B cells. Among the other benefits of vitamin E, the B cells that it boosts grow the antibodies which destroy the bacteria of flu, and you need to intake 60 to 100mg of vitamin E to treat the flu virus. The best non-supplement sources of Vitamin E are vegetable oil and grains. If you are considering supplements, remember to first consult your doctor.