3. Vitamins C and E
Your body suffers from what we call oxidative stress while fighting an infection. Oxidative stress leads to free radicals that can penetrate cell walls, lead to tissue leakage of the contents and exacerbate inflammation.
Vitamin C and vitamin E help to prevent oxidative stress in cells. Vitamin C also helps to clean this cellular mess by producing specialized cells, including neutrophils, lymphocytes, and phagocytes, to mount an immune reaction.
Excellent sources of vitamin C include oranges, lemons, limes, berries, kiwifruit, broccoli, tomatoes, and capsicum. We find vitamin E in nuts, green leafy vegetables, and vegetable oils.
